Alexander dancer comes home to perform

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A standing-ovation performance is expected from a world famous professional Native dance troupe in Calgary on Oct. 10.

The American Indian Dance Theatre recently performed in New York City on Broadway and received a strong review from the New York Times.

The dance troupe has performed in such American cities as Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, San Francisco, Arizona, Colorado, Florida and New England.

They have also travelled overseas on tour of the Persian Gulf, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Belgium and France.

The American Indian Dance Theatre is comprised of 26 Native dancers from Canada, New Mexico and the United States.

Twenty year old dancer Lloyd Yellowbird is from the Alexander reserve and has been dancing with the group for three years.

Yellowbird, who is exceptionally talented, grassdances the powwow circuit during the summer. In 1986, he successfully auditioned for the American Indian Dance Theatre.

Yellowbird says he dances for his people back home.

"I do it for the people back home. I think about our ancestors, who struggled for us. It makes me feel good. I was never in a situation before where they were going to pay me

something. I was brought up with it. It was a change, a challenge," he said.

There are 26 Native professional dancers who make up the group, three of whom are Canadians. The other two are from Saskatchewan. The remaining 23 dancers come from New

Mexico and the United States.

The group has made one Canadian stop in Guelph. Ontario during the spring of 1988. This will be the first time the group has ever performed in western Canada.

Yellowbird is very excited about performing at home in Alberta.

"It's different! More of my people (including his mom Celina and family) will be seeing me doing what I have for the past three years. They can see how strong our shows are."

One of the dance scenes is taken from New Mexico and is called a gourd dance. The stage is lit in a rainbow of colors, while the dancers perform in two lines forming a V-shape. All

the while a soft spotlight focuses on the drummers who sing and chant towards the back of the stage.

An offering of a flute is passed from a musician to one who is smudging himself. That represent the Native traditional way of giving from one person to the other.

Barbara Schwei, president and founder of the American Indian Dance Theatre, has taken this group of professional Native dancers around the world.

She has always admired the dancing and wanted the world to see it performed on stage.

The performance will be taking place in Calgary on Oct. 10 at the Centre for the Performing Arts beginning at 8 p.m.