Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Various Sizes - Matted Prints
As a bonfire licks at the dark evening sky, five dancers stamp into the circle of light. Entering from the east, the dancers bless the four cardinal directions and the medicine man begins to sing. The dancer's movements are dynamic and bold as they sway and posture, lunge and twist, brandishing sword like wands and tipping their elaborate headdresses back and forth. Their arms and bodies are painted with black and white designs representing thunder and lighting, clouds and rain. Their crowns are painted with sacred images of stars, suns, crosses and zigzags.
To the Apache people these are the Mountain Spirits, the Crown Dancers, the holy Ga’an, who dwell in the sacred mountains and whose power is believed to be manifested in the wind. Today the Crown Dancers are best known for their performance of the Ga’an Dance on the final night of the Sunrise Ceremonies. This dance is a healing and renewal ceremony to protect the Apache from disease and their enemies.
Click on Photo to view Full Image
Various Sizes - Matted Prints
As a bonfire licks at the dark evening sky, five dancers stamp into the circle of light. Entering from the east, the dancers bless the four cardinal directions and the medicine man begins to sing. The dancer's movements are dynamic and bold as they sway and posture, lunge and twist, brandishing sword like wands and tipping their elaborate headdresses back and forth. Their arms and bodies are painted with black and white designs representing thunder and lighting, clouds and rain. Their crowns are painted with sacred images of stars, suns, crosses and zigzags.
To the Apache people these are the Mountain Spirits, the Crown Dancers, the holy Ga’an, who dwell in the sacred mountains and whose power is believed to be manifested in the wind. Today the Crown Dancers are best known for their performance of the Ga’an Dance on the final night of the Sunrise Ceremonies. This dance is a healing and renewal ceremony to protect the Apache from disease and their enemies.
Click on Photo to view Full Image