Brilliant Bustle
Inkjet on metallic paper, 14 x 11 in, 150 USD
This “Fancy Dancer” stopped and danced right in front of me during the first Tejon Indian Tribe Powwow held in 2015 in Bakersfield, CA to celebrate the tribe’s finally receiving federal recognition. Men’s fancy dance is flashy, colorful and highly energetic. It requires strength and stamina and is usually performed by younger men and boys. Twin feather bustles are one of the hallmarks of modern fancy dance regalia. It’s expected that a fancy dancer should strike a pose at the end of each series of drumbeats.