Link to the video:
The video that I have chosen to explore is a Native American Rain Dance performed by a group called Wuauquikuna. The group appears to be in Russia outside at some sort of shopping center or mall, as seen by the advertisements and Russian script on the top of the building. Many people have gathered around to watch, dressed in average everyday clothing so we can infer that this is not intended to be a private or prestigious performance. The three performers have brought with them two small teepees, one featuring a large dream catcher and the other with a leather disc with an animal imprinted on it. They also have brought two tapestries each featuring wolves and a forest, as well as audio equipment that they will use later on.
The performers are three men dressed in very ornate and colorful attire. These look to be handmade as each of their outfits are unique, some featuring more fringe and tassels while others have more feathers. The main colors seen in their clothing is blue and red. They each also have a different type of headdress and back piece. They all appear to have blue arm cuffs with a medallion like shape on them. The men stand in a triangle like formation to start off. The man on the left and the man in the middle each pull out a different type of flute. The man on the left’s flute is long and wooden with strings wrapped around it. The one in the middle’s flute is much smaller almost similar to a whistle. The sounds that they create sound like bird calls and resemble nature. The man on the right has a recorder length whistle that he is also using to mimic these sounds. In the background they start a recording of someone singing on a comfortable “ah” very freely and open, not focusing necessarily on any sort of melody but rather as a chant.
The man on the left then stops playing his instrument and comes forward, slowly circling around before kneeling in a prayer like stance, bowing his head and dragging seed shells on the ground creating a rattling sound. He lifts his flute towards the sky with his eyes closed and opens his arms like a bird. The music then picks up in a lively fashion featuring drums and light singing and vocal trilling. They start to dance in a natural and free way. The man who was kneeling before gets up from the ground and joins the other performers. Their dance seems to focus towards a four-beat rhythm with an emphasis on the first beat. The man that was kneeling now is dancing on his own, spinning around in wide circles near the crowd, while the other performers head back to their original spots to sing and trill. This continues until they join together again to continue their dance from prior. They continue to circle around a bucket or can with text written on it in blue. The man then returns to his mic while the other men spin around even faster and wider. Soon they are all back to their original positions sharing the chant with each other. They quickly return back to their dancing and finish off in a diagonal line with the leading man on the left in front. The group originates from Ecuador and they now perform across Europe spreading their music to other cultures.
