Finding My Dance
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
In her debut picture book, professional Indigenous dancer Ria Thundercloud tells the true story of her path to dance and how it helped her take pride in her Native American heritage.
At four years old, Ria Thundercloud was brought into the powwow circle, ready to dance in the special jingle dress her mother made for her. As she grew up, she danced with her brothers all over Indian country. Then Ria learned more styles--tap, jazz, ballet--but still loved the expressiveness of Indigenous dance. And despite feeling different as one of the only Native American kids in her school, she always knew she could turn to dance to cheer herself up.
Follow along as Ria shares her dance journey--from dreaming of her future to performing as a professional--accompanied by striking illustrations that depict it while bringing her graceful movements to life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"My name is Waka˛ ja haja pj˛j˛wi˛ga, which means ‘Beautiful Thunder Woman.' I am from the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin and Sandia Pueblo in New Mexico," which "value an important part of my life: dance" begins Thundercloud's autobiographical picture book, tracing the protagonist's experience as a dancer, starting with the gift of an orange jingle dress at age four. At her first powwow, Thundercloud leads her family into the arena, "a circle to symbolize unity, where there is no beginning and no end, just infinite connections to the spirit world and the earth." Each summer for years, "my older brothers and I would hit the ‘powwow trail,' " until joining a dance team leads to a professional career that takes her all over the world. But "no matter how far I went, I would always return." In a heartfelt, personal-feeling narrative, Thundercloud encapsulates many Indigenous traditions; Fuller's unlined graphic art employs warm, rich colors that align with the narrator's heart, determination, and love of dance. Ages 4–8.
