Song No. 10
Geronimo's Medicine Song
Song No. 11
Apache Medicine Song
Hoop Dance of Woodcraft
We use four dancers, each carrying a hoop wrapped with white table oilcloth (to make it more visible at night in the firelight) ; and costumed in breech clouts, if boys. If girls, as follows:
A pair of short, brown, tight-fitting pants, a sleeveless straight-cut waist of same material, tucked into the waist of the pants so as to make an unbroken line, the whole zigzagged in white paint from shoulder to bottom of pants, or even running right down leg to ankle. This necessitates some make-up to get the warm brown color, and we aim to have the make-up and the material of the costume of the same color. Around the waist, a brilliant-colored breech clout, shaped as in Fig. 8 8 and weighted at the tabs. These may be decorated in any fashion desired. Bells are worn around the leg under the knee, or small tinkles down the outside seam of the pants; but it is better not to have them around the ankle as in other dances, since it is likely to interfere with hoop work
at times.
(R) GERONIMO'S MEDICINE SONG, Section 1:
Skip in (g steps), one dancer from each of the four corners, and swinging the hoops out and up right, down into left
Fig. 29.
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hand, out and up left, down into right hand, etc., forming figures-of-8 in the air (Fig. 29). Meet in center, facing in
9 meas. (b) Section II:
All face left. Five step-hops in circle, swinging hoops back with right hand around middle, into left hand and across waistline into right hand, etc. This step-hop is always done with a slight bend forward at waist, unless otherwise specified
(c) Section III:
s meas.
About face. Eight step-hops as in (b) , ending with pose ( I meas.), all facing center, holding hoops up in right hand in
the vertical plane, and with circles to center 9 meas.
(d) Section IV:
Face left. Step right toe forward ( i ) ; left heel tap, tai (2& I &) ; drop right heel (z) ; repeat on opposite foot, and repeat whole to end of strain
(e) Section V: Repeat (d)
I o meas.
9 meas.
Section V repeated: Sixteen back-trot steps, raising heels high behind (2 steps to each measure), and ending with pose ( i measure), all facing
Fig. 30.
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center, holding hoops high in front with both hands, hoops
in horizontal plane 9 meas.
APACHE MEDICINE SONG:
Facing center, hoop down at right side in right hand, toe-flat
step right foot to right (r&) ; cross left in front of right
(2&) ; step right into hoop (z&) ; step left into hoop (2&) ;
swing hoop up left over head (z&) ; and down to right side
again ( 2&) . Repeat until last line z z meas.
With same step, all string out into one line, next each other,
facing front (Fig. 3 0 ) 4 meas.
(b) GERONIMO'S MEDICINE SONG, Section I:
Hang hoop low in f rout across the body with right hand. Hop-step right into hoop, repeat (1&2&) ; hop-step right out of hoop back in place, repeat (I&2&); hop-step left into hoop, repeat (I&2&) ; hop-step left out of hoop back in place, repeat ( r&2&) ; hop-step right into hoop, crossing
front of left ( z&) ; hop-step right still in hoop, but not crossing left (2&) ; hop-step right into hoop, crossing front of left ( z&) ; hop-step right out of hoop (2&) ; hop-step left into hoop, crossing front of right, ( I&) ; hop-step left still in hoop, but not crossing right (2&) ; hop-step left into hoop, crossing front of right (1&); hop-step left out of hoop (2&). (See Fig. 3 1)
Fig. 31.
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9 meas.
(i) Section I, repeated:
Face left, and repeat (h), one behind the other 9 meas.
( j ) Section II, twice
About face to right, spacing out into circle again. Hop-step
back with right ( z&) ; hop-step back with left (z&) ; hop
step back with right into hoop held at back of heels ( r&) ;
ditto with left (z&) ; swing hoop up front and over head
(I&); swing hoop down back (2&). Repeat to end of
strain (Fig. 32) 5 meas.
Fig. 32.
(h) Section III:
About face. Simple hop-step forward in circle, each passing own hoop back with right hand, hoop taken by next dancer with left hand, passed back and taken in right, etc. g meas.
(l) Section IV:
Face center, extend left leg back, hoop held over head z meas. In 4 jerks, lower hoops to floor, and leave them there, all touching in center
Stand
2 meas. I meas. Pivot to right, making one and a half turns, ending facing right
Pose, right hand up over head
(m) Section V:
Face right. Hop left, and cross right over left into hoop ( z&) ; hop right and cross left outside of hoop (2&) ; pro-
3 meas. 2 meas.
gressing forward so the next hop-cross brings right into next hoop, and so on through the strain. At last measure, stoop quickly and pick up hoop
g meas.
(YL) APACHE MEDICINE SONG:
About face to left. Lift left leg and put it through hoop held high as possible. Pass left arm through, then head. Swing hoop down back, and step right leg out of it. Swing hoop around middle once. (Fig. 3 3. ) Repeat to end of strain, ending facing center, with hoops held in both hands back of heads
Fig. 33.
16 meas.
(o) Cross left over right, and point ( I&) ; then back to place
(2&) ; cross right over left, and point ( z&) ; then back to
place (2&), etc. This is a rest step 9 meas.
(p) Section I Of GERONIMO'S MEDICINE SONG:
Face left. Lower hoop to vertical plane, almost touching floor between feet. Hop left, step right across into hoop (I&); hop right, step left across into hoop in front of right (2&) ; hop left, bring right out ( i&) ; hop right, and bring left out (2&) ; repeat to end of strain (Fig. 34) 9 meas.
Fig. 34.
Section II, twice
About face to right. Swinging hoop behind, and holding it in both hands, bending sharply forward at waist, hop-step back, hop-step back, pass body through hoop, then head and
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feet, swing hoop down around to back, and repeat whole to
end of strain (Fig. 3 S ) 8 meas.
Fig. 35.
(r) Section III:
Backs to center. Take hoops in circle. Hop left, with right
knee raised high, point-step right in place. Repeat for three
lines, progressing to right 6 meas.
On last line, let go of neighbor's hoop with right hand, and
turn about self, shading eyes with right hand 3 meas.
(s) Section IV:
Holding hoop in right hand, high in front, put left leg into
hoop, left arm and head through, grasp it in left hand, change
to right hand, leaving left leg in. Reverse, and repeat to end
of strain io meas.
Section V, twice:
One dancer stands in circle, hoop high over head; one at either side, facing each other; and one behind, facing front. The side dancers place their hoops vertically in front of selves so they overlap a little in front of center dancer. Center dancer steps into intersection of the two hoops which are immediately raised to waistline and pulled taut in horizontal plane. The dancer behind quickly puts own hoop over center dancer's head, and pulls taut at waist. (Center dancer must manage own hoop from hand to hand, so it does not interfere with this last movement.) Center dancer now pivots in place; other three hop-step around in small circle, each holding own hoop. At end of strain, all three outside dancers bend, holding hoops flat on ground
Center dancer leaps out
70
8 meas.
I meas.
Center dancer leads off in rapid trot-step, other three following
This may be simplified by omitting any number of steps; may also be used as a solo by choosing the fitting steps.
g meas.
7I
