INFORMATION FOR
The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, who are committed to preserving the culture and traditions of American Indian peoples, will perform at William Paterson University in Wayne on Monday, October 10, 2022 as part of the institution’s celebration of Indigenous People’s Day.
The free performance will be held at 12:30 p.m. on the Shea Center Plaza; in case of inclement weather, the performance will move inside the Shea Center Auditorium.
The Thunderbirds are committed to providing the general public with a more realistic picture and greater understanding of the American Indian people through dance performances, lectures, pow wows and workshops. In Native American culture, music and dance are metaphors for the celebration of all aspects of life. Not only do they enable people to remember history in their minds, but to experience it with their bodies.
Directed by Louis Mofsie, also known as Green Rainbow from the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and the Winnebago Tribe of Wisconsin, the Thunderbird Dancers evolved from The Little Eagles, a group in which Mofsie was a member during his teenage years. For more than 25 years, they have performed for a diverse array of audiences across the country, sharing the varied traditions of the American Indian peoples.
Specializing in the songs and dances of the tribes of the Northwest Coast, Woodlands (Iroquois and Winnebago), Plains (Sioux), and the Southwest (Hopi and Santo Domingo), their repertoire includes the traditional “Fancy Dance” and “Hoop Dance,” as well as a variety of other distinct regional tribal dances. Their performances are presented with descriptive narration.
The Thunderbird Dancers have presented performances and workshops in venues including the New York World’s Fair, Lincoln Center, the American Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of the American Indian, among others.
For additional information, call the Shea Center for Performing Arts Box Office at 973-720-2371 or visit wp-presents.org.
