Trio of sisters will drive 30 hours to compete against scores of other dancers in Phoenix, Ariz.
A trio of Manitoba sisters are off to the 35th annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest in Phoenix, Ariz., this month.
Kimberly, 17, Charisma, 15, and Nakiyah Mason, 8, will dance at the Heard Museum in Phoenix as part of the world championships, where more than 100 dancers from different corners of Turtle Island will compete on Feb. 15-16.
The sisters from Fisher River Cree Nation are going to the championships in the desert region for the second time.
“We are so very excited. We’ve been looking forward to this all year, and all the training that we’re doing, it’s all leading up to this competition,” Kimberly said.
What is hoop dancing?
Hoop dancers perform with hoops approximately 60 centimetres in diameter. Up to 28 hoops can be used during the solo dance.
“Hoop dancing is a storytelling dance. It celebrates the story of life, culture, experience, and shows the stories while you’re dancing,” Charisma explained.
Nakiyah Mason competes at the Hoop Dance World Championship as a seven-year-old in Phoenix, Ariz. (Ginger Mason/Facebook)
And the youth movement in hoop dancing is growing, said Michael Webb, the Heard Museum’s public engagement manager. The Heard is a private museum that showcases Indigenous art in the U.S.
“Each competitor brings their own unique style and own unique teachings from a place with intention of healing but in a competitive nature.”
The Mason sisters found hoop dancing nearly 10 years ago.
“Over the years, we’ve just grown with it, and now it’s become a part of who we are — something we express ourselves in,” Kimberly said.
“As soon as we were introduced to it, it became a part of us. I can’t really remember not seeing hoop dancing and not being a part of that hoop dance family along with it, since it’s always been with us.”
Last year, Nakiyah, who was just seven, placed seventh in her category.
Family is a big part of their hoop dance experience, as the Mason family will spend nearly 30 hours together in a vehicle for the drive to Phoenix.
They are looking forward to that part of the experience, too.
“It’s not like you do this many times. It’s special to us. There’s only this competition once a year, and we’re in Canada, so it’s not that easy to drive over there,” Kimberly said.
Charisma agrees.
“It’s going to be worth it. We’re hoping to enjoy it, which I definitely think we would.”
119 dancers last year
In Phoenix, the dancers will be greeted by a year’s worth of hard work by organizers and volunteers.
There were 119 dancers at last year’s event, and there are hopes that this year will be even bigger.
“You realize, wow, these people are flying in, driving in, committing to a whole week off work, just to be here for two days,” Webb said.
“I understand more and more the stories and logistics. You see 100 of these applications and really do get a grasp of where people are coming from.”
This year, in addition to the hoop dance championships going on outside, inside, the Heard Museum will feature a hoop dance exhibition, featuring artifacts and history of the dance.
The Hoop Dance World Champion will be crowned in each category on the Sunday of the competition.
Charisma is optimistic.
“We have gone once, last year was our first time. We are definitely hoping to go back and get the knowledge and experience to come back and share with Canada.”
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