The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers celebrate their 42nd annual concert of traditional music, dance and storytelling with two weekends of performances, this weekend and next, on the Lower East Side.
The group is made up of members of various tribes who live here in New York City, who share their dance and song traditions.
Performances feature the traditions of the Iroquois, Pueblo, Alaskan and Great Plains Native American peoples, by the Thunderbirds dressed in the authentic clothing styles of their peoples.American peoples.
Each dance is introduced with a complete explanation of the dance and its cultural context and is accompanied by live music.
I’ve seen the Thunderbirds often, including at the National Museum of the American Indian in Lower Manhattan, and my personal favorite is the Hoop Dance, pictured here.
This weekend’s shows are on Friday, January 27 at 8 PM, Saturday, January 28 and at 3 and 8 PM, and on Sunday, January 29 at 3 PM, and again next weekend, Feb. 3-6. Regular ticket prices are $10.
The matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday both weekends have special features for children, including inviting the kids on stage after performances to join a dance and drumming circle.
Tckets for children under 12 at these shows are only one dollar when children are accompanied by an adult paying the regular $10 price.
Performances are at the Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue at East 10th Street in Manhattan. Buy tickets online or phone (212) 254-1109 for reservations.
Box office proceeds from the shows are contributed by the Theater for scholarships for Native American students. Since 1963, the Thunderbird scholarship fund has awarded more than 400 scholarships. The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers are a not-for-profit corporation.