Butterfly Dance Home

The Cherokee Butterfly Dance is also known as the Ladies' Fancy Shawl Dance on the modern day pow wow circuits. The Cherokee have a legend explaining how this dance came to be, but the Crow also have another legend with their own version of this dance. In both cultures, it started out as a powerful medicine dance, but in today's culture it is one of the popular competition dances at social powwows on the Northern pow wow circuit. The Cherokee legend is as follows:

"Initially the Cherokee Butterfly Dance began as a medicine dance in both cultures, but it is now one of the most popular dances is competition dances these days. More so on the Northern pow-wow circuit. The Ladies Fancy Shawl dance legend goes as this. Many, many years ago when the earth was so very new, there was a beautiful butterfly who lost her mate in a battle. Her grief was so intense that she removed her wings to show how much she grieved for him. She then cloaked herself in drab cotton. She was so sad she failed to eat or sleep. Her relatives kept visiting her lodge to ensure she was alright. She would not say anything about how she felt, she did not wish to be a burden to anyone, so she simply packed up her wings, her medicine and took off on a long journey. She wandered all around the world but with her eye downcast. She stepped on stones as she made her way across creeks and streams. With her head down all the time she came across a stone one day which was incredibly beautiful.

The beauty of the stone helped heal her sorrow and she then cast her drab cocoon aside. Shaking the dust from her unused wings she donned them once more and began to dance with happiness. While dancing she gave thanks for being given a chance to enjoy life once more. She returned home and told her loved ones of her journey and how it had helped heal her heart. To this very day the Cherokee dance this dance in an expression of renewal and thanks for new life, seasons and new beginnings. Of course the shawl in the Cherokee Butterfly Dance represents the butterfly’s wings. The twirls and fancy steps represent the flight of happiness. A host of traditional Cherokee dances have been preserved and are danced frequently. But many of these traditional dances no longer serve the same function as they once did. Often times they are performed to re-enact a culture which is deemed ancient. In fact many of the traditional Cherokee dances are deemed illegal to perform as they incorporated the taking of scalps."

Women's Butterfly or Fancy Shawl Dancers seen at annual powwows is a beautiful and very strenuous dance typically performed by younger women and girls. It is a fast dance that requires stamina and gracefulness, along with intricate footwork. Each dancer wears a fancy shawl decorated with colorful designs made of applique, ribbons and painting. The shawl has long fringe or ribbons that flow with the movements of the dancer. Fancy Shawl Dancers create the illusion of a butterfly floating through the air by dancing light on their feet and twirling around with their shawl extended like butterfly wings.

Women's Butterfly or Fancy Shawl regalia seen at annual powwows include a dress or skirt, leggings, moccasins, and a beautifully decorated fancy shawl. The shawl is worn draped over the shoulders and is usually made of colorful lightweight fabric. It is decorated with appliques, paint, and ribbons in a way that has meaning to the dancer. The dress or skirt and leggings can either be plain or decorated, but they are made of fabric and colors that coordinate with the fancy shawl.