Navajo Grass Dancer

Going back to my roots I had the urge to capture one of the beauty of Navajo tradition, The Grass Dancer. The Grass Dance is a Native American dance that involves a dancer who moves in a way that portrays the grass in the wind. The dance is often performed by a dancer, who wear bright, colorful outfits with long fringes or ribbons. Heading back to the Navajo Reservation of Shiprock, New Mexico one summer, I inquired about a dancer and was able to meet with a gentleman named Matthew. We had a great conversation about family, and culture. I absolutely found this shoot blissful and a beauty to watch the dance. Music was played from his phone so it wasn’t very loud. We had to imagine the beat in our head to get the our timing in sync.

I remember watching the dance and forgetting to release my shutter. :) The combination of the colors and the Rock (Shiprock) was a lot to take in. In a good way. I hope to take a trip home soon, I think next time i do this, I will capture another style.