FSU PANAMA CITY HOSTS NATIVE PRIDE DANCER FOR PUBLIC PERFORMANCE

Feel the beat of the drum, experience the hypnotizing power of dance, and enjoy the rhythm of the music as Larry Yazzie and the Native Pride Dancers share the cultural history, traditions and beliefs of America’s indigenous people.

Yazzie, a two-time world champion dancer, will perform at FSU Panama City from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 29. The event will be in the Holley Academic Center’s St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall, 4750 Collegiate Drive. Admission is free and open to the public. Register in advance at EventBrite.com.

“By sharing life stories through music, dance and storytelling, we nurture meaningful communication among all people,” said Yazzie, the founder and artistic director of Native Pride Productions. He grew up on the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama, Iowa, where he learned the traditional ways of his ancestors. 

A two-time World Champion Fancy Dancer, Men’s Northern Traditional Dancer and Eagle Dancer, Yazzie said he founded Native Pride Productions to give back to his community and to the world. His repertoire includes performances at the Olympics, the Kennedy Center, and the Smithsonian Institute. This will be his second time dancing at FSU Panama City.

“I was inspired to dance at the age of 7 years old when I saw all the dancers at our annual Meskwaki Powwow,” Yazzie said in an interview with Cowboys & Indians magazine. “I wanted to be out there as well, so I asked my mom if she would help me. She gathered the material and pieced together a fancy dance outfit for me.”

Yazzie also plays the flute and hand drum, and he sings as part of his performance. He has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s leading experts on Native American dance and has received many accolades and awards that celebrate his work.