The Santo Domingo Pueblo is located on the east bank
of the Rio Grande in New Mexico. The dancers of the pueblo are famous for their
dresses and intricate footwork. Each August 4th the largest Indian
ceremony in the Southwest of the United States is held in the Santo Domingo Pueblo.
Most famous is the Green Corn Dance in which more than 1000 Santo Domingo
natives take part.
During a dance ceremony by the Santo Domingo group I
was most attracted by the footwork and delicate moves. So decided to take a few
pictures representing my appreciation of the dance.
The buffalo head was worn by the male dancers. They
were tall and the headpiece made them towering over the group.
Capturing a dance on still photos is always a
challenge so I opened wide (f2.8) my 1960s Nikkor-P 180mm lens and let the
Nikon F3 decide on the shutter speed. I like this one where the movement is in
smooth tonal ranges.
The women wore immaculate Indian high moccasins made
of deer skin. The footwork was synchronized beautifully among the male and female
dancers.
Yet, the delicate movements of the female dancers were
most attractive to me. Here is a movement frozen on film.
Finally, a young girl joined the dancers. She might
have been 6 years old perhaps and eager to learn the moves. Not quite there yet
but soon she will join them in good timing of each step.
May 26, 2105
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2015
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