KEYSTONE, SD: Kevin Locke world renown storyteller and cultural ambassador will perform a traditional hoop dance at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on June 16 at 7:00 PM in the amphitheater. Following in the traditions of his family and elders, Kevin, a Lakota and Anishinabe, will present an amazingly complex and acrobatic Lakota Hoop Dance.
Kevin’s goal is “to raise awareness of the oneness we share as human beings." His belief in the unity of human kind is expressed dramatically in the traditional hoop dance, which illustrates “the roles and responsibilities that all human beings have within the hoops (or circles) of life."
The Hoop Dance, a tradition among the Plains Indians, is a celebration of the annual rebirth of nature that occurs every springtime. The hoops represent unity, while the four colors of the hoops (black, red, yellow and white) represent the four directions, seasons, winds, and the four human races. All 28 hoops interlock to form an interdependent sphere.
The event is co-sponsored by the Mount Rushmore History Association and the South Dakota Arts Council. After the traditional hoop dance, the audience is invited to explore the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center and participate in the evening lighting ceremony to begin at 9 PM.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
