For further information about Centreland Singers contact Jonathan Smith: Telephone 01242 237948

There are various viewpoints & beliefs on where and how the Jingle Dress came into being.

It is said that the Jingle Dress came from the Ojibwe people in Canada. One of the people was sick, the medicine man had a dream in which 4 young women wore dresses with jingles attached to them and danced in a certain way around the sick person. The sick person was healed by this. He told The People of his dream, and the dresses were made. He then showed the 4 young women how to dance and what to do as he had dreamed. They then did as was shown to them and the sick person was indeed healed. Another version says that the sick woman tried to dance 4 times and on the 4th time she was successful and was healed.

Today, there are Two Styles of dancing Jingle Dress - Old Style and Contemporary. I have included both styles here describing the Regalia and the Dance.

Old Style Regalia- Dress has no appliqué but just ribbonwork. Jingles usually attached to all the dress and always silver jingles. Beaded Leggings and Moccasins always worn. No fan and no plume in hair. A small bag is carried when dancing. Sometimes a scarf is also carried and sometimes a scarf is worn as well. A belt with metal disks or concho's is worn. Hair is still in 2 plaits (although there have been 2 other styles in the past - 1 being 1 plait at the back and the other being sides clipped up and the rest loose).

- Dancer appears to glide across the floor - steps are really close to the ground - this is a highly skilled form of dance but appears to be easy. Feet are always parallel to the ground. There is no upper body movement except for hands being placed on the hips. Under no circumstances should the feet cross each other or a dancer dance across the front of another dancer. Backwards or sideways steps are also not allowed, it is always forward.

- Different forms of this, but basically the dancers moves to the left using a speeded up round dance step or slides 1 foot and steps with the other foot in an Up and Down movement. The "up" part must co-incide with the harder beat. Again, no crossing of feet. The arms are held against the body as far as the elbows but then move in and out in time with the drum. On the hard (honour) beats, the dancer bends forward whilst dancing. 

Dress has ribbonwork and ornate appliqué in abstract, geometrical or picture designs. Jingles can be either silver or gold. Fabrics used tend to be shiny or eye catching. Leggings and Mocs are beaded. Beaded Hair sets (matching) also worn with a matching headband. A big plume is attached to the back barrette. Hair is worn in 2 plaits. A wide flat fan is always carried. Some dancers have beaded tops and or beaded cuffs etc. A belt with metal disks or concho's is worn but this can also be a fabric belt to match the rest of the dress.

- Dancers dance on the toes almost with high step style moves, as much footwork as they can come up. They dance in a really confident way with much more energy than Old style. Upper body is still held still though apart from 1 hand on the hip and other carrying the fan - this is held in front & across the dancer and is raised for the start of the honour beats and then still held raised until the end of the push up.

Jingle Dress dancers do not however raise their fans during Grand Entry. 

- 1 hand on hips, the other carrying fan. On the honour beat, the dancers raises the fan and then keeps the fan raised until the end of the push up. They dance with an Up and Down movement. The "up" part must co-incide with the harder beat, 1 foot slides to the left, the other steps to join it, or both feet jump to the left with a kind of pidgeon toe movement, or they do a speeded up round dance step.

You can see both examples on You Tube - just search for Jingle Dress Old Style or Jingle Dress Contemporary. You can also get a DVD on the dance style from most Native American Craft Supply places in the US or Canada. I do have a contemporary style pattern available - but it is not commercial and you would have to live with a hand drawn copy if you wanted one.

This dance style is viewed as a "Traditional" style, this means that Jingle Dress dancers traditionally "earn" the right to dance this style. To earn the right, the dancer must live their life in an honourable & true way, not drinking alcohol or taking drugs, not having affairs with other men, not dancing when on a period  etc. Some dancers also dream their dress before they make it and some also have a Jingle Dress "Feasting" before they wear their dress for the 1st time. 

This is not to say everyone does all this (some I know do and some I know don't !) but if someone reading this wants to be a Jingle Dress Dancer, I must try to make the person aware of these things so that she can make an informed decision about how she wants to dance and live.

If anyone wants further information, please contact me on