Joan Henry/Blue Deer Center

[Sturmboe]

It seems she is taking part in spiritual esoteric events much more than I suggested, for e.g.

http://www.goldendrum.org/?s=joan+henry&x=0&y=0

Golden Drum
http://www.goldendrum.org/about/

Quote: GOLDEN DRUM is a cultural center created for the healing, transformation, and the expansion of consciousness of humanity. Golden Drum strives to offer unique programming opportunities through a diverse curriculum of classes, workshops, and events that integrate indigenous Native American teachings with philosophical systems and spiritual traditions from around the world.

Another page
http://www.parashakti.org/about/faculty

Quote: Joan Henry

Joan Henry - Composer & artist Joan Henry, traditional Song-carrier, hahesh’kah (lead drummer) and t’shomah (guardian of knowledge) is on call year-round to run women’s ceremonies, counsel youth & families and provide care to First Nations communities in New England, New York, the Northwest US, British Columbia and Winnipeg, Manitoba –Her ‘other life’ embraces dancing for stage, film, & television, nearly 30 recordings in native traditional, contemporary, classical and jazz venues, and directing Arts for Healing, a therapeutic initiative for pediatrics & oncology patients in upstate NY. (79) Joan Henry, a ha’heshkah & song-carrier of mixed Tsalagi/Nde’/Arawaka descent, has spoken on Native American approaches to women’s healing at the UN’s International Conference on the Status of Women and recently for Vassar College’s new Native American Studies program; she sings "everywhere." She is most beloved, however, for her Coyote stories… (50) T’shomah (guardian or keeper) of original ways & knowledge, identified as a youth by elders who guided her training, picking up where her grandparents began. counsels adolescent youth at-risk and teaches leadership, life skills & arts using an indigenous model; works with women & families. "In Tsalagi there’s no real word for art–it’s your life."
Charles"


Another page:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/heart-mind-2013-festival
is about the heart and mind festival

Maybe she is travelling around different esoteric spiritual organisations. In this case she is not just an musican entertainer as I suggested before. The alligator dance seems to me nothing more than a funny dance. But there is much more behind.

[wolfhawaii]

THE ALLIGATOR GAR  DANCE IS PART OF A SERIES OF SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL DANCES AMONG CREEK AND CHEROKEE TRADITIONALISTS, NOT JUST A "FUNNY DANCE", STURMBOE. Serious issues are involved in unqualified people passing parts of traditional songs and dances to people outside of the communities these cultural properties belong to.

[Sturmboe]

WolfHawaii,

I am sorry If I harmed you. In the way Henry taught this dance, in this way how she presented the dance I interpretated this as a "funny dance", her voice, her emotions, teaching a group (I think) she didn´t know.  I couldn´t saw and felt any respect in this presentation, nothing. That´s why I got this feeling by her acting, that this dance must be a "funny dance", it is not just a lack of knowledge, but a missing lack of a deeper respect, she cannot deliver respect in this way how she teaches.