33rd Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest

The Heard Museum is excited to present the 33rd Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest on Saturday, Feb. 18 and Sunday, Feb. 19, during which dozens of the top Indigenous hoop dancers will compete at the Heard Museum’s Libby Amphitheater for the prestigious World Champion title and prizes totaling $25,000 across multiple age divisions.

The annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest is recognized as the premier competition for the art of hoop dance throughout North America.

The art of hoop dance honors cultural practices shared by multiple Indigenous communities. With roots in healing ceremonies, traditions and practices, today’s hoop dance is shared as an artistic expression to honor Indigenous traditions throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Over the years, as the hoop dance community has grown, dancers have incorporated new and creative designs in their regalia and intricate footwork in their dancing while still respecting the fundamentals of the form. Individual routines can feature as few as four to as many as 50 hoops, which are manipulated to create various formations such as animals, insects, and globes.

Dancers are judged on a slate of five skills: precision, timing/rhythm, showmanship, creativity, and speed. Contestants of all genres compete together in one of five divisions: Tiny Tots (age 5 and younger), Youth (6-12), Teen (13-17), Adult (18-39) and Senior (40 and older). A collective prize pool of $25,000 will be awarded to winners across divisions, and victors in each division can claim the honor of being the World Champion.

Gates open at 8:15 a.m. both days, and the dancing will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information about the 33rd Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest, visit heard.org/hoop.