Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Fire Dance
Louis Potter, born Troy, NY 1873-died Seattle, WA 1912 · 1907
The Fire Dance is one of many works that grew out of Louis Potter’s experiences with the native cultures in Alaska. It is possible that the artist saw a fire dance ceremony, popular with many Native American nations at the time. The graceful lines of the arms and the legs and the exaggerated, forward motion of the dancer capture the intensity of this ritual, which the participants regarded as a joyful battle with nature’s elements.
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