Theater For The New City To Present Thunderbird American Indian Dancers’ Pow-Wow And Dance Concert
All proceeds from the event will benefit college scholarship funds for Native American students.
Theater for the New City will present its annual Thunderbird American Indian Dancers Pow-Wow and Dance Concert from January 30 through February 8, 2026, at its East Village home at 155 First Avenue. All proceeds from the event will benefit college scholarship funds for Native American students.
The annual program features traditional dances, stories, and music representing Native Peoples of the Northeast, Southwest, and Great Plains regions. Over the decades, the Pow-Wow and Dance Concert has become a long-running New York tradition, celebrating Native American culture while supporting educational opportunities for Native students. Theater for the New City donates all box office proceeds from the engagement directly to scholarship funds.
More than a performance, a pow-wow is traditionally a communal gathering, bringing together Native peoples from across the country while offering non-Native audiences insight into Native philosophies, histories, and artistic traditions. The program includes ceremonial and social dances, storytelling, and live music, with each element contextualized for audiences.
Throughout the performances, explanations and introductions are provided by the troupe’s director and emcee, Louis Mofsie, of the Hopi and Winnebago tribes. Mofsie, an educator and cultural ambassador, has received a Bessie Award for Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Dance Guild.
Program highlights include storytelling by Matoaka Little Eagle (Tewa, Apache, and Chickahominy); a Hoop Dance accompanied by guitar and flute performed by Marie Ponce (Cherokee and Taino); a Yaqui Deer Dance featuring Gabriel Perez and Carlos Ponce (both Mayan); and ensemble dances including the Grass Dance, Jingle Dress Dance, Shawl Dance, Rabbit Dance, and Smoke Dance. As audiences enter the theater, music will be performed by the Heyna Second Son Singers. More than ten Native nations are represented, with dancers ranging in age from teenagers to senior citizens.
Traditional Native American crafts and jewelry will be available for purchase in the theater lobby during performances.
Matinée performances are designated as family days. Children ages five to twelve, accompanied by a ticket-holding adult, are admitted for $1.00 at matinées, with adult tickets priced at $20. Following these performances, children are invited to meet the dancers and take photographs.
Performance Schedule and Tickets
Performances run January 30–February 8, Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 general admission. Theater for the New City is located at 155 First Avenue at East 10th Street. Box office information is available at 212-254-1109.
About Thunderbird American Indian Dancers
The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers are the oldest resident Native American dance company in New York State. Founded in 1963 by Native American New Yorkers of Mohawk, Hopi, Winnebago, and San Blas Kuna descent, the all-volunteer troupe was established to preserve and share traditional dances and songs passed down through generations. Since 1976, the company’s annual collaboration with Theater for the New City has raised funds that have supported more than 350 scholarships for Native American students nationwide.
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