Rosalie Mae Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daystar Rosalie Mae Jones
Jones at a National American Indian Heritage Month event in Rochester, New York in 2023
Born	Rosalie Mae Jones 1941
Occupation	choreographer, dancer, educator
Years active	1966–present
Partner(s)	Ned Bobkoff
Current group	DAYSTAR:Contemporary Dance-Drama of Indian America

Rosalie Mae Jones, known professionally as Daystar, is a talented dancer, choreographer, and educator. She is also the founder and artistic director of DAYSTAR: Contemporary Dance-Drama of Indian America, a unique dance company.

Early Life and Dance Journey

Rosalie Mae Jones was born in 1941 on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. She grew up in a town called Cut Bank, which was off the reservation. From a young age, she learned ballet and piano. Her parents encouraged her to go to college.

She first studied piano at Fort Wright College. However, a modern dance class taught by Hanya Holm changed her path. She discovered a passion for dance. Later, she earned a Master's Degree in Dance from the University of Utah. There, she learned from teachers like Joan Woodbury and Shirley Ririe. She also met Barry Lynn, who became a lifelong mentor. In 1969, she received a scholarship for young Native American artists to attend Juilliard, a famous performing arts school. She studied with renowned dancers and choreographers like José Limón.

A Career in Native American Dance

While studying for her Master's degree, Jones was hired by the Institute of American Indian Arts. She helped create "Sipapu: A Drama of Authentic Dance and Chants of Indian America." This show featured many modern dancers and traditional dancers from the Institute in Santa Fe.

Later, at Juilliard, she worked with fellow student Cordell Morsette. They collaborated with students from the Flandreau Indian School to create "The Gift of the Pipe." This performance retold the important story of White Buffalo Calf Woman.

In 1982, Jones founded her own dance company, Daystar: Contemporary Dance-Drama of Indian America. This company was special because it created modern dance performances based on Native American stories and oral histories. Its main goal was to help and train Native American performers. It also aimed to teach others to respect Native American dance, music, and art. Daystar was the first modern dance company in the United States made up entirely of Native American performers.

Jones considers Barry Lynn a key mentor in her life. She has also worked closely with her partner, Ned Bobkoff. In the early 1990s, she led the Performing Arts Department at the Institute of American Indian Arts. From 2005 to 2017, she taught about Indigenous performance at Trent University.

Jones's dance style combines different techniques. She re-tells Indigenous stories while also showing her skill in Western stage dance. Her work helps to bring Native American identities and traditions to the stage.

Family Background

Rosalie Mae Jones was born on the Blackfoot Reservation in Montana. Her mother was of Pembina Chippewa and Blackfeet heritage. She worked as a hotel maid. Her father was a Welsh-Canadian railroad worker and welder. Jones's great-grandmother, Susan Big Knife, inspired one of her dance works called "No Home But the Heart."

Notable Dance Works

Daystar Rosalie Mae Jones has created many important dance pieces throughout her career. Here are some of her well-known works:

• Sipapu, a Panoramic Drama of Myths, Dances and Chants (1966)
• Blackfeet medicine lodge ceremony: ritual and dance-drama (1968)
• The Gift of the Pipe (1969) with Cordell Morsette
• Daystar: An American Indian Woman Dances
• Tales of Old Man
• La Malinche: The Woman with Three Names
• Dancing the Four Directions
• The Dispossessed (1975)
• Spirit Woman (1979)
• Between the Earth and the Moon: Voices from the Great Circle (2005)
• Allegory of the Cranes (Tsimakitakkitapohpa...Where are You Going?): a dance-drama (2011)
• jiibayaabooz: Light In The Underworld (2014) with Coman Poon and Heryka Miranda
• Dancing the Four Directions (2017)
• No Home but the Heart (2018)

Awards and Recognition

Daystar Rosalie Mae Jones has received several awards for her contributions to dance:

• National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer's Fellowship, 1995–1997
• Lifetime Achievement Award (Performing Arts), Institute of American Indian Arts 2016