New River resident seeks to repeat as national champion
Marc Buckhout ~ Managing Editor ~ 2/10/2010

It’s a pride that allows the Ho-Chunk Native American to share his culture with people around the world, keeping it alive for another generation and sharing it with others who otherwise would never know anything about it.
“When I perform I always remind myself that this could be the audience’s only chance to see Native American culture,” Brian Hammill said. “I take that responsibility seriously.”
For the 39-year-old New River resident it’s a desire to share a talent that has built a bond in his family, as wife Toni, 6-year-old son, Nedallas, and 3-year-old daughter, Destiny, all have followed in his footsteps.
“To get to see your kids taking part in their culture, for them to get to experience it for themselves and to spend that kind of quality time is the best thing,” he said. “You can’t buy culture.”
After spending time as an Army nurse, hoop dancing grew into enough of a passion for Hammill that he turned away from a career in the medical profession to pursue a job that had a much less certain path to success.
If there was any initial uncertainty Hammill said he quickly knew he had made the right decision.
“The rings represent the circle of life,” he said. “It’s a good performance when you do the different formations like the butterflies and the eagles and the people see them. When you see somebody crying after you perform, because they were touched by your performance that means a lot. That’s when I changed my life’s dream when I saw that I was making that type of impact.”
In 1997 Hammill formed Native Spirit Dancers as a way to share native culture and dance with people from across the country and around the world. He said he puts on anywhere from 200 to 400 shows a year.
The Ho-Chunk are a tribe from southern Wisconsin.
Along with performing at events around the world, using dances with rings, and music while dressing in complete regalia, he also has spent the last 15 years competing in the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest at the Heard Museum.
In the event competitors have seven minutes to perform their routine. They are judged on a 50-point scale by five judges who grade them on showmanship, precision, timing, rhythm and creativity/originality.
In a competition that takes place annually at the Heard Museum in Phoenix Hammill has consistently been a top competitor over the years, finishing second in 2008.
After finishing only two points behind the champion in 2008, Brian was hopeful that 2009 could be his year.
Instead he went into the contest just hoping to make it through the three rounds of competition.
“I really don’t remember much of my routines. I just remember I felt awful,” he said of a 101 degree fever that had friends in attendance suggesting he should withdraw. “
Comparing the physical demands and the focus his art requires to that of an athlete Hammill said he did his best to block out any distractions despite being at less than his best physically.
“The hoop dance is like your identity,” he said. “It changes subtlety over the years, but it tells your story. I’ve danced with as many as 44 hoops in my routine, but last year I was using 13. Sometimes you get more and it becomes cluttered. I wanted to keep things simple, but be precise. I just wanted to put everything I had left into my performance.”
After losing by two points the year before Hammill reversed course, this time winning by two points to claim the title as National Champion.
“Once I made it to the last round I felt a little better and I thought my performance was pretty strong,” he said. “My focus is on the people in the crowd. I try to put everything I have into the show.”
Over the years Hammill said the event draws anywhere from 5,000 – 10,000 people. While this will be his final appearance in the adult division (the 40 and over crowd is the senior division) this year’s event will mark the first time the rest of his family all will compete as well.
“I just finished my MBA so I wanted another challenge so I’ve had him train me,” Toni said. “When I finish a routine I feel like I’ve really accomplished something. It’s an exciting feeling. It’s very athletic. Your feet are constantly moving. We jokingly call it Native American aerobics. I’m doing it more for myself than anything else. I don’t like being in front of people so it will be a big deal to finish.”
Nedallas will compete in the junior division, open to ages 6-12, while Destiny will be in the Tiny-tots division, for those 5 and under.
“This is my last year in the adult division,” Brian said. “Because I’ve won I think I’m going to be more relaxed. Normally when you’re competing you don’t want to see what the other competitors are doing, but I think I’ll be more relaxed this year because I have won it now.”
The competition starts at 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday and will run approximately until 5 p.m. both days.
The Heard Museum is located at 2301 North Central Ave. in Phoenix. For information on the event go to www.heard.org. To view Hamill’s dancing skills go to www.nativespirit.com.