Finding My Dance, Ria Thundercloud
Finding My Dance, Ria Thundercloud
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Finding My Dance

Author: Ria Thundercloud

Narrator: Ria Thundercloud

Unabridged: 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/13/2022

Synopsis

In her debut picture book, adapted for audio, professional Indigenous dancer Ria Thundercloud tells the true story of her path to dance and how it helped her take pride in her Native American heritage.

At four years old, Ria Thundercloud was brought into the powwow circle, ready to dance in the special jingle dress her mother made for her. As she grew up, she danced with her brothers all over Indian country. Then Ria learned more styles--tap, jazz, ballet--but still loved the expressiveness of Indigenous dance. And despite feeling different as one of the only Native American kids in her school, she always knew she could turn to dance to cheer herself up.    
 
Follow along as Ria shares her dance journey--from dreaming of her future to performing as a professional.

About The Author

Ria Thundercloud (she/her) is from the Ho-Chunk Nation and Sandia Pueblo. She holds strong ties to her kinship in the Southwest and North, practicing both styles of traditional dance. She started training in classical dance at the age of thirteen, went professional at sixteen, and has traveled internationally as a cultural ambassador and professional dancer. Ria is a 2019 graduate from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Indigenous Liberal Studies and is a holistic yoga teacher from the Healing Lotus Center. Her art is influenced by the women who came before her, reclaiming stories of matriarchs that highlight the resilience and knowledge of Indigenous women.Kalila J. Fuller (she/her) was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where she continues to draw inspiration from her childhood amongst the fir trees. She graduated from the Pacific Northwest College of Art with a degree in illustration. She loves dogs, watching cartoons, and drinking chai lattes.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Rod on December 25, 2022

A nice autobiography about a dancer from the Ho-Chunk Nation and Sandia Pueblos. She does the dances traditional to her people as well as ballet and modern styles. The text is of the role-model variety that is reserved and dry, lacking a bit when compared to the spark visible in the lively pictures a......more

Goodreads review by Jill on February 08, 2022

Absolutely wonderful story of the life of Ria Thundercloud that shows young Indigenous people that they can do whatever they want in their lives while still keeping their ancestors with them. **I was awarded an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.......more

Goodreads review by Panda on December 04, 2022

This is a lovely, well-illustrated picture book memoir from an indigenous dancer. It's very educational, and I like that she expressed her spiritual beliefs in the story without watering them down for a general audience.......more

Goodreads review by Emma on February 11, 2025

Beautiful book that tells the story of Wakaja haja piiwiga (Beautiful Thunder Woman). In school, she was always the only Indigenous girl; she felt different and didn't belong. But dance was always different. She learned to jingle dress for a powwow as a child, then kept learning and practising all d......more

Goodreads review by Andrew on March 01, 2023

Meet Wakaja haja piiwiga, the Beautiful Thunder Woman. Of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Sandia Pueblo (from Wisconsin and New Mexico), Ria Thundercloud shares her story of her first powwow at the age of four and how dance inspired her. Then she found tap, jazz, ballet and others. Despite feelings of d......more

Quotes

A School Library Journal Best Nonfiction Book of the Year!

★ "A warmly illustrated memoir of dance and culture, this will have broad appeal about using art for expression and to overcome difficulties." —School Library Journal, starred review

"A moving picture book about the resilience one can find in one’s cultural inheritance." —Kirkus Reviews

"An inspiring story about following one's passion." —Booklist

"In a heartfelt, personal-feeling narrative, Thundercloud encapsulates many Indigenous traditions." —Publishers Weekly

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