Things started as usual Wednesday for the Alaska Federation of Natives convention's drumming and dance showcase. The Egan Center was packed while scores, perhaps hundreds, were turned away at the door.
Inside, as performers representing Alutiiq, Inupiat, Yup'ik and Southeast Indian traditions took their turns, word began to spread -- Mary Ann Sundown had been spotted with other elders in the front row with several grandchildren sitting on the floor in front of her. It had not been announced that she would perform and everyone had the same question: Would she dance?
The answer came at 10:30 p.m., when Bethel's Upallret Dancers took the stage. Joining them, drum in hand, was Sundown's son, Harley. He told the crowd that his mom had wanted to dance in Anchorage, but the group from her village, Scammon Bay, was not on the schedule this year. Upallret juggled their lineup, Harley said, and "I came here so we could drum at least a few songs."
As the octogenarian "Dance Diva" from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta hobbled onto the stage, bent and slow, cheers and whistles from a thousand or more fans shook the roof.
She donned her fur headpiece and gripped her dance fans, sitting in a chair to perform. But the grace, charm, coordination and humor that have made Mary Ann Sundown beloved of those who appreciate Yup'ik Eskimo dance were as clear as ever. At the end of each song, she struggled to her feet for the final choruses.
Among the songs performed were two of the comic numbers associated with Sundown, the "Mosquito Song," which includes hilarious swatting and itching pantomimes, and the "Cigarette Song," in which the performers try to imitate the elegant puffing of movie stars and wind up coughing.
"We don't advocate smoking for anyone," Upallret leader Myron Naneng announced.
But the set closed with a piece unfamiliar to most in the audience, a tribute to her grandchildren. It concluded with her trademark laugh and an expression of wondering love as she looked back at her family -- some in diapers -- in front of the stage.
Before leaving, she told the crowd in Yup'ik, Harley translating, how happy she was to be here. How she had lost her ability to walk for a while but it had returned. How she had fallen off a four-wheeler while berry-picking but been unharmed.
"She says someone's looking out for her," Harley said, "and that's God."
Unspoken, but present in the sustained standing ovation that followed Sundown's performance, was the question: Is this the last time she'll dance in Anchorage?
Age would seem to suggest it was. But maybe age doesn't work on the diva, whose hair is still black, as it does with other mortals. Upallret finished around 11:20 p.m., and she returned to her seat in the front row eager to see the next act. The Chevak Tangik Dancers followed, a model of precision and entertainment. They kept the crowd excited and shouting for more until after midnight.
Sundown was among the last to leave the hall.
Daily News assistant features editor Mike Dunham can be reached at mdunham@adn.com.
Quyana Alaska
• dancers: Quyana Alaska III starts at 7 tonight in the Egan Center. Remaining tickets are $15 and may be available in the lobby of the Egan during the day.
• Slide showS: See Mary Ann Sundown in the "Mosquito Song" at Quyana Alaska I and hear her trademark laugh. Also, find a link to an AFN photo gallery. www.adn.com/afn
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