Fancy Dance starring Lily Gladstone and Isabel Deroy-Olson shows the dark side of life on a reservation for Indigenous Native American women. It follows hustler Jax (Lily Gladstone), a former drug dealer who has cared for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) since her sister, Roki’s mother Tawi (Hauli Gray), went missing. But when Roki’s white grandparents arrive to take her away, the pair go on the run to get to a Native American powwow, where people from Indigenous nations meet to dance, sing and honour the traditions of their ancestors. At the same time, Jax and Roki are investigating what happened to Tawi and they soon realise there is an epidemic of missing Indigenous women in the US and Canada but in a world where white people are prioritised, the justice system simply doesn’t care.
Here’s everything you need to know about the movie Fancy Dance…
Fancy Dance release date
Fancy Dance launches on Apple TV+ from Friday 28 July 2024. The movie had already premiered on January 20 2023 at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and you could catch in cinemas earlier in 2024.
Is there a trailer?
Yes there's an official trailer and a teaser clip for Fancy Dance and you can watch both below. It shows Jax determined to look for her sister, and believing she’s the only one doing so, while bearing the responsibility of looking after her niece.
Fancy Dance plot
Fancy Dance follows former drug dealer Jax (Lily Gladstone) has looked after her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) since her sister Tawi’s disappearance. The pair live hand-to-mouth, hustling, stealing and scamming people to get by. And Jax is determined to get to find Tawi, no matter what. So, when Roki’s white grandparents arrive to take her away, concerned about her lifestyle, Jax kidnaps Roki in order to take her to the state powwow and keep what’s left of their family intact. On the road, and delving into the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women, the pair scour the backcountry for Tawi and come to realise the complexities and contradictions of Native women moving through a colonised world and at the mercy of a failed justice system.
Fancy Dance cast — Lily Gladstone on playing Jax
in Fancy Dance Lily Gladstone plays Jax, who goes on the run with her niece. She starred in the hit movie Flowers of the Killer Moon and plays Roxanne in the series Billions. She's also starred in Reservation Dogs, The Last Manhunt and Quantum Cowboys. Lily is is of Blackfeet and Nimíipuu heritage.
Of Fancy Dance, Lily says: "How people who live in economically depressed communities survive and feed their families, is not seen as a good, safe environment for somebody’s development. In Cayuga, the word Auntie means ‘other mother’ so, essentially, Roki is Jax’s child but the government doesn’t see it that way. It’s not a perfect family or relationship - but it’s a strong, loving and committed one."
Jax and Roki hit the road, scouring the backcountry in the hope of tracking down Roki’s mother in time for the upcoming state powwow’s ‘fancy dance’. But Jax fears the worst…
"Every tribal community has a story related to the big themes in our film like MMIW [Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women], and the undercurrent of why Jax is fighting so hard to keep her niece is because Roki’s mother is missing and all of these communities have experienced an epidemic of missing sisters. You don’t want to be heavy handed with the trauma aspect but ‘Where’s Tawi?’ is the question that overshadows the whole film."
As Jax teaches Roki all about how to be ‘resourceful’ to survive on their journey, along the way the teen also learns from her aunt what it means to be a Native American woman…
"Through any other lens, people might say: ‘Look at this horrible, dysfunctional situation, how can we get in there and save everybody’ but this film is showing that [native] communities are good; we’re tight-knit and take care of each other.'
"Having this whole project driven by native people was incredible; not only is it 80-90% crewed by natives and 100% created by natives but it’s also financed by a tribal film office. I’ve never experienced it and hopefully there will be more of that."
Isabel Deroy-Olson as Roki
Isabel Deroy-Olson plays Jax’s niece Roki in Fancy Dance. She’s also starred in Three Pines, 16 Hudson and Shadow of the Rougarou.
Who else is starring?
Fancy Dance also stars Ryan Begay, Shea Whigham, Crystle Lightning, Tamara Podemski and Audrey Wasilewski.
Behind the scenes, locations and more on Fancy Dance
Fancy Dance was filmed on location in Tulsa with a predominantly Indigenous cast and crew. The movie marks the feature directorial debut for Erica Tremblay, who also co-wrote and produced the film and co-wrote it alongside Miciana Alise. Fancy Dance is a Confluential Films and Significant Productions/AUM Group production, is produced by Deidre Backs, Erica Tremblay, Heather Rae, Nina Yang Bongiovi, and Tommy Oliver. Lily Gladstone, Bird Runningwater, Charlotte Koh, and Forest Whitaker serve as executive producers.
“This story was born from the yearning to see ourselves reflected on the screen,” says director Erica Tremblay. “To be Native American women with multi-dimensional identities means facing harsh realities in spaces that are virtually invisible. For centuries Native families have been fractured by corrupt systems, and yet a vibrant and beautiful community still withstands. Fancy Dance is ultimately our love letter to that community and the women and queer folks who hold it together.”
