It’s hard to watch Fancy Dance and not see that the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma has been left to fend for itself. Erica Tremblay centers this film around one particular disappearance mystery and how family members try to pick up the pieces with little to no assistance. Tawi (Hauli Gray) has gone missing, and even as the FBI supposedly picked this case up, there has been little to no movement on it for a couple of weeks.
Time is of the essence, as her sister Jax (Lily Gladstone) assumes the guardian role of her niece and Tawi’s daughter Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson). Money is scarce, and Jax and Tawi have to make ends meet, so they steal a fisherman’s truck and turn it into a chop shop for cash. In addition to trying to cover basic expenses, Roki saves money for the upcoming powwow, where she and Tawi have won multiple mother/daughter dances. She still hopes that Tawi will come home, as the film eludes to times when she’s been gone for days in the past. Jax tries to keep the faith as she looks to uncover more of the mystery of her sister’s whereabouts while trying to do everything she can to keep them afloat.
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Tremblay and co-writer Miciana Alise seek to strike a balance between uncovering the mystery and the unpleasant underbelly of consequences that led to it and a story of bonding between Cayuga word for “little mother” and a young girl who needs stability in her life. Gladstone’s character is highly resourceful – even down to the small details, from switching pumps to get gas or finding an open house for her and Roki to stay at when they are on a road trip in the film’s latter half. Jax exerts a tough exterior because she has to, but she also lets her guard down when trying to reassure Roki or slight moments with her girlfriend.
A subtext exists through dialogue about how life on the registration is for young women. Many have to resort to selling drugs or sex work, and there is little police oversight to protect them from mistreatment. An officer on the reservation, JJ (Ryan Begay), tries his best to move the investigation into Tawi’s prolonged disappearance, but is hamstrung by the dragging of higher-ups. It’s a frustrating realization of the lack of empathy regarding the lives of indigenous women. Things get more complicated when Roki’s grandparents, Frank and Nancy (Shea Whigham and Audrey Wasilewski), come into the picture, and child protective services place the teenager in their custody.
They both try their best, and in a particular scene, Nancy looks to connect with Roki through a love of dancing. However, it’s not the type of dancing Roki wants to do. When presented with ballet shoes, Roki reiterates her insistence on the powwow to connect with her culture and deepen her relationship with her mother. When you’re on the outside, you’re not privy to the connections something like that can have. It’s not necessarily Frank and Nancy’s fault – society would probably dub them the best fit for this situation.
However, Tremblay elects to keep things confined to Jax and Roki’s view, and Fancy Dance is better for it. The audience goes through the ups and downs of the togetherness and uncertainty they experience with one another. It’s a them-against-the-world dynamic where you’re actively rooting for a good outcome, even if the percentages aren’t in their favor. Given some of the brutal revelations and Thema-and-Louise-like situations Jax and Roki face, the conclusion of Fancy Dance might feel as if things wrap up too clean. However, the final images revolve around what the film looks to return to. That’s one of finding solace in community and ritual, even when struggles break you down.
