Jerrhan powers through to win Iron Man Fancy Dance

By Lethbridge Herald on December 24, 2025.

Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Blackfoot man has recently won an Iron Man Fancy Dance challenge in Siksika and now possibly holds a new record, after dancing for 38 songs, which lasted over an hour and 10 minutes.

Jerrhan First Charger has been dancing since he could walk, beginning with hoop dancing and then learned how to Fancy Dance before he was a teenager.

Fancy Dance is a young warrior dance, originating from the Ponca People of Oklahoma.

First Charger says he believes it’s one of the most athletic powwow dances, especially when trying to keep up with bullet songs, which are incredibly fast songs which mimic the sound of a gun.

“Imagine running to a beat, and sometimes it’s even faster than you can even dance.”

The regalia for the Fancy Dance include two bustles, one on their lower back and one on their chest, a bustle on each arm and rocker, which include two feathers, on their head which is secured on the dancers neck.

Dancers are required to keep the rocker in motion to the beat of the drum for the entirety their dance.

An Iron Man challenge is a dance where everyone dances, until they can’t keep up, often getting tapped out by judges, with no breaks in between songs.

First Charger says he had to pace himself, and the weight of the regalia can sometimes pose a challenge.

While he wanted to walk off many times during his dance, First Charger wanted to see how far he could push his limits.

“Towards the end, I wasn’t dancing for the prize money, I was dancing because I wanted to see how well I could do.”

He describes the moment he saw the runner up walk off midway through the 38th song as feeling on top of the world.

“I’ve always heard how tough (Iron Man’s) are and it felt like a dream come true and it was a great honour for me to win it for not only my family, but also my tribe.”

First Charger is also a part of Living Legends, a travelling dance team at Brigham Young University, which shares stories in the scriptures through traditional dance from various Indigenous groups around the world.

He practices with his dance team 10 hours per week and practices individually up to four hours per day.

He says while it can be a challenge, dancing has helped him in both his physical and spiritual life.

“In hoop dancing, every hoop the dancer picks up is a trial and tribulation going on, not only in their life, but somebody’s life, so it reminds you to live a good life like the creator and it’s also a promise to keep on going.

Dancing isn’t First Charger only talent, he is also a musician and will be releasing a new Album, titled “The Lost Children, which will be available on all streaming platforms on Dec. 30. He will also be performing at the Slice on Jan 3, at 8:30 p.m.