COEUR d’ALENE — When Jonathon Nomee was a child, meeting champion dancers at powwows felt like meeting NBA stars at a basketball game.

“I’ve been dancing since I could walk,” said Nomee, a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. “I always admired the dancers who came before me.” 

Nomee never dreamed that young dancers would one day approach him with the same starstruck look he wore as a child or that his dancing would be honored on a world stage. 

But over the weekend, upon winning the Powwow Dance Championships held at Red Deer Resort and Casino in Alberta, Canada, Nomee was named the 2025 Fancy Dancer World Champion. The event brought together top dancers from across North America. 

“It’s really breathtaking,” Nomee told The Press. “Words can’t describe it. I never thought I’d see little old me, from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, become a world champion.” 

Nomee said his late grandmother, Philomena Nomee, inspired his love of dance. 

“She was the matriarch of our family,” he said. “She always pushed us to be the best that we can be by being who we are and not trying to be someone else.” 

His grandmother is with him when he dances. Known for her creativity and artistry, Philomina Nomee did the intricate beadwork on her grandson’s regalia by hand and told the story of his life in doing so. 

Nomee said the colorful beaded horses on his regalia represent his Indian name, Pretty Horse, while a pattern of lightning bolts symbolizes renewal after a difficult time in his life and flowers show his family’s roots in the Northwest.  

“To continue her legacy by doing something she brought me into and to have a title like this, something this big — it really touches my heart,” he said. “She’s up there watching over us.” 

Nomee said dancers are judged on their individual style and originality, as well as their grace, how well they keep time with the beat of the drum and other factors. 

“People watch how you hold yourself and who you are,” he said. 

When the music begins, Nomee said he’s like any other athlete, fueled by adrenaline. He feels the powerful energy from the crowd and the countless eyes on him as he spins, bounces and executes rapid, complex footwork. 

“It makes you glide across that floor,” he said. “Once that drum starts going and they start singing, it moves you.” 

While dancing, Nomee said he draws strength and inspiration from his family, including his wife, Jonae, and their four sons. 

“Everywhere I go, I feel their presence, no matter what,” he said. 

Nomee said he dances not to win awards but to bring happiness to others. 

“My dancing makes other people feel good, too,” he said. “That’s what hits home to me.” 

Nomee is expected to return to the stage in about six months to defend his title. 

    Jarron Gadwa, left, and Jonathon Nomee, right, were the top two dancers at the Powwow Dance Championships in Alberta, Canada. Photo courtesy of Dahyiitii White.