Snake Dance

Snake dance is a term used to refer to a parade before or during a high school or college homecoming event. The parade includes floats built by each high school class, marching bands, students, and alumni. Snake dance may also be more narrowly used to describe the student parade. It usually starts in a central business district or school location and ends with an evening bonfire and pep rally near the school. "Snake" refers to a line of students and "Snake Dance" is a traditional term. The University of Northern Iowa archives refer to Snake Dance as early as 1922.
There are two occasions when a snake will dance-both connected with the mating season. In the first case the dancing partners are both male and their performance appears to be a from of aggression designed to impress the female.

The second occasion is a nuptial dance between male and female. First the snakes pursue each other and coil together. Then the couple raise their necks and heads as if forming the shape of the letter U. During the dance, which may last an hour, the male rubs its chin against the female's neck.

The nuptial dance occurs mainly among European snakes, but the males' dance of aggression is to be seen all over the world especially among rattlesnakes, adders and cobras.
One of the most famous ceremonies is the snake-antelope dance of the Hopi in Arizona, a rite in which snakes are released in the four directions to seek rain. It includes swaying dancing to rattles and guttural chant, circling of the plaza with snakes, and ceremonial sprinkling of corn meal on the principal dancers by women of the snake clan. Masked dancers are a striking feature of Pueblo.