"Cliff Palace Ghost Dance" is the first movement from the "Stone Suite," arranged for Alto Flute and Piano. The "Stone Suite" is a four movement work for solo flute and flute choir, commissioned by Dr. Chris Potter, in which the soloist is to perform on a different flute for each movement. This work is inspired by the Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, located in southwest Colorado. The use of drums and rattles, as well as vocalizations based on Native American texts (in the flute choir version), is meant to capture the spirit of this ghost dance, which was performed in order to bring the buffalo back to life.