Project teaches Métis jigging and other forms of cultural dance
- Fraser Needham | June 13, 2015
This past fall and winter a group of Indigenous people in Regina learned about arts and culture through the Métis Dance Project.
The project is a partnership between the Wiichihiwayshinawn Foundation Incorporated and New Dance Horizons with the goal of researching and developing Métis cultural dances and jigging.
Once a week, participants worked with dance professionals to hone their skills.
This was followed by some participants taking part in one week’s worth of intensive training which culminated in a performance at the New Dance Horizons studio at the end of March.
The “House of Dance” performance featured two shows on March 28th and March 29th.
As part of the performance, project participants worked directly with dance professionals Robin Poitras (New Dance Horizons’ artistic and managing director), Edward Poitras and Yvonne Chartrand.
The dance project was made possible by a Métis Cultural Development Fund grant provided by Sask Culture.
As part of the fund, organizations are eligible to apply for up to $10,000 in grant money for projects that promote Métis culture, traditions and leadership in Saskatchewan.
“This fund was able to help us in a number of ways,” Ashley Norton of the Wiichihiwayshinawn Foundation says. “Now we are able to do some National Aboriginal Day stuff, there’s future performances coming out of this and I think it was really good to have this grant because there’s not a lot of Métis anything in Regina, especially in southern Saskatchewan. So, having access to this grant we were able to so much more and showcase and highlight our culture and traditional dancing.”
The Métis Dance Project follows up on last year’s Buffalo Square Dance Project.
New Dance Horizons is currently in its 29th season.
For more information on Sask Culture grants go to their website.
Click here for more Arts & Culture stories.