The weather held out nicely for the first workshop that we did with Grand River Rafting. When we arrived they had their chairs all set up around a fire with a nice space for us to dance inside the circle. I felt a little bad about immediately making them move but there was just absolutely no way we were going to be dancing around the fire. I told them that they would be doing their fair share of dancing so they would understand very soon that dancing around the campfire was just artistic license taken by some long ago movie directors.
The group was great, they all got involved and danced with us. I had a lot of fun sharing some dance steps with them. When it was done we talked with some people after and one lady said she enjoyed it because if you have never had any experience with dance let alone native dance you might be inclined to think that the dancers are just hopping around and hollering. After spending 30 minutes trying some very basic moves it gives you a real appreciation for the athleticism that is involved. I was so happy to hear that because that was our exact intention when we started this. For myself, I want people to come away with an appreciation for dance and for them to find similarities to their culture and in that an interest in their own history.
We have been trying to find a good boom box to use at these workshops because there is no power to be had. We bought one thing and took it back it was too awkward. Next we bought a contraption for use on a jobsite. It's not loud enough so that's going back. The search continues....
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