Bringing Indigenous culture to a live audience!
We performed Métis Jigging last year at Celtfest 2022, so we were delighted when the organizers reached out to us to appear again this year. However, we were determined to bring some Indigenous youth with us this time.
Starting in May, we reached out to the Métis community we’ve met through our performances and Kisac workshops and invited kids to learn traditional jig with us over the month leading up to this performance – and beyond. Youth Jigging Workshops were held weekly from May 28 to July 2nd to prepare.
The trip to Almonte began with a bang, as we blew a tire during the drive from Ottawa. However, Matt was kind enough to pull over and help our Dad change the tire while Mom protected them both by waving traffic around them. We arrived later than we planned, but still in time to perform as scheduled.
In every way, we tried harder to put on an even better show this year. Last year we were backed by recorded music, but this year we were gratified to perform to live music from fiddler Chad Wolfe and pianist Mark Allen.
We debuted new dances this year, and did our own introductions (in English and French!) to explain the cultural significance of each.
And of course – our proudest moment – many of our Junior Jiggers performed with us on the Main Stage At Gemmill Park! So cute! They stole the show.
For more pictures and updates, you can follow us on Instagram or Facebook. Please Like and Subscribe on our YouTube channel!
