Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 facts about V’ni Dansi's Louis Riel Day Celebration to get you jigging
A dance form that doubles as a cardio workout, the meaning of the Vancouver troupe’s name, and more
VANCOUVER’S V’NI DANSI goes online with its 15th annual Louis Riel Day Celebration on November 15 at 7 pm. It’s a great chance to open up the world of Métis dance, music, and culture to yourself if you’ve never had the chance to see the exhilarating art forms on display.
The streamed event features the Louis Riel Métis Dancers, the JJ Lavallee Band, a film by Justin Ducharme, and much more.
Here are five things to know before you tune in.
Run by artistic director Yvonne Chartrand since 2001, V’ni Dansi is the only company in Canada to teach and perform both Métis and contemporary dance. The name of the company means “Come and dance” in Michif. Its more traditional jigging is performed through the Louis Riel Métis Dancers.
Métis jigging originated in the Red River area. It is a combination of First Nations dancing and Scottish and French-Canadian step-dancing, with a fast mix of reel, jig, and quadrille steps.
In BC, we mark Louis Riel Day on November 16, and it’s a time to celebrate the Métis culture, language, and heritage. In Manitoba, where Riel was also a founder of the province, Louis Riel Day is a public holiday in February. November 16 is the day that Riel was executed by the government for his role in the 1885 resistance to Canadian encroachment on Métis lands. Today he’s celebrated as an advocate for justice for his people.
A University of Saskatchewan kinesiology study is in the midst of proving that traditional Métis jigging provides a better workout than aerobics or cardio training in the gym. The dance style promotes stamina, physical fitness, and heart health.
One of Riel’s most famous quotes inspires Métis artists across the country, and V’ni Dansi specifically: "My people will sleep for one hundred years but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back."
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