Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Nov 15/99) - Fresh on the heels of their European tour, Iqaluit's Sikumiut dancers have secured funding for four full-time dance positions and a trainer/choreographer.

"The funding gives us a huge psychological boost, now we won't lose dancers to full-time jobs anymore," said choreographer Zinour Fathoullin.

The funding came from the Kakivak Association and dancer Gary Lewis says it shows the community has a growing faith in the troupe.

"(Dancing) is what I want to do the most and now I know that I can," he said.

"I can't wait for rehearsals to start and at the same time I'm trying to enjoy the dance myself and be a performer as well."

Lewis says this just as the all-Inuit dance troupe of eight has returned from a month-long tour that included performances in Belgium and France.

At the request of the Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels, the Sikumiut troupe took part in "Indian Summer," The First Nations of North America exhibition.

"The curator at the museum wanted to put human faces to the exhibit. Physically, it was very hard because all of the dances are very demanding, you have to work for them," said Fathoullin, who also danced in many of the 15, one- hour performances and participated in three workshops in France.

Two Cape Dorset elders also travelled with the dancers as throat singers, as did manager Gayle Reddick.

Having only returned to Iqaluit last week, the dancers won't have much time to rest before their next big performance on the CBC Millennium Special, to be filmed locally and broadcast internationally.

They will perform a seven-minute piece using the music of composer Chirstos Hratzis entitled Footprints in New Snow.

Following the millennium, the troupe is scheduled to dance at the National Aboriginal People's Day celebrations in Quebec and most likely the Parliament Hill Millennium celebrations in Ottawa in July.

"Right now we are looking for some place to hold our rehearsals and then we will continue on training," said Fathoullin.

"These dancers are our future choreographers and creators."