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QAMANITTUAQ/BAKER LAKE
A dance group started by a Grade 9 student this past fall is turning into a hot ticket in Baker Lake.

Sandra Quinangnaq, Bobbi-Jo Sweetland, Sophia Rama and Erica Oolamik, top row from left, Kalaya Cook, Marguerite Tolgyesi, Raymond (Aula) Iqqaat and Alyssa Ookowt, middle row from left, and Anna Tolgyesi, Dorothee Tolgyesi and Tonya Aksawnee, front row from left, finish a number with the Hot Baker Innovative Dancers this past month. - photo courtesy of Janine Buckley

Marguerite (Margo) Tolgyesi, 14, founded the Baker Lake Hot Innovative Dancers with help from her mom, Marie-Helene Gagne, and fellow teacher Janine Buckley.

Tolgyesi, who took eight years of dance in ballet, jazz, hip hop and tap, choreographs group routines.

She said she became interested in forming a dance group when she saw how much Baker kids love to square dance.

"Janine (Buckley) thought they would really get into dance here, and my mom encouraged me to start a group, so things went from there," said Tolgyesi.

"Everyone's being really nice to me when I'm teaching them.

"I'm French, so some of our songs are French.

"I introduced them to some new music they mostly didn't know, but they seem to like it."

Tolgyesi was also a cheerleader in the south, and she's teaching the group some of those moves for when they perform at a basketball tourney in Baker this coming May.

She said she's teaching the group different stunts and lifts, and predicts a "pretty cool show" at the event.

"Everyone's getting the hang of it and I'm happy with how far we've come.

"We had more than 50 kids at our try-outs about two weeks ago, so I was really proud about that."

Tolgyesi said she's not sure if dance will ever become a career choice, but it will always be part of her life.

She said she can't imagine a time when dancing wouldn't be fun.

"I don't know about a career because being a professional dancer must be really hard.

"There's a lot of pressure being a dancer, but, who know? Maybe.

"I'll always dance just for the fun of it, that's for sure."

Buckley said the dance group is continuing to grow in popularity.

She said there's also a chance to bring other forms of skills into the mix.

"We're working on teaching them about their commitment to the program," said Buckley.

"We don't want kids to come once and not show up again, or join in the middle of the session, because that's really hard on Margo."

"The Nunavut Teachers Education Program has held two fundraisers here based on the TV show, So You Think You Can Dance, and it's going to host another in March.

"The kids finished second in the first one, and came in third at the most recent one a few weeks ago."

Buckley said it was nice to see another group of kids want to join the group after seeing its members perform at the fundraiser.

She said about 20 kids are participating with the group, including a few boys.

"We had more boys in the fall, but one dropped out because of hockey and a few others decided it was too hard.

"A couple were really good, but they couldn't just walk in and be the best like in hockey or basketball.

"They had to really work at it, so they decided to drop out."

Buckley said the group's timing has improved greatly since the program began, and they're constantly learning new moves.

She said it's more like fun dance choreography, as opposed to teaching technical moves and techniques.

"They've really improved with following the patterns and stuff like that.

"At first it was really hard for them, but their confidence has grown and they've definitely improved."

The group started fundraising with a bake sale and more are in the works.

Buckley said, hopefully, the kids can raise enough for jackets and hoodies.

She said the teachers want to see all the kids do their part to fundraise.

"We don't want this to be a case where everything is just given to them.

"They saw during the bake sale these things take time and effort, and they were really good about it.

"Almost everyone brought in some homemade baking and we've been making costumes for them.

"Some students helped make the costumes for the last show by spending their lunch, and other free time, cutting material and seeing some of the background work that goes into having a performing group."

Buckley said with so many students now wanting to join, they may have to be split into two performing groups.

She said they may divide them into a younger and an older group.

"We have a bunch of elementary kids who come over for the group.

"The bulk of them -- along with a couple of Grade 8 and Grade 9 students -- come from grades five to seven.

"Margo's developing a group logo, so that will be fun to see when it's finished."

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