CLASSIFIEDSADVERTISINGSPECIAL ISSUESONLINE SPORTSOBITUARIESNORTHERN JOBSTENDERS

NNSL Photo/Graphic


Canadian North

Home page text size buttonsbigger textsmall textText size Email this articleE-mail this page

Different kinds of dance moves
Visit by Iglulik youths both a learning and teaching experience for Pangnirtung

Danielle Sachs
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 3, 2013

IGLULIK
Inuktitut dialects vary slightly from community to community and from region to region. It's the same with square dancing, which is why a group of youth from Iglulik travelled to Pangnirtung last month on a learning and teaching exchange.

Twelve youth between the ages of 13 and 17 left Iglulik on May 25 and spent the night in Iqaluit before heading to Pangnirtung the next day for a visit that lasted until May 31.

"It's two very different styles," said Iglulik recreation co-ordinator Jo-Anne Idlout, who was accompanying the group as one of the chaperones.

"Here in Iglulik, it's much different than in Pangnirtung."

This is the first exchange Idlout has been a part of and she credited the tireless work and donations of many volunteers and corporations.

With a full month of planning, the work hasn't stopped on either end of the exchange. Even in the middle of the trip, volunteers opened their homes to the travellers to cut down on costs.

"We found places for all of them to stay while we're in Iqaluit," said Idlout.

Danny Ishlutaq helped co-ordinate the trip on the Pangnirtung end, finding a place for everyone to stay and even making sure there was enough food for meals.

"Here in Iglulik we have a style of square dancing which is different from how they do it in Pangnirtung," said Idlout.

While this is the first time Idlout has helped with this kind of exchange, in November or December a different group of youth travelled to Repulse Bay for square dancing.

"It was like a healing kind of dancing but I don't know much about that one," said Idlout.

"But this is the first between Pangnirtung and Iglulik."

Many of the Pangnirtung youth are in school during the day so there were activities for the Iglulik students to take part in during that time.

Activities like tours and visits with community members were held, said Idlout.

"During the evening we'll be both teaching and learning," said Idlout.

With just over a month in planning, the youth have been pretty excited.

"We got a really good group rate on our flight," said Idlout.

E-mailWe welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.