Northern Groove

This weekend I learned a little bit about my Scottish ancestry.  I was privileged enough to be able to witness and take part in the celebration of the well known Scottish poet, Robbie Burns Day.  For those who attended... this event needs no further explanation.

For those who have never been... there are no combination of words which I am capable of putting together which may accurately describe this event.  All you need to know is that this is an event that you should mark on your calendar and experience... at least once, in your lifetime.

And - I ate Haggis for the first time. I was told by the organizers it's actually mostly oatmeal. ... and then they laughed.

Please enjoy the pictures from the evening!  Here's the link to see them all.

A dance extravaganza brings on the clowns, amazing entertainment for the whole family!

Performed with the signature MOTUS O physicality and humor, see for yourself how a little magic, some juggling, tight-rope walking and fortune-telling can fulfill every child’s fantasy to ‘run off and join the circus!’  

We first meet our three circus performers boarding the train to their next show. A case of vanishing tickets, however, thwarts their plans and strands them on the platform. It takes every trick in the book (and their suitcases!) to create an impromptu show to raise money for new tickets. But it works! By watching the antics of these 3 enigmatic clowns, the Train Conductor is drawn into their mayhem and magic. He finally agrees to be their new Ring Master!  With the Conductor’s help, our performers arrive at the theatre just in time to present their magnificent CIRCUS TERRIFICO ~ hilariously unkempt micro-version interpretations of their favourite ballets, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and the Nutcracker!  

Circus Terrifico is a whimsical and poignant comedy featuring original music by composer Ray Ludecke and also some soaring scores of Tchaikovsky. It makes audiences of all ages laugh out loud and leave with a big clownish smile!   

Circus Terrifico will be on stage on Saturday, Feb 4th at 7:30 pm.  Tickets are available at the box office, by phone at (250) 785-1992 and online. Adults $25, Students & Seniors $20.
Note: This show is FREE for children when accompanied by an adult (max. two children per one adult)

Fort St. John, BC ~ The Annual Robbie Burns Dinner will be held on Saturday, January 28th at the Fort St. John Legion. This annual event includes dinner, dance, and Scottish entertainment; and of course, haggis! This is the 45th year that the Masonic Lodge and Knights of Columbus have co-hosted the event in Fort St. John with great success. Tickets are $50 each and are available at Patch Java and the Legion. You can get more information and tickets by calling Dan Davies at 250-787-5847

Robbie Burns was born Jan 25, 1759, the day that we currently celebrate. He was born to a poor farmer and rose to fame through his poetic ability. As a famous poet, he wrote mostly about love, women and drinking scotch. He wrote many famous poems, such as Auld Lang Syne and To A Mouse. Today, 253 years later, people around the world celebrate this poets birthday with dinners, bagpipes, poetry, dances, Scotch and of course a great meal with traditional Scottish Haggis.
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Evangel holds dances and we have been doing so for about 3 years now.  And let me tell you, it beats the typical church hide-in-the-dingy-basement-eating-stale-dad's-cookies-dipped-in-weak-coffee-enduring-superficial-flabber-jabber social gatherings - ANYDAY.

I grew up in a church-culture where such things as dancing were expressly forbidden (often with good reason).  No junior high Sock Hops for me.  The only exception to the rule was in the occasional church service where the “charismatics” would move a little to an up-beat hymn (we jokingly referred to this "dance" as the Holy Ghost Hop).

We are slowing becoming known as a dancing church, so it may be hard to believe that I used to poopoo social dancing - for three reasons: pelvic thrusts, dirty music, and poor theology.

1.  PELVIC THRUSTS
I mistakingly thought that all dancing was potentially sexual in nature. Please note, even the most conservative of Christians dance, they just save it for the bedroom!  Dancing can definitely be sexual (just like walking can on the catwalk), but it doesn't have to be.   Historically, dancing has always been a healthy part of culture, only in the last 50 years or so becoming something more crass and potentially deviant in nature.  This is the number one reason why more Christians and churches don't encourage or promote dancing, unfortunately throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  So fornication and pelvic thrusting aside, social dancing can be a healthy way to promote clean interaction between people.  I believe that social dancing can actually be part of the solution to curbing the trend of sexuality issues in our culture (ie. teen pregnancy, marital affairs), being a great tool for teaching chivalrous and courteous behavior towards the opposite sex.

2.  DIRTY MUSIC.
I couldn't condone a lot of the music that was played at dances.  I'm unapologetic about saying that a lot of music used for dancing leaves something to be desired, with lyrical content that does anything BUT encourage chivalrous, appropriate behavior.  So we are pretty picky about our playlists, using mostly country music - good news is that most of it's pretty clean.  Funny story: at a recent church dance, "Boot Scootin' Boogie" slipped through uncensored with the line "they got whisky, women, music and smoke, all out making it shake, doin' the boot scootin' boogie".  You can probably understand how that might be awkward inside a church, but everyone was having so much fun that I guess I was the only one that noticed.

3.  POOR THEOLOGY
There's a lot of things that religion says are not good that the Bible actually says ARE good.  And there are a plethora of other things that the Bible is silent on, leaving them to the realm of personal conviction.  That being said, the Bible clearly encourages the use of dance for worship (Ps. 149:3, 150:4), celebration (1 Samuel 18:6), social gatherings (Luke 15:25), and expression of joy (Ecc. 3:4).  And there is never a time where it is expressly forbidden.  Additionally, the Jewish culture in which the Bible was written and Christianity was birthed, regularly incorporated dancing into their various traditions and celebrations.  All this to say nothing of the fact that I had ignored the evidence that dancing is built right into our DNA as human beings.  I can easily recall each one of our four children, when they were young, naturally dancing when music was played, without any dance lessons or prompting from us.  It really is part of who we are!

How We Do Dances at Evangel
1.  FAMILY FRIENDLY is the key.  It doesn't mean that couples don't dance together or that we don't throw on the occasional ballad.  It just means that all our dancing is G-rated.  No grinding, no tango, no sexual innuendos, and no beer.  Just clean fun, where children are dancing alongside teenagers, along side adults, alongside grandmas and grandpas, fathers with daughters and mothers with sons.   Music is also key to creating this kind of safe environment, keeping your playlist to clean, fun, tunes.

2.  TRADITIONAL DANCES are very user-friendly.  You don't have to be a pro to do a square dance or theVirginia Reel .  Folk dances are very conducive to social dances and promote a fun, vibrant atmosphere.   

3.  COUNTRY TWO-STEPPING, when done correctly, is easy to learn, clean, and maintenance free as far as instruction goes.  You'll want a good playlist with family-friendly lyrics (provided below).  We have found that this type of dancing crosses all cultural and generational barriers (something like that is HARD to find!).  The dance can be very simple, but also more advanced for the more experienced in your church.   

4.  HAVE A DANCE PRIMA DONNA.  In our church, her name is Angie Pomeroy, affectionately known as the dance lady.  She leads most of our church dances and has the amazing ability of creating a fun, safe, interactive, and inclusive environment.  In addition to DJ'ing the music, she also gives basic instruction on how to do the various country, folk, and ethnic dances.  

5.  HAVE FOOD, drinks, and lots of water.  Dancing is exercise and you'll want to replenish the dancers or fatigue will quickly set in.  

6.  SET TIMES.  Nothing will kill the party faster than not killing the party...at an appointed time.  Have a definite start time and have a definite end time.  And don't have late-night dances.  We always start around 7pm and end around 10pm (at the latest).  Go later and you open the door wider to romantic getaways (cause it will get away on you =).  The last song is always a two-step to Clint Black's "Long Black Train".

7.  HAVE VARIETY in the dances you do.  Two-step for a few songs, then do a Virginia Reel, then throw in a couple of the kids'  favourites (Chicken Dance or Bunny Hop).  Try an ethnic dance like Sasha, then line dance, before going back to some more two-steppin'.  

8.  POPCORN.  This is the best way to get people on the dance floor.  Have one couple start the two-stepping and then when the music stops (after about 10-20 seconds), they each go grab someone else, and so forth and so forth, until everyone's dancing.  Every time we do this, some dad or grandpa gets on the dance floor for the first time in a long time.  No matter how adamant they are that they'll never dance, it's almost impossible to resist the joy and laughter that's in the room by the time 3/4 of the people are swinging and twirling to Cadillac Ranch.

9.  HAVE BOUNCERS.  These are designated people that deal with any potential issues.  Our biggest one is when kids get a little out of control and rambunctious, but your security guys can also deal with anything that threatens the atmosphere you’re trying to build.  

10.  HAVE ALTERNATIVES to dancing for those that are uncomfortable with it or need a little breather from twirling on the dance floor.  We have at times provided a Rook room (for games and such) or setup a Karaoke show in another part of the church.  Additionally, line the four walls of your dance area with chairs so that there's lot of room to sit, visit and watch with a latte or slice of apple pie.

11.  HAVE A CORE GROUP of dancers that have been given previous lessons and can hold their own on the dance floor.  Before our church ever attempted a family dance, we did several small group dance lessons in our basement with a guy in our church named Ian Johnston who has a Degree in ballroom dance (go figure!).   If you’ve ever been to Party in the Park, chances are you’ve seen this core group in action.

Now for those of you that want to do a taste test, we are planning several dances throughout the winter months!  Check out evangelfsj.com or follow Evangel Chapel on Facebook to get updates!  Come on out and join the fun!!

Put on your dancing shoes!

Derrick Dance of Fort St John will be hosting a dance on Saturday, Jan. 28th from 8:30pm to 12:30am in the Senior Citizens Hall at 10908 - 100 St.

There will be great music by Peaceadarock and everyone 19 and over is welcome. Only $12 for members and $15 for non-members.

For more info, call Lucy at 785-2867 or Judy at 787-0460

From the great ballet traditions of the 19th Century, through the sultry tango bars of Argentina, to the most impassioned and tragic love story of all time, Ballet Kelowna takes audiences on a passionate journey through ballet history. Argentinian composer Astor Piazzola’s exciting and vibrant music is the inspiration for Tangazzo (2005), an intoxicating look into the seductive dance of love and passion. Romeo and Juliet Appassionata (2010), set to Tchaikovsky’s soaring and powerful music, is a condensed version of the familiar tale of star-crossed young lovers and will surely move all who see it. To complete the program, we will offer a new ballet once again from one of Canada’s acclaimed choreographers, a work that is sure to captivate.

Ballet Kelowna will present A Grand Passion on Tuesday, February 28th, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available from the box office, by phone at (250) 785-1992 and online.

Adults $37, Seniors $27, Students and Children $17.

Join Studio 2 Stage for their annual Christmas Dance Recital on Sunday, December 11th featuring dance from all ages of students and all forms of dance, including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and much more. 

There are 2 Shows, one at 2:00 and the other 7:00. 

Adults $11.00
Children $8.00 

Coming to both shows?  Get the second show at half price.  Tickets are available from the box office, by calling (250) 785-1992 and online.

Contact: North Peace Cultural Centre
250.785.1992

This last weekend the dancers of the Pomeroy Academy of Irish Dance - known in the competing circles as POMAC - came together to dance their butts off.

It's time to get twirlin'! Head to the Big Green Barn for a French, Scandinavian and European Folk Dance Workshop with Angie Pomeroy and Marian Rose.

Today's the D'eh!!  144 years of glory be, we're a country!!  From sea to shining sea we'll all be celebrating in our own unique ways.

Right here in Fort St. John, we're going to celebrate with a big, humdingering, whamdoozer of a shindig in Centennial Park after the annual Canada Day parade roams the streets of Fort St. John (parade starts at 11am, by the way).

The Classic Cruisers will be out to show their history of horsepower and steel between 10 and 4, and the rest of the fun, fun, fun gets going at noon in the Park.

Art in the Park, carnival games, facepainting and other children's fun including storytime and more.  The City of Fort St. John and the North Peace Cultural Centre have teamed up to ensure there's a stage full of entertainment all afternoon long including music, dance, improv comedy, magic, cowboy poetry and more.  Just a few of 'em include The Ramblers, Beards of Grey, Spontaneous Combustion, Jayden Stafford, David Thiel, Desi Gravity, Speed Control, Kufre, Subconscious Pilate, Nine Mile and more.

There will be a number of vendors onsite if you get the munchies, plus displays from local artists, the Cultural Centre, artSpace, and much more.

And........don't forget the big, bang theory of fireworks this evening.  You will need to relocate your keester to the field behind North Peace Secondary School for more entertainment at 7:30 followed by the lighting up of the sky at 10:30.  Entertainment includes a magician, Speed Control and Nine Mile.

FSJ'eh....we know how to celebrate Canada Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!