DancingOil paint While creating the painting Dancing, memories of when I first started jigging came flooding back. Despite only remembering snippets of it, it impacted my life greatly. I was around 8 years old when I went to my first jigging event at Rocky Mountain House. My brother was 12 and had already been jigging for a couple years with a big dance group. They were doing a popular Metis dance called the red river jig. Next thing I knew, I was invited to join my brother and the group in the small opening we called the stage. Of course I had no idea how to jig as this was my first time and as any kid would do, I tried following my brother's steps but in the end I was just kicking my feet. My brother's Metis dance teacher saw this and believed that starting me off young with jigging was a good idea. Fast forward to approximately 10 years later and I am now a professional Metis dancer, dancing all over Alberta and spreading the Metis knowledge as best I can. While working on my painting Dancing, I felt a sense of nostalgia, remembering that little moment of my childhood that was such an important moment in my life. It makes me glad that such a memory will be remembered throughout the years. |