Sandy Lake youth take their dance to the big stage

After months of maintaining grades, rehearsing and fundraising, 17 Sandy Lake students joined other First Nations youth to take the big stage in Toronto for a dance performance on June 4.
“Oh my gosh, don’t even get to that part,” said 12-year-old Arlen Goodman when asked how it felt to take the stage at the Winter Garden Theatre in downtown Toronto.
Goodman was so happy, “I was crying.”
The performance was the culmination of Outside Looking In (OLI), a national high school credit-based dance program that encourages student retention.
Since the program was incorporated into the Sandy Lake school curriculum in January, the students worked to maintain a grade average of 70 per cent and keep up their school attendance and a good attitude in order to make the trip to Toronto.
They also took part in weekly fitness and dance classes.
Rex McKay, 18, said he used to like dancing but lost touch with it over the years.
“Once the program came, I wanted to be in it,” said McKay, who is the community’s junior chief.
The Sandy Lake students and teachers fundraised more than $30,000 to make the trip. Many of the students dedicated their time every Saturday to raise funds through breakfasts, movies, and flea markets.
Rydell Linklater, 14, said the prospect of going to Toronto for the dance performance motivated him to work hard over the months.
“I felt so happy,” he said about when he found out he was going.
The Sandy Lake students joined youth from Lac La Croix, Wikwemikong, Onigamig, and the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre in Brantford to make the final preparations for the June 4 performance.
Totaling 54 students, the youth endured eight-hour days learning and rehearsing new dance steps.
Then the youth arrived in Toronto to perform before a large crowd.
“I was pretty nervous just being behind the stage,” McKay said. “Words can’t describe how I felt.”
Draven Meekis, 13, said he was a “lil’ bit nervous.”
Goodman said he was “not nervous, just happy.”
Once the students took the stage and the performance began, McKay said it was “really loud.”
Linklater said dancing in front of a crowd was “scary but it was fun.”
Meekis overcame his nervousness and performed as he had spent hours rehearsing.
“It felt great,” he said, smiling. “Everyone was taking photos and pictures.”
Some of the students could not believe it when it was over.
“That was fun, man,” Goodman said. “I started crying too again.”
“I just felt like dancing more,” Linklater said.
Norma Kakegamick, 13, was “kind of sad” and “unexcited” when the performance ended, but “I’m starting to like dancing,” she said.
Jeremy Audette, a Sandy Lake teacher, said the trip was part of the youth’s life journey.
“It’s a journey for the life and skills they don’t get on the reserve,” he said.
Having spent the past five months working with students in the program, Audette said he watched them grow as people.
“We pushed them harder then they pushed themselves,” he said. “They were challenged in every aspect of life and that pushed them to find out about themselves.”
McKay said the experience was very rewarding and encourages others to take the program.
“Stick with it no matter how hard it gets,” he said. “You really get rewarded and it’s really great feeling.”
Goodman said he never danced before the program and now he plans on continuing to learn.
“It’s just fun to learn how to dance,” he said.