Francis Johnson has been going to classrooms in the Williams Lake area for 12 years to teach hoop dance workshops to students.
His first school-based hoop dance workshops took place at Nesika Elementary School, and then as other schools or teachers heard about them, he was requested to go to multiple schools.
Students are provided a set of five hoops and Johnson said he starts them one simple step at a time.
While at the beginning, some of the groups struggle, by the third workshop, he said students can do amazing things.
During his final workshop with Mr. Tyne’s Grade 7 class at Lake City Secondary - Columneetza campus, Johnson promoted creativity.
Teacher Matt Tyne said he would highly recommend the workshop for other classes and he was surprised by how much the students were drawn into it, despite some of them being initially reluctant.
One of the students who appeared reluctant at first was then chosen as one of the top dancers at the end of the workshop.
Tyne said he “liked seeing the students all engaged in an activity that is not only historical and full of symbolism, but also had them moving and dancing.”
Johnson also told a bit of the story of his own journey in becoming a hoop dancer, and how it helped him express himself and regain a connection to his culture.
When he first was introduced to the dance style, it resonated with him.
Johnson encouraged the class to express themselves in the dance and marvelled afterwards at how far the students had come in their three sessions.
His daughter Alita Johnson sang and drummed for the students and dancers during the workshop. She has been singing traditional songs since she was six years old and now writes her own as well.
As the students filed out of the cafeteria as the bell rang, Francis Johnson said how impressed he was with the progress they had made in the course of just three sessions.
Read more: Francis Johnson: a legacy of dance
Read more: OUR HOMETOWN: Cultural enthusiast, hoop dance teacher
ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com
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