Young students perform the bonhommes gigueurs dance with marionettes Thursday at Ecole St. John Paul II School, while Canadian musician Daniel Gervais plays the fiddle and marionettist Roger Dallaire looks on. The school held a day of French cultural workshops for K-6 immersion students.--SUBMITTED PHOTOS
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Students enrolled in French immersion programming at Ecole St. John Paul II School received an immersive workshop Thursday on the bow stringed instrument often heard in French folk music, as the school welcomed Daniel Gervais, two-time Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Champion, to lead a series of workshops.
Gervais was joined by accordion player, storyteller and marionettist Roger Dallaire, to host a series of engaging workshops for students that included fiddling lessons, bilingual dances and teaching various folks tunes ahead of the school’s annual Winter Town of Vol festival held today.
The workshops aimed to promote French cultural awareness and appreciation for French-speaking communities in the Prairies by exploring traditional French folk songs and learning the history behind the music.
Music Instructor Jacelyn Desnoyers says it’s easy for French immersion students to think about the language academically, and focus on language skills, reading, writing, listening and speaking, and says these workshops help “add another layer” to their education by teaching them to view the culture of the language.
“I think the key phrase would be ‘joie de vivre,’ so you’re not thinking about learning some verbs or learning some facts, or how to write or say this, or even do math in French and science in French,” explains Desnoyers. “I think what it brought in was just that joy of the culture and our true immersive learning experience, and just to be able to interact and engage with that, I think that brought a next level of cultural awareness.”
Throughout the day-long workshops Gervais and Dallaire introduced students to musical instruments common in French culture, hearing the sounds of folk instruments like the fiddle and wooden spoons, and students learned the footwork needed to do jig dancing, as well as the often comical well-known bonhommes gigueurs dance performed by a marionettist on a wooden board.
“Our goal is to help (students) learn French through interactive experiences like this to engage them,” said Desnoyers.
Gervais, who performed at the 2012 London Olympics as a cultural ambassador of Alberta, has teamed up with Dallaire to visit schools across Canada and shares their passion for music while teaching students about French-Canadian cultural heritage.
Gervais also currently teaches in the jazz and popular music program at MacEwan University, while Dallaire is shoe maker and builds his own marionettes.
Following the day of workshops, French immersion students had the opportunity to show off their new skills in front of the school during a 45-minute end-of-day performance.
“They did a couple poems on the fiddle and the accordion, and then each class presented what they had learned in the workshop. Then they finished off with a whole school song where everybody was able to participate,” says Desnoyers.
Today students at the school will be celebrating Winter Town of Vol with cultural activities planned throughout the day.
