NEWS PHOTO SAMANTHA JOHNSON
Dallas Arcand with all 13 hoops, an Indigenous sacred number. Traditionally, a ceremonial dance to restore balance and harmony, is often accompanied by stories. The custom-made outfit Arcand wears also tells a story and represents who he is with the medallion representing his traditional name, which translates to Dancing Buffalo Man. - NEWS PHOTO SAMANTHA JOHNSON
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
Dallas Arcand was introduced to hoop dancing when he was about 14 years old when he attended an Indigenous based school in Edmonton.
Now, the professional hoop dancer is sharing his gift with people across the country at events like the Heritage Gather Festival in Dunmore over the weekend
“It was an accidental discovery because I went over to my friend’s house and he had a big pile of hoops,” explained Arcand. “He showed me a few tricks with them, and I was amazed because to me it was like a magic trick. I’ve always been fascinated with magic and magicians, but this was a cultural form of that and it’s what hooked me in.”
Hoop dancing helped Arcand carve a new life path as it made him less vulnerable to peer pressure. He received encouragement from family and the Miywasin Friendship Centre.
“They saw a different side of me. They thought I was a bad kid most of the time and it changed people’s perspective and I liked that.”
Shy when it came to performing, Arcand spent two years learning the art of hoop dancing before he got up in front of an audience, liking the joy it brought to those watching. Hoop dancing is a speciality dance and not usually a part of powwow. There aren’t many competitions in North America and Arcand used to travel to B.C. to dance, but that all changed when he heard about the world championships in Phoenix, Ariz.
The first time he went to the worlds, he was 18 and it opened his eyes.
“I thought I was good because people said I was and then I went down there and it was like, ‘I’m not that good.’ It made me want to practice more. It took me another four years before I got to their level, where I started to catch up to the rest of the pros,” said Arcand.
Universal Studios gave him a contract to dance in Spain for a year and dancing five times a day with lots of practicing improved his skill. At the time, he was a university student and a single father, and it was a struggle juggling everything, but he persevered. Arcand started with a business degree then switched to education, although he never worked for a school division after receiving his diploma.
“I tell people all the time that I got my PhD in hoop dancing because when you are a world champion, you are a master at that level,” stated Arcand. “What I did, was I eventually combined my education, dancing, culture and my artistry and I made a career out of that. I stopped working a day job when I was 24 years old, that’s the last time I worked for anyone else because I thought I have this talent, why don’t I invest in that.”
His son used to come to the workshops Arcand taught and he slowly became interested. Arcand never forced him to join in but allowed his son’s curiosity to build naturally. Now 25, his son is also a professional hoop dancer, motivational speaker and musician, most recently performing at the Calgary Stampede.
Arcand is doing much more than hoop dancing these days, including more speaking engagements along with being the site and event manager with the Indigenous Edmonton Entertainment Group.
“I’m using my 30 years of combined experience and producing an event called the Indigenous Experience. It is inclusive of the Metis, Inuit and First Nations.”
It will be an indoor, Indigenous festival, the largest in Canada, that will run for 10 days.
The News has 25 free day passes to K-Days for July 24. Email newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com to inquire while supplies last.
Follow Arcand on Facebook (Dallas Arcand), Instagram (@celtic_cree) or on TikTok (@celticcree).
