I’m fine with the hips, having learned to shake my bootie when I was two years old and learning Hawaiian dancing, but isolating my chest? It’s like learning to puck handle after a childhood of playing soccer, a completely different type of coordination. I found myself back in Chen Lizra’s Cuban dance class again, learning [...]
British Columbia
Cycling in Vancouver, BC: False Creek, Canada
I’m back home in Vancouver after a full summer of travelling through Canada. It’s been mostly my head buried in my laptop so far, getting caught up, hitting deadlines and trying to reconnect with friends who have almost forgotten me. I did get a chance to visit the summer night market in Richmond, though, and [...]
Cultural Dancing
A Family Square Dance in Cape Breton
I spent my last full day in Cape Breton doing some writing on the beach in Iona and then taking my last step dancing lesson at the Christmas Island fire hall. Actually, I learned some fantastic new strathspeys and reels, which I hope I can remember, that went well past the beginner level. Very challenging. [...]
Cultural Dancing
Acadian Step Dancing in Chéticamp, Nova Scotia
This morning and afternoon were filled with step dance lessons and a lunchtime ceilidh at the Celtic Music Site. Now it was time to see some of those steps and Cape Breton music in action. As I mentioned yesterday, I had bumped into my new friend Burton at the ceilidh and we were both headed [...]
Cultural Dancing
Step Dancing at the Celtic Music Site, Judique
A late night at the Glencoe square dance in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia last night had me cursing the alarm this morning. But then I remembered that I was going to the Celtic Music Site in Judique where I would be hanging out at a lunchtime ceilidh (Mon-Sat 11:30 am – 1:30 pm) and then [...]
Cultural Dancing
Glencoe Square Dance in Cape Breton, NS
It was time for my first Cape Breton square dance and I was excited. During the summer, there is a dance every night on the Nova Scotia island, mostly in Inverness County. I had been told that, on Saturday night, the Glencoe square dance was the best one to be at. But it was tricky [...]
