John Arcand's Fiddlefest the "reel" deal

Page 17

Nestled in the scrub poplar a few miles south of Saskatoon is an 80-acre parcel of land; no more than a collection of buildings and various farm animals. Not much different than the neighbors, really. Sure, there's a playground for kids, and public washrooms, and even a pet cemetery. Well, ok, maybe it is a little different.

This is Windy Acres Vacation Farm, the home of John and Vicki Arcand and also the home of the annual John Arcand Fiddlefest and Canadian Red River Jigging Competition.

Every August John and Vicki's home comes alive with music and dancing, Metis style. The big tent goes up, and the campers and motorhomes fill the pasture when the three-day festival gets underway.

This is no ordinary fiddle festival either. True, the John Arcand Fiddlefest is an open competition sanctioned by the Saskatchewan Fiddlers Association, but more importantly, it is a celebration of Metis style fiddling and dance.

Metis fiddling is a style all its own, a style developed in Western Canada, with influences borrowed from the music brought by French and Scottish fur traders, but also mixed with Native rhythms and melodies.

John Arcand is the undisputed master of the Metis fiddle. He learned to play fiddle at an early age from his father Victor and his grandfather Jean-Baptiste Arcand, both master fiddlers themselves, in the Red River style. Jean-Baptiste Arcand settled near Batoche, migrating from Red River in the latter part of the 19th century. As a result of this rich inheritance of music, John has developed and refined a style of playing that has helped him become a legend in the fiddle world. John is also a prolific writer of Metis fiddle music. In his many original compositions the Metis influence can be heard throughout, and his love for the style shows in his playing.

Metis dance is also a passion of John's. The Red River Jig is the most popular of the Metis dances and in the old days it was a very structured and disciplined competition dance between two contestants. There was virtually no movement of the body above the knees; it was all in the feet, and they hardly left the floor. At the weekend house parties in Metis communities, the furniture was put aside and the living room cleared out for an evening of fiddling and dance. Some of the dances were the Duck Dance, The Reel of Four, Drops of Brandy, and of course, the Red River Jig.

In the Red River Jig there are two parts. The first part is the standard step, and the second part is the "changes." The changes are the traditional fancy steps borrowed partially from the French stepdancers, but also with a Native influence. Today few of the traditional steps or changes remain. Many of the older dancers have passed on, and many of the younger dancers who love the style of dancing have had to develop their own changes. Of the original 50 to 60 changes, there are perhaps only four or five left. The basic style of dancing and traditional changes have been nearly forgotten, but many people today believe they are still dancing the Red River Jig. Unfortunately, what they are doing is the farthest thing from it.

We've all seen dancers high stepping with feet flying in an almost acrobatic manner, and if they have a Metis sash or a pair of moccasins, we tend to assume that they're dancing the Red River Jig when the tune of the same name is being played. John's not really sure of what it is that they're doing but he knows for sure that it's not the traditional Red River Jig. And it is for this reason that he has started the Canadian Red River Jigging Championships at his annual Fiddlefest in August.

"We're pretty close to losing the Red River Jig forever", said John. He's promoting a return to the traditional style, and has been collecting the traditional steps and changes from Metis Elders for some time now. He'd also like to see the Red River Jig return as a competition dance between two challengers. John believes that by re-introducing the original style of daning in a competition setting, and establishing guidelines based on traditions of the past, it will go a long way to educate younger dancers in the true Metis dancing style and also help preserve Metis culture.

The Fiddlefest will be held Aug. 10 to 12 at Windy Acres Vacation Farm, seven km south of Saskatoon on the Pike Lake Highway. The event will go on rain or shine.

Besides the Red River Jigging there are six categories of fiddling competition, a vocal talent contest and concert on Friday and an old time dance on Saturday. Fiddling and jigging finals will be held on Sunday. This is a full weekend of family fun including a long drive golf competition and even a horseshoe tournament.

Admission is $20 for the weekend, and $15 for a day pass with a donation of a non-perishable food item for the Saskatoon Food Bank. Children 12 and under are admitted free, and registration is free for all fiddlers. Free unserviced camping and an on-site concession are also available.

So if you're planning a vacation this summer and want to see and hear Metis music and dance at its finest, be sure to check out John Arcand's Fourth Annual Fiddlefest and Canadian Red River Jigging Championships.

You can find more information on the festival by calling John and Vicki Arcand at 306-382-0111 or you can visit John's Web site at http://sites.netscape.net/johnarcandfiddle/homepage.