Red Power Squad hits the floor in Border City

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The 10-member First Nations rapper/break dance group, Red Power Squad, hit the floors in Lloydminster mid-February, with a performance and workshop that took the border town by storm.

Brought in as positive First Nations youth role models by the Catholic school division, their mandate is to bridge the gap between contemporary and traditional culture through music, dance and upbeat lyrics.

Red Power Squad hails from Edmonton, with B-boys,or break-dancers, pulled from six reserves, including Saddle Lake, Alexander, Big Stone, Hobbema, Tall Creek and Horse Lake. They have toured all over North America for the last three years, from the Northwest Territories down to Nevada.

"I'm originally from Edmonton, what I like to call the biggest reserve in Canada," explained group leader Conway Kooteney, sporting a long braid and a big smile for the packed gym of students.

"Blending traditional dancing and beliefs along with rap music and break dancing is a positive way keep our First Nations culture alive," added Kooteney.

A core group of four rappers, along with a team of six B-Boys, gave their first workshop of the day at St. Joseph's Elementary School, demonstrating some very cool moves to the students, showing them how to write their names in the air with an imaginary pencil stuck in their belly buttons.

They demonstrated ear-splitting power-rapping techniques with a microphone, along with a series of warm-up break moves. They also talked about a safe, responsible approach to attempting difficult moves on the floor.

Red Power Squad also stressed the importance of education, the need to stay in school, have fun as kids, but stay on track for a good life.

"It's a good job, being a rap artist. You have to follow your dreams. Six years ago, I gave up all my bad habits to become a dancer. You can't smoke, drink or do drugs and expect to stay in great shape. When you do good things, then good things start happening in your life. It all comes back to you. Whether you want to play hockey, dance, be a professional basketball player or a teacher, you need to stay in school, go on to university, get a degree, grab those dreams and follow them," said Kooteney.

The Red Power Squad workshop and concert was arranged by Aboriginal liaisons Mel Gervais and Teresa Rowland.

"As young Aboriginal role models, The Red Power Squad is good for the schools, not only for Native for also for non-Native students. They don't drink, they are not on drugs, they are having fun, showing their culture and blending it in with what's going on in modern music," said Gervais.

"Their music promotes drug and alcohol awareness and how to deal with peer pressure.

"We had some money budgeted in our Elders grant and we brought the group in because the kids had asked for a concert and workshop. It is a plus because our Aboriginal youth need to know what is going on in the world. It is a powerful way to reach them, to make them proud of who they are. A good blend of traditional and contemporary music and dance," said Gervais.

"Music changes so fast. Everybody adapts very quickly. I think that First Nations people will never change rap to the point where they say it's their music. Traditional music is very strong in our culture, like country music. Rap is just another layer, a way to get the message out," said Gervais.

Squad members demonstrated the need to strap on good gear, tighten the laces and have a thorough warm up before attempting difficult floor moves.

Breaking combines gymnastic flips, layouts, spins and rolls with martial arts; fighting moves combined with the rhythm of dance, explained Kooteney.

"We deal with injuries all the time, burnt fingers, bruises, broken toes, sprained ankles. It can be a dangerous thing if you are not careful. It is like any sport. You have to take care of your body," he said.

"We have what we call 'Brooklyn Battles'. Instead of fighting, we prove ourselves on the floor. We do our moves, pull off flips, twistsand spins, basedon the South American martial art form 'Capoeira,'" said Kooteney.

Break dancing first emerged in the ghettos of the Bronx, but its original lifeblood came from the 'favelas' or Brazilian slums, in the form of Capoeira, a deadly martial arts form now globally practiced. Capoeira, a Tupi-Guarani Indian word from South America, means "slashed, burned or cut down forest" and is based on the deadly movements of animals. Used as a form of resistance by African and Indian Slaves against the Portuguese in the 16th century, it went underground in the "guitombos", hidden villages in the jungle of Brazil where escaped slaves could make a new life.

Moving north from the slums of Brazil to the ghettos of New York and Los Angles, Capoeira inspired and informed the emerging street-art forms of breaking dancing.

Students attending the workshop were encouraged to come up and show off their moves.

Dayton Delorne, a Cree student at St. Joseph's School, was the 'junior star' of the show, giving a break dancing performance that brought down the house.

The rap/break dancing workshop and concert that followed at the Holy Rosary High School did more than bring down the house.

The big wave of Red Power Squad energy that filled the overflowing gym left hundreds of senior students with a clear and powerful message; that contemporary Aboriginal youth are cutting a strong and positive path and that nothing is going to blow them off course.