Dallas Arcand is a multi-talented artist who won the world spotlight with his Hoop Dancing at the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. A three-time World Champion Hoop Dancer from the Alexander Plains Cree Nation near Edmonton, Alberta, he recently spoke to The Pulse’s Gunargie O’Sullivan about his life and work.
“When I first started this journey as being an artist, a lot of people didn’t think that I would make it anywhere, and even people in the industry like other professional dancers or choreographers…sat me aside and said, ‘Hey, Dallas, you have a backup plan or is there something else that you can do in case this doesn’t work for you?’”
He is now passing on his skills and experience to his children. His son, Dallas Jr, is making a go at Hoop Dancing and has his own shows. Of the experience, Dallas says “it’s a lot easier to teach somebody else’s kid. It’s always been an ongoing challenge for me to teach him and guide him.”
Dallas Arcand will be in Vancouver on December 12 for UNSTRUNG, a benefit concert for Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders.
Listen to Dallas Arcand interview below.
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This interview is the second in a series on Indigenous Role Models