The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
At 14 years of age, this hoop dancer says she dances to carry on tradition and culture. Lexi Blouin has been dancing for the past four years with the Nemihitowok Hoop Troop and she says "I just love it." She says the dance helps to keep the aboriginal culture alive. "We dance to remember and so we don't forget about it," says the Creighton resident. The older hoop dancers spend their time teaching the younger dances the formations. When a dancer starts out they are given five hoops, which they decorate themselves. After a year, dancers are then given 10 hoops each and an additional two years gives them 30 hoops. "There are the 30 groups who teach the 10 groups and then the 10 groups teach the five groups," says Lexi. Lexi says the dancing represents the "circle of life." "We dance the stages of life," she says. The teen says each formation danced represents things like animals. "They can be doves or eagles or snakes or anything," she says. Lexi's mother, Kelli, is one of two dance instructors to the children, but she says it's "really up to the kids." "They are the ones who know the dance, we just supervise," she says. The Hoop Troop was formed in 1996 when the skill was taught to a few kids, who in turn taught it to others. It's grown since then, and it's still going on today, says Kelli, who adds that it's a healing dance. Hoop dancing originally started out as a male dance but has since become more popular with girls, says Kelli. She adds there are a few boys left, but it's mainly girls. The Nemihitowok Hoop Troop will perform next at the National Aboriginal Arts Administrators and Funders Gathering next month in Cranberry Portage.
