Family support key to dancer's success

Page 17

She's taking her ballet slippers, tap shoes, and oxfords to Disneyland and she plans to proudly represent her people.

Randi Lightning, 14, from the Ermineskin First Nation, will be performing in Disneyland from July 3 to 8 with her dance group from Andy and Tina's Dance FX studio in Wetaskiwin.

The group will represent the studio and Canada during their trip. But for Lightning, being the only Native dancer out of the 16-member group means representing her Aboriginal heritage.

"I'm proud of it and excited to represent my Native people," said Lightning.

The group will do two performances in Disneyland and will receive dance training at workshops at Universal Studios during their stay.

"The girls will be videotaped and will be given pointers about their dancing," said Tina Swjed, owner and dance instructor of Dance FX. "It will help them for auditions later in their careers."

Lightning has won several individual medals and group competition awards within her six-year modern dance career. Last year she won two dance scholarships from her studio and the Adjudicator's Choice Award for a lyrical solo performance. This year Lightning won a gold medal for her tap solo and a silver for her lyrical solo at the Dance Power competition in St. Albert, Alta.

"Randi is a wonderful dancer. She is really talented," said Swjed. "She is a natural and you can see that she dances with her heart. She glows out there and she could really do something with it in the future."

Lightning is planning for the future by considering universities to attend for her degree in dance.

"I want my degree so I can set up my own dance studio with an Aboriginal name," said Lightning. "I want to teach other Native kids dance. I want them to experience different things, to not get stuck on the reserve, but to show white society that we are just as good as them."

She is already on her way to teaching, assisting her own group at the studio for the last year.

"I feel very proud to be assisting so there is someone to look up to and I want to be that person," said Lightning. "I think more Native kids should dance modern and I want to teach them."

With the endless support from her parents, Lightning can look confidently toward her future ambitions.

"Watching her in some of the competitions brings me to tears. We've told her whatever she wants to do to realize her dreams, that we would support her in whatever way we can," said Perry Lightning, Randi's dad. "I know some younger girls look up to her as a role model. That is so good to see because I haven't heard anything on reserve to teach modern dance other than for the powwow circuit. You don't see a lot of Native girls dancing in white society."

For 10 months of dance at about $1,500, which doesn't include the extra expense for costumes and competition fees, Randi's family feels the investment is worth it.

"We've put a lot into it," said Trudy Lightning, Randi's mom. "But we don't count the money because it is all worth it. We've told her no matter how hard it is we will continue to support her."

"It's not recognized as a sport like hockey and baseball, and so there isn't a whole lot of funding we get from our band," said Perry Lightning. "The little we do get does help."

Randi is looking forward to the experience in Disneyland and the chance to receive more professional training.

"I'm excited to go," said Randi. "Dance is going to be my career."