StO 2 ~ St-Octave, our inter-cultural activities
Accommodation was in single rooms (comfortable and clean) at a school in Ste-Anne-des-Monts, near Cap-Chat. Breakfast was provided in the school cafeteria, and other meals mainly in St-Octave itself. The food was good.
(Cap-Chat, Valin,
two Italian dancers,
Fred,
Dora Leigh)
(Picnic, Valin, Ken, unknown,
Dora Leigh, Don, David)
Though it was summer, it got cold on that hillside where we performed. After our first evening, they arranged some trucks with canvas covers, and heaters, for us to shelter in. The audience mostly wrapped themselves in blankets. They didn't seem to be very numerous, and Valin (who feels the cold and had worn pyjamas under his Morris costume) thinks many of them were other performers.
(From the top,
Dora Leigh;
unknown;
fair-haired Italian dancer;
Ken, perhaps;
younger sister, in her red scarf;
Valin, relaxing & eating)
(Bus to St-Octave, by row,
Valin & David; Tom & Ken; Don)
We had expected to do a couple of Morris dances,
and our
sword dance. The morning after the first show, the director called in
each of the dance group leaders in turn, and told us the show was too
long.
To me he proposed we do the Sword Dance, and drop our other
dances. From his show-biz viewpoint, that made sense, because the sword
dance was unusual and dramatic. For us, however, it wouldn't make
sense for a Morris team not to dance Morris.
So I agreed to shorten our
program ~ but we actually cut out our Sword Dance for the rest
of our performances, and luckily he did not complain.
(The Italian dancers,
same time and place,
posing at a different angle;
their dancing was lively
- Valin remembers
tarantellas -
and they used tambourines)
(Ste-Anne-des-Monts)
