Day 9 Session (July 10, 2006)
- Posted by: chantal
- On: 07/10/2006 15:24:50
- In: Uncategorised
Parading and Participating in the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth
Hosts from Crescent Heights High School in Calgary, Mumtaz and Aaron, welcomed the Washington audience by describing a Western Canadian event comparable to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival - the Calgary Stampede. Each year, over 1 million people attend Calgary's most popular 10-day tourist attraction, "the greatest outdoor show on earth."
The advent of the annual Stampede parade marks the beginning of summer holidays for Calgary students. About 400,000 spectators and a television audience of 2 million worldwide partake in the two-hour celebration synonymous with the Stampede experience.
Part of the parade includes performances by the Stampede Showband, a group of musical ambassadors whose western history and spirit date back over 35 years. High school students from across Calgary and the world form a cohort of 37 bands - six of which were hosted by Crescent Heights this year.
Andrew and Laura, members of the Stampede Showband, joined the session to talk about their role in the parade - from playing music to visual identity, often inspired by traditional military equipment.
Laura worked with the Washington audience to teach them how to wave a flag Showband-style. Audience members used Canada and Alberta flags to practice the drop spin. Andrew then enlisted the help of two young volunteers to conduct the audience through two clapping rhythms. Video clips from Laura and Andrew's participation in the Showband were also featured.
Following the clapping exercise, Mumtaz and Aaron presented a third guest to Washington - the current Canadian boys steer riding champion, Tom Clarke. Tom demonstrated steer riding techniques courtesy of a rubbermaid garbage can, modelled a pair of chaps, and answered many questions from Washington.
Kids wanted to know how long it took Tom "to be a good cowboy" and why he wore cowboy chaps. Washington learned that almost 80% of cowboys are hurt when dismounting from a steer and that in order to qualify for championships, steer riders must stay afloat for at least 8 seconds.
Tom also helped Karen facilitate a "guess that ranching item" game. The Washington audience was familiar with many of the horse tack including stirrups, spurs, and a bit.
