Visitors have enjoyed the lion’s share of entertainment at the Games, but this week Olympic athletes were treated to a series of performances by artists from Canada’s North. At the Vancouver athlete's village, Olympians were entertained by Inuit Drummers, Artcirq, Godson and Kaiva, Ta'an Kwachan Drummers, Arctic Sport Demonstrations, Fiddlers, Soir de Semaine and Sophisticated Cavemen. At the Whistler athlete’s village, athletes watched performances and demonstrations including a Northern Blanket Toss and Dene Hand Games, Sasquatch Prom Date, Root Sellers, NWT Dene Drummers and Dakwakada Dancers, Ryan McNally and Sophie Leger.
Brendan Callas, a keyboardist from Yellowknife who plays with the NWT Performers Collective, was part of the fiddling performance in the Vancouver Athlete’s Village. Brendan is in Vancouver for ten days, averaging about two performances a day, and the show in the athletes village was a highlight of the entire trip.
While Arctic athletes did demonstrations on an outdoor stage in the courtyard, the fiddlers took to the stage in the athlete’s lounge. Compared to the hustle-bustle of other city venues, it was a relaxed atmosphere; athletes came and went, some played billiards or foosball and others watched and tapped their feet to the music. Brendan says he felt like Elton John: he got to play on a clear plexiglass acoustic grand piano.
“The organizers really emphasized that this is the athlete’s sanctuary,” says Brendan. “We were asked not to approach them or take their picture. It’s the one place where they know they won’t be followed by media and fans.”
Karen Zaidan of NWT’s Northern Eclectics traveled to Whistler to play in the athlete’s village. Theirs was a midday performance, and though it wasn’t a busy time in the village there were lots of athletes milling about and some were curious to watch the Arctic athletes demonstrate jumping and kicking sports.