Dressed in blue and purple Atikluks, two young Wainwright dancers danced impeccably at the center of the room in Barrow High School during Kivgiq last weekend. | Free SVG
Dressed in blue and purple Atikluks, two young Wainwright dancers danced impeccably at the center of the room in Barrow High School during Kivgiq last weekend. | Free SVG
Dressed in blue and purple Atikluks, two young Wainwright dancers danced impeccably at the center of the room in Barrow High School during Kivgiq last weekend. Ciara Panik, 5, was smiling, 10-year-old Alva Ahvakana Jr. looked focused, and the drums were singing.
"They know their dance moves and they were the last to leave the dance floor," said Colleen Akpik-Lemen, director of the Inupiat history, language and culture department at the North Slope Borough.
She said she was especially impressed by Alva during the kalukaq, the dance accompanied by the box drum.
"He stole the show. He was my most favorite part of the performances for the entire four days."
Dancers from various North Slope villages — as well as performers from Kotzebue, Shishmaref, Nome and the Inuvik dance group from Canada's Northwest Territories — performed together at Kivgiq 2023 from Feb. 1 to 4. Each day, hundreds of people filled the Barrow High School Gymnasium, Utqiagvik Mayor Asisaun Toovak said, dancing, visiting, feasting, sharing stories and exchanging their crafts.
Original source can be found here.
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