FIDDLE AND STEPDANCE COMPETITION

Fiddle and Stepdance in Canada

When the GNE Fall Fair began in 1855, there was no internet, radio or TV so people had to entertain each other with music and dance. The violin, also known as a fiddle, was a portable instrument that could be ordered from the Eaton’s catalogue and delivered across the country to anyone’s home or farm. Farmers everywhere had a fiddle in their home and the music prompted the dancing. (Note: a fiddle implies folk music and violin implies classical music).

Today, there are 1000s of people, young and old, playing fiddle music across Canada. There are also many who are learning the art of step dancing in Ontario, in the style known as Ottawa Valley step dance. Most of us are familiar with Riverdance which is Irish step  dance and Ottawa Valley dance is a derivative of that style.

Many fiddle workshops, contests and festivals are held across Canada. To name a few – Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, Goderich Celtic Festival, GaƟneau Festival in Chelsea QC, Wild Rose Alberta festival, Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Championship, Bobcaygeon Fiddle and Stepdance Festival, Rollo Bay in PEI, Calvin Vollrath’s
workshops and festivals near Edmonton Alberta, Metis festivals in Manitoba, and many fiddle jams in all cities.

Great Northern Exhibition has been hosting a Fiddle and Stepdance competition for over 40 years and the best fiddlers from across Canada have participated in the contest which is held annually on the Saturday of the GNE Fair, the third weekend in September. The judges of the contest come from the fiddle and step dance contests held in Quebec and Ontario.

Graham Townsend won the North American Fiddle Championships for five years, performed at two command performances for Queen Elizabeth II, composed of over 300 fiddle tunes and recorded on 28 albums. Graham Townsend had judged the GNE Fair contest in 1998, his last public performance, and an award to honour OPEN Graham Townsend Award was created and is awarded to the Best Fiddler at the GNE Fair.

Step dancing is also part of the GNE Fair contest and one of the best dancers was Colleen Jenish. She was a 3-time Champion of the prestigious Pembroke open stepdance category. Colleen loved to perform and was excited to join the renowned Canadian dance troupe the Stepcrew for their ten-year anniversary tour. She was
also a treasured member of the Great Canadian Fiddle Show for many years and enjoyed performing regularly with her younger sister Alanna Jenish as a duo. After her passing, the GNE was proud to create The OPEN Step Dance award to honour Colleen Jenish and is awarded annually to the Best Step Dancer.

Author: Karen Andersen, Fiddle and Stepdance Committee at GNE Fair