Reequal Smith has been dancing for as long as she can remember.
“My love for it just grows over the years.”
Back home in Nassau, Bahamas, she would be contracted to dance in festivals and at hotel events. She specializes in jazz, contemporary, and African dance styles.
“I also do fire dancing,” she said.
Since moving to P.E.I. for post-secondary education, Smith’s been working as a freelance dancer, and has been involved in Island events like The River Clyde Pageant and DiverseCity Festival.
“It isn’t something that’s new to me, but it is new when you’re in a new place,” she said. “Last year I was fortunate to be a part of many different festivals.”
She was asked to be involved in this year’s Black History Month by teaching a workshop and showcasing her moves to youth at the Confederation Centre Public Library in Charlottetown on Feb. 8.
Well, not her fire dancing moves.
“Not around the kids,” she said while laughing.
The workshop was the first in a series taking place throughout the month of February. Tamara Steele, president of the Black Cultural Society of P.E.I., said the activities are aimed to celebrate black culture.
“The aspects of different black cultures that we thought would be fun for kids here to experience.”
She started the event off by reading from a children’s book, “Malaika’s Costume.” It’s about a girl who needs a costume for a festival, and was chosen by the library staff to set the theme for that day’s activities.
“We really worked in collaboration with the library,” Steele said.
Kids got to make their own carnival masks before moving into their dancing lessons. Smith started them with some warm-up stretches before guiding them through each step.
“(We’re) going to put all the steps together and make a dance,” she said.
Once they were ready, she played “La Bam Bam” by Bahamian musician Benje and put them to the test. Keeping track of the dance sequence wasn’t always easy, but in the end, it was about having fun.
Smith said she’d love to be involved with more events throughout P.E.I.’s Black History Month. Libraries in Stratford, Cornwall, and Summerside will also be hosting their own workshops for this series, each with their own themes and activities.
Here are some of the other events happening at P.E.I. libraries throughout Black History Month.
- Drumming craft and workshop at Summerside Rotary Library (Feb. 15, 2:00 p.m.) and at Cornwall Public Library (Feb. 29, 2:00 p.m.)
- Black History Month Storytime at Confederation Centre Children's Library (Feb. 18, 3:30 p.m. and Feb. 19, 11:00 a.m.)
- Junkanoo at Stratford Public Library (Feb. 22, 2:00 p.m.)
- Songs of Black History with Scott Parsons and guests at Confederation Centre Public Library (Feb. 23, 2:00 p.m.)
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