When I dance I am telling stories that are universal. When we consider the things we have in common it helps us to gain perspective on the things we differ on.
My name is Dallas Arcand Junior. My Cree name is I first began spinning hoops with my father, three-time World Champion Hoop Dancer Dallas Arcand Sr, at the age of four. It was a game, of course, but I loved the stories that the dances and the hoops told so I worked to master the art. I first joined Dallas Sr. on the stage at the Calgary Stampede Rodeo Half-Time Show at the age of eight, doing the Grass Dance in front of crowds of up to 20,000 people. I’ve continued to be a Stampede performersince that event in 2006.
Today I take pride in my own skill as a Hoop Dancer, and I’ve worked to develop my abilities as a musician and entertainer.
Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, I now live on the Alexander First Nation (Cree: Kipohtakaw / ᑭᐳᐦᑕᑲᐤ) Reserve in Northern Alberta. I am father to two beautiful girls and expecting another child in 2024.
Although I have accumulated many high profile and international performance credits, I am most proud of the work I’ve done as an entertainer and speaker for local bands and communities in Canada. I’ve developed programs for both adult and youth audiences.
In 2022 I released my 3rd music CD – all original songs and stories for children. It’s filled with humour and I had a lot of fun writing and producing this. I recently had a tiny fans jump up and ask me to play ‘Rez Dogs,’ I received a standing ovation but all I could see was that little guy singing along and grinning to beat the band. That was so cool!
I’m currently working on my 4th CD which will release in 2024. This one will be country music and again, I’m having a blast writing it.
The hoops used in this elaborate dance symbolize the “never-ending cycle of life,” having no beginning and no end. Each hoop dance as individual as the performer. The dancer can use the hoops to tell of the work of the tribe, hunting, fishing, planting and harvesting, or mimic animals by spinning like an eagle in flight or hopping through grass like a rabbit or bouncing like a baby deer.
PERFORMANCE BEATS
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2023
2023 Highlights – Whoops, look who got behind on website upates! -
2022
2022 Highlights – Whoops, look who got behind on website upates! -
2021
2021 Highlights – Whoops, look who got behind on website upates! -
2020
2020 Highlights – Whoops, look who got behind on website upates! -
2019
2019 Highlights – Performed for the World’s Fair committee in Dubai; released second traditional flute CD titled Coyote & Raven -
2018
2018 Highlights – Speaker at Niagara on the Lake, focus on leadership skills; speaker for the Muckleshoot Nation in Seattle, Wa, talks focused on the perils of street drugs and on leadership skills; performed at the Winter Olympics in South Korea; released traditional flute CD titled Moonshadows -
2017
2017 Highlights – Speaker on bullying at event in Lac La Biche about Family Violence Awareness & Prevention; speaker at event in Revelstoke on Living Your Life in Balance -
2016
2016 Highlights – Co-wrote a song that was selected by Flo Rider’s production team for inclusion on Flo Rider’s new album. Although the song was cut from the album at the last minute it was a great experience and a testament to growing skills as a songwriter; competed in the World Champion Hoop Dance Contest (age 18) against his father and placed 12th in the world -
2015
2015 Highlights – Whoops, look who got behind on website updates! -
2014
2014 Highlights – Whoops, look who got behind on website updates! -
2013
2013 Highlights – Whoops, look who got behind on website updates! -
2012
2012 Highlights – Performed at the Summer Olympics in London, England, alongside Canadian musician Corb Lund -
2011
2011 Highlights – A lot of shoe leather spent performing across the province! -
2010
2010 Highlights – Performance at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada; attended the Victoria School of Performing Arts
