Québécois Tapestry: Song, Dance, Story, & Crankies (A Benefit Concert for Puget Sound Revels)

• Sue Truman, fiddle & feet
• Pascale LeLong, accordion & voice
• Cil Pierce, guitar, step dance, feet, & voice
• Louis Léger, fiddle, accordion, feet, spoons, & voice
• Devon Léger, fiddle, feet, & vocals

A Benefit Concert for Puget Sound Revels.

Members of Podorythmie and La Famille Léger, two Pacific Northwest-based bands steeped in the music and lore of French Canada, will come together at Titlow Lodge to immerse us in delights for the senses as we move through an afternoon of song, dance and story inspired by French Canadian traditional arts.

A crankie is an old storytelling art form, popular in the 19th Century. It includes a long illustrated scroll that is wound onto two spools. The spools are loaded into a box which has a viewing screen. Then the scroll is hand-cranked while the story is told, or a tune is played or a song is sung. At this concert, Podorythmie will bring three crankies that are sure to delight.

About Puget Sound Revels

https://www.pugetsoundrevels.org/

About Podorythmie

The word "Podorythmie" is Quebecois for "foot rhythms". It is also the name of a a five member group hailing from the U.S., France, and Canada. They are known for their high energy and good time performances of French Canadian music and dance. Fiddle, accordion, songs and lots of hard shoe step dancing interspersed with crankie (moving panorama) shows makes their performances unique.

About La Famille Léger

Born of a time when family and friends would gather in the warmth of the kitchens of Québec and New Brunswick to play and dance time-honoured tunes together, La Famille Léger keeps that rich tradition vitally alive. The Légers play the dancing music of French Canada—the music handed down through generations in the New World, the music of back porches, and kitchen parties. Patriarch Louis Léger leads the band on the one-row melodeon (a type of button accordion), son Devon plays fiddle, Devon's mom Barbara plays guitar and his wife, Dejah is on piano. This proudly "old school" family band will have your own family dancing and joining in on the fun.

About Sue Truman, fiddle & feet

Sue's first experience with French Canadian stepdance was taking a week-long workshop with Jeanette Dubois (Montreal) in the early 80s. The following year she learned some of the Cape Breton steps from Fr. Eugene Morris of Cape Breton Island and she was totally hooked! She went on to study the fiddle and dance styles for many years, eventually teaching step dancing herself.

About Pascale LeLong, accordion & voice

Born in France, Pascale moved to West Seattle when she was a child. She grew up with accordion music, French songs, and folk music in her home. Pascale sings and performs many of the songs she learned in her youth. She began playing accordion as an adult and pursues French, French Canadian, and other forms of music. Pascale brings rich tunes and tones to the band Podorhythmie with her accordions and her voice.

About Cil Pierce, guitar, step dance, feet, & voice

Cil has performed numerous styles of percussive dance over the last 30 years. Anchored in Appalachian clogging and tap, Cil's favorite step-dancing styles are Cape Breton and French Canadian. Cil plays guitar, foot percussion, and vocals with the band Podorythmie. Cil has travelled to Newfoundland, Cape Breton, Quebec, Montreal, and British Columbia to study the culture and dance. She's performed in several bands and dance groups over the years including A Cape Breton Ceidhli, Out of the Kitchen with Shoes On, Step Sisters, Sole Sisters, and several Morris and Sword groups.

About Devon Léger, fiddle, feet, & vocals

https://www.youtube.com/@devonleger7469