No, TikTok isn’t just about cat videos and questionable challenges. The proof: a traditional dance school from here is a hit on the social network. His videos are little pieces of Quebec history, but also from elsewhere. Welcome to the Longueuil Mutins!
Did you know that most cultures have their own traditional dance? In Quebec, for example, we dance the square set! In Argentina, we shake ourselves while dancing the malambo. And in Türkiye, we dance the horon!
At the Mutins de Longueuil school, founded in 1960, more than 1,000 traditional dances are taught. And since each dance comes with its typical clothing, the school costumer is packed!
“These dances allow us to better understand other cultures, and to understand why their dances are important” explains Olivier Paré, artistic and educational director of the Mutins school.
The activity has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years and it interests all generations. The proof: the students at the Mutins school range from 3 to 90 years old!
A crazy success on TikTok!
During the pandemic, while we were all confined at home, the school teachers had an idea: post videos of their dances and their beautiful costumes on TikTok.
In the comments of the videos, people from around the world marveled at seeing their own traditional dances being taken up by Canadians. “The first video that became popular was the one where we showed our Mexican costumes. We saw comments in Spanish starting to come in! » rejoices Olivier Paré. A few years later, the TikTok account of the Mutins de Longueuil school is an international sensation! He has nearly 3 million “likes” and more than 100,000 subscribers. That’s enough people to fill the Bell Center 5 times!
And you, have you ever learned dances from the Internet? Which ones?
Camille Lopez, according to a report by Laurence Thibault
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