Empowering Indigenous youth one dance step at a time

When Hope Sanderson watched over a hundred Indigenous youth take the stage at Toronto Metropolitan University this spring – many performing in front of a crowd for the very first time – she was overwhelmed with emotion. 

“I was crying proud tears backstage the entire night,” she said. “I know what they’ve overcome to be there. The high-fives, the joy on their faces… this is why we do what we do.”

Sanderson is the CEO of Outside Looking In (OLI), a national charity that uses the power of dance to boost high school graduation rates and inspire Indigenous youth from remote communities across Canada. Now in its eighteenth year, the organization partners with Indigenous communities to deliver a year-long program that provides students with a high school dance credit. 

For 19-year-old Quaid McDougall from Wasagamack First Nation in Manitoba, it was a childhood dream to be accepted into the program.  

“I was only in grade 6 when I first heard about OLI and I already loved dance, so to get a credit doing something I love was a really big bonus,” he said. 

Program lifts participants’ graduation rates beyond national average

To participate in the program, students must maintain an overall school attendance rate of 80% and an overall passing grade point average. The OLI Indigenous Community Dance program, supported by Scotiabank, has helped raise graduation rates among on-Reserve First Nation participants from 45% to 96%, which is above the 84% national average in Canada.

“These kids live in places with literally nothing. No malls, no community centres, often not even paved roads,” Sanderson said. “Giving them a structured, creative outlet like dance gives them something to look forward to and a reason to stay in school.”

Each year-long program aims to empower youth by developing their leadership potential through experiential education, mentorship and artistic self-expression. It culminates in a two-week dance camp and a professional live stage performance in Toronto, where roughly 100 students come together to showcase choreography that blends hip-hop with traditional dance together with drumming, fiddling, and themes rooted in Indigenous culture. The most recent show in May also centered around the theme of fire and was intercut with video montages of participants explaining what fire symbolized to them culturally and as individuals.

Sanderson said the voice of the youth is front and centre. “They’re not just dancing; they’re telling their own story.” 

Many of OLI’s instructors are former participants who’ve returned as professional paid choreographers of the show. 

“I remember my very first show, I went from feeling excited to nervous, to feeling like I wasn’t good enough... right to feeling immense success, like we completed something together as one big family,” said McDougall.

And while he is currently studying business at Red River College, one of McDougall’s goals is to one day become a paid choreographer for OLI.

“I just feel so confident about my future now, through OLI I learned you just have to take it step by step and work towards a bigger goal,” he said. 

ScotiaRISE a supporter of OLI since 2016

Despite its many successes, Sanderson says the organization faces some notable challenges like mental health needs in the wake of the pandemic, and travel costs to remote locations. 

“We’re constantly pursuing funding,” said Sanderson. “We’re a team of ten people trying to serve the whole country and we’re also trying to chase a responsible growth model.”

Through ScotiaRISE — Scotiabank’s $500-million community investment initiative to help strengthen economic resilience for individuals, families and communities — the Bank hopes to aid the growth and success of OLI. The funding of $600,000 over three years from 2024-2026 will support OLI’s Dance Program and expansion, with the goal of reaching 20 communities by 2028, where they estimate participant numbers to reach 1,000. 

“At Scotiabank we recognize the importance of supporting vulnerable youth in remote communities as they strive for graduation and long-term success,” said Meigan Terry, Chief Sustainability and Social Impact Officer at Scotiabank. “We are proud to work with OLI and witness the growth of their students as they’re empowered through dance.”

Sanderson says she’s grateful for the generous support, for the funding, and beyond.

“So much of it is about the volunteers from organizations like Scotiabank. Packing snacks for 800 kids, working the merch booth, cheering loudly in the wings,” she said. “We call them our village people — because it really does take a village to do this kind of work.”