A young St. Albert teen has had a rare honour bestowed upon her by the Servus Heritage Festival, running at William Hawrelak Park from July 30 to Aug. 1.
Each year, a Festival Prince and Princess between the ages of eight and 12 years old are selected from among the ethno-cultural associations.
This year, Lela Seely, 12, a former Lorne Akins junior high student, is the 2011 Festival Princess. In the titled role, she is an honorary ambassador of cross-cultural friendship and goodwill. The Festival Prince and Princess also symbolize the hope all children carry for the future of Canada.
When the Gazette asked Seely, representing the Polynesian Pavilion, her take on being crowned royalty, she replied, “It feels pretty cool. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
Later, she uses her diplomatic skills to state she “was most excited about meeting new people.”
“Don’t you mean being on TV and having your picture in the paper, having five minutes of fame?” teases her mother Sinive, originally from New Zealand.
“Yeah, more like three days,” laughs Seely, a girl who is intelligent, articulate and has a fun sense of humour.
A true multicultural Canadian, Seely’s own heritage blends her father’s Canadian-English lineage with her mother’s Samoan background. Throughout the festival, she will be dressed in five different costumes — Tahitian, Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan and Tongan.
Taught to interpret her mother’s traditional Pacific Rim dances since the age of two, Seely will perform a minimum of three shows daily.
“Dance is taught through the generations in the family,” explains Sinive. “Whenever there was family get-togethers for a feast, it was an expectation in our house that the kids would get up and provide entertainment.”
The entire family recently returned from a two-year stint in New Zealand, where exposure to Maori culture taught Seely to handle the famed poi, a set of balls attached to a flax string incorporated into various dances.
On Saturday, she will open the festival in a grass skirt with a hip-shaking Tahitian dance at the Hawrelak Amphitheatre.
In addition to showcasing cultural entertainment, Seely will assist at all formal functions, organize arts and crafts in the Kid Zone and lend a hand at the Polynesian Pavilion.
This year’s festival features 62 pavilions representing 85 cultures from around the world. It is an opportunity to sample culinary delights, enjoy cultural performances and shop for arts and crafts.
There is no parking on the festival site or direct buses from St. Albert. The closest ETS Park and Ride buses are available at the Calder lot on 124 Street and 124 Avenue.
For menus, cost of tickets and bus service details, go online to www.heritage-festival.com.
Preview
Servus Heritage Festival
Saturday, July 30, noon to 9 p.m., Sunday, July 31 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Monday, Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Edmonton's William Hawrelak Park
Admission is free with a donation to the Food Bank.
