New West May Day Community Association
New Westminster May Day returns for its 154th year. We are ‘living culture.’ Come dance with us!
Today is May Day in the Royal City! Thank you to the retiring 152nd May Queen, Alessia Preovolos and her Royal Consort, Aiden Kim. Come Together at 3:30pm for the revels. New May Queen to be crowned. Dancing. Starts 3:30 in Queens Park Stadium. Seating is covered.
May Day fans - this one’s for you. Name that tune, er, dance!
This is a surprise find from 2020. Sandra Hamilton May Queen 1982 sends her best wishes to the only May Queen who looked like she would not receive a crown, our 150th May Queen. This year’s May Queen Emilie Loi is connected to the 1982 May Day through her dad. The young Michael Loi, then just new to Canada, danced the May Day dances in 1982. Now 42 years later Mike’s daughter Emilie Loi will be crowned Queen of the May! Join us this Sat. May 25 at 3:30 pm in Queens Park Stadium for the 154th May Day- a world record setter. Enjoy cultural dances from 3 continents and the crowning of our new May Queen - Emilie Loi.
New Westminster - Come Together! Here’s Mike Loi who came to Canada in ‘81 and danced the May Pole dances in New Westminster in ‘82. His family’s amazing May Day story spans two countries, 44 years and two generations. Come together New Westminster for the best family friendly show around and historic too.- Yes. Be part of history at the world-record setting 154th May Day, Sat. May 25, Queens Park Stadium ( with covered seating so rain or shine come on down).
Doors at 3:00pm show at 3:30pm. Three continents worth of cultural dance and the crowning of Emilie Loi as the May Queen ( hint Emilie is Mike’s daughter…😀). Come together. It’s May Day Sat. May 25!
Our young May Day dancers are still rehearsing their choreography for the 154 th May Day this Sat. May 25,3:30 pm Queens Park Stadium. Guest performers Roots Peruvian Folk Dance - are working out the last of their amazing Latin flavoured choreography too!
Keep it up dancers. And join in friends to enjoy ( in the Stadium undercover so rain or shine at 3:30 with doors at the 3:00pm) our wonderful guests with no doubt all their wonderful choreography memorized! Doors at 3:00pm Doors at 3:30pm in the Queens Park Stadium in New Westminster.
Join us
Jump for joy! May Day is coming ! 😁YOU ARE INVITED! This Sat.May 25 attend historic 154 th May Day in Queens Park Stadium at 3:30pm. FREE! Bring the family. Covered seating available. Rain or shine. Live dance extravaganza you won’t want to miss.
Watch as the New May Queen (seen here) is crowned ‘Queen of the May.’
Cultural dancers from 3 continents of the globe perform to make this a completely unique celebration.
Be a part of this New Westminster historic tradition and celebrate May Day’s 154 th anniversary. Yes! A world record setting celebration. Only in New Westminster. 👀Doors at 3:00pm. 😀😀😀
CONGRATULATIONS to Emilie Loi, the new New Westminster May Queen!!! Emilie (pictured left with her older sister Daisy, a Flower 🌸 girl in last year’s May Suite) will be crowned Queen of the May on Sat. May 25 at 3:30pm at Queens Park stadium. A free family event that brings us all together. It’s also a dance extravaganza. Be sure to attend this historic and fun event. Nwmayday.com
“Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!,” exclaims volunteer dance instructor. May Day dances taught and passed down for over 100 years. ATTEND: 154 th May Day, Sat.May 25 at 3:30 in Queens Park Stadium. FREE! Attend this historic event. New Westminster comes together at May Day. Young and old. Plan to attend. Doors open at 3:00pm
May Day Countdown- 22 days untill May Day! We’re rehearsing our dance steps. Won’t you join us on the big day! May Day in New Westminster is May 25 .Time: 3:30( doors at 3:00pm). Kids - sign up now for the May Draw this Sunday at 3pm Location:TBA
Our children are the future! May Day brings children and families together. KIDS:enter the draw for May Queen, Royal Suite and Knights. May Day turns 154 on May 25. This is New Westminster’s living culture. Help it live on! Enter the draw today -here:nwmaday.com
Wow!Family members reunited during the parade! May Day is May 25. KIDS : Enter draw to be chosen to play a special role at 154th May Day! Grade 4-6 can enter. May 5 is the draw. Be sure and enter now : nwmayday.com
Team May Day gets tangled! Oh no!
Royal heads adorned; sparkling tiaras a sight!
Team Tiara and the Original New Westminster Hyack Ambassadors
Evening of Stars 2023 receive bejewelled guests from across the realm.
The 151st May Queen Manha Rishard and members of her Royal Suite, Georgia Orchard and Adelle Cupit grace the stage to share a brief welcome and acknowledgment of the Hyack Ambassadors for a job well done.
One year ago. Seven young women took on new challenges. Served their fellow citizens. Now, with thanks, we say goodbye.
The New Westminster May Day Community Association honours the dedication and service of these young leaders of tomorrow and the Original New Westminster Hyack Ambassadors who provide the opportunity for young women like Jadyn Gibson seen here just moments after being announced Miss New Westminster Hyack Ambassador for 2023, to grow, mature and serve the people of New Westminster.
Jadyn Gibson, is also a member of the 147th May Day Suite circa 2017.
Congratulations to all the 2023 Hyack Ambassadors and thank you for you contribution of service to New Westminster.
PARENTS- May Day is a family affair. 🌸🌸MEET the 151st May Queen Manha and her family. 😀 Manha’s brother and her younger sister have also participated and dancesd the May Day dances at May Day. Kids gr. 2-6 join now. Sign up for FREE 😀 nwmayday.com
May Day dance lessons.
New dancers welcome at all our listed locations.
Go here for info: nwmayday.com
Free May Day dance classes start this week at Massey! Kids in grades 2-3 learn folk dances free. Then perform them in Queens Park Stadium on May Day - Sat . May 25, in New Westminster! May Day is a dance extravaganza and turns 154 years old this year. Sign-up for free dance classes at Massey Theatre here: nwmayday.com
Kids dance FREE. Join the fun on historic May Day,May 25, by learning and dancing the May Day dances FREE. Join now classes are open for kids gr.2-6.
All classes still available here: nwmayday.com
Kids have fun and MAKE HISTORY! Be a part of the oldest City celebration in town and a world record setting event unique to New Westminster. Join our FREE dance classes or enter the draw to play the May Day roles and officiate at May Day on Sat. May 25.
Make May Day dreams come true for kids in grades 2-6. FREE dance lessons PLUS grades 5&6 kids can enter a draw to be selected to play the roles of May Queen, Royal Knights and the Royal Suite.
Kids who win one of the many special May Day roles through the draw will also wear costumes, give speeches plus greet dignitaries at May Day plus dance the May Pole dances at this exciting dance extravaganza in New Westminster, May 25, at 3:30pm, at the Queens Park Stadium. Join the fun. Enter here nwmayday.com
FREE dance lessons. Kids in grades 2-6 learn May Day dances and perform those dances on May Day Sat. May 25, 3:30 pm in Queens Park Stadium. Sign -up now. Sign up here nwmayday.com
May Day school to school rivalry!
Do you miss it? Is it time to revive it? What rivalry? Like the rivalry about which school the May Queen is from?
Last year May Queen Alessia was from Herbert Spencer Elementary.
The year before it was May Queen Manha from Queensborough Middle.
This Spencer grad was clearly glad last year to fly the Spencer banner on behalf of May Queen Alessia!
Which school will this year’s May Queen be from? Enter the May Day Draw to become the May Queen here: nwmayday.com
Peascods?
Salingers’ Rounds?
Remember these?
The names of folk dances taught in New Westminster schools for more than 100 years because of one tenacious woman, from long ago.
Although the dances and the program of which they became a central part, May Day, were both recently dropped from the school curriculum our non -profit Association formed to keep these lively dances and the special event at which they are performed, called May Day, now about to turn 154 yrs old, alive.
Your children and grandchildren can be part of this wonderful expression of ‘living culture,’ which lives on.
Yes. Thanks to hundreds of teachers over more than a 100 springs New Westminster can proudly claim world leading status with its May Day -the longest running expression of living culture of its type in BC.
May Day is, as UNESCO, the world’s leading body in education describes -‘living culture.’
What is ‘living culture?’
It’s the transition of knowledge and skills and ways of doing things passed down through the generations- in May Day’s case from 1870 when May Day first started as a small event right up to today in 2024.
Dancing is a creative act and May Day and all the young May Day dancers over all those 100 plus springs are part of a beautiful thread of ‘living culture’ now part of the global tapestry of human creativity. UNESCO, with their focus on and intention to safeguard living culture all over the world set the value standard: human creativity.
Yes! May Day is part of a great global tapestry of human creative- that you don’t want to miss. May Day is celebrated on Sat. May 25 in Queens Park Stadium at 3:30. It’s a free event.
Your children and grandchildren can dance at May Day.
Dance Lessons are FREE. Kids grades 2-6 can Sign up here : nwmayday.com
Lessons are taught at select gyms and community centres across New Westminster. Choose the time and location right for you.
And let’s not forget about the feisty immigrant woman who brought us these traditional dances. Who was she?
The ‘Mother of the May Day’ dances, Beatrice Cave-Brown-Cave, May Day dance teacher to generations of New Westminster’s children began teaching the May Day dances in 1916. She had 400 dancers that first year. Cave Brown Cave attended her last May Day at age 100 in 1983.
In 2012 Courtenay Edwardes, https://www.facebook.com/courtenay.edwardes
who first danced the May pole dances in 1987 ‘wearing a new pink dress purchased at Woodward's’ memorialized Beatrice Cave-Brown-Cave in a profile co-authored with former FW Howay Elementary New Westminster school Principal, June Harrison.
Cave Brown Cave , the young immigrant teacher, inspired a tradition that touched thousands of students across more than a century in her adopted city of New Westminster and one that continues today.
And as Courtenay Edwardes explains the wonderful memories of dancing these dances at May Day still return to her in surprising ways.
In the book Grace, Grit and Gusto, Profiles of Remarkable Royal City Women which includes Courtenay and June’s profile of the ‘Mother of the May Day Dances’ Courtenay comments,
“Not long ago I logged into my Facebook and noticed I was tagged in a photo. It was a picture of May Pole dancers at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The tagger was my [ May day] dance partner, Doug, with the caption , “Courts, even during these ceremonies, there weren’t any better Maypole dancers than we were!” Beatrice had made the transition to the era of social media.”
Excerpt from -
Mother of the May Day Dances , a profile of Beatrice Cave Brown Cave ( born 1883 - died 1987) by Courtenay Edwardes and June Harrison from the book
“Grace Grit and Gusto, Profiles of Remarkable Royal City Women”
Edited by June Harrison and Margaret Fairweather
Published by Vivalogue
2012
Join the fun - May Day fundraiser. Begbie’s Pub,Thurs.April 4.
Tix $25 includes Burger and Beer. Buy now! https://www.nwmayday.com/?product=judge-begbies-may-day-fundraiser
FREE May Day dance lessons for kids😀 in grades 2-6. Lessons begin week of April 9 and 10. Sign up now! Get 7 weekly lessons and then participate in a big performance on May Day - Sat. May 25 in Queen’s Park Stadium from 3:30pm -5:30pm.
Kids learn : folk dances (grades 2-3) and the classic May Pole heritage dances (grades 4-6).
Classes are located in select gyms and Community Centers across New Westminster.
Dance at May Day.
New Westminster May Day is 154 years old this year. 👀
Sign-up here for free dance lessons: nwmayday.com
QUICK! Before the Easter Bunny comes 🐣🐣🐣 Gr.2-6 SIGN-UP for FREE dance lessons. Starts April. Goes weekly to May 25. Performance on May Day, May 25, 3:30pm, Queens Park Stadium. Sign -up to dance free: nwmayday.com
Eavesdropping. What DO royals talk about anyway?? Listen in. This is Miss New Westminster Hyack Ambassador 2021 Makena Thomas and 151st May Queen Manha Rishard hanging out post the fun of Evening of Stars ‘23. Get tix to Original New Westminster Hyack Ambassadors Diamond Anniversary gala this April here while you can. 👇👇👇👇👇
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/75th-diamond-anniversary-gala-weekend-tickets-764949934847?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios
QUICK! Before the Easter Bunny arrives. Sign-up FREE May Day dance lessons grades 2-6. Starts April. Register: nwmayday.com
New Westminster May Day Royal Suite having fun. Grades 2-6 join to dance, join to play and possibly be QUEEN OF THE MAY!!! Register here: nwmayday.com
Who will be the next Queen of the May? 😎 Grades 5&6 enter the draw for May Queen, Royal Knights and Royal Suite. Enter here:nwmayday.com
06/07/2023
May Day is ‘living culture’ passed down from person to person. Here’s one family’s story of passing it down.
When Dawn’s eldest daughter Sophia first danced the May Pole dances in Gr.4 she fell in love with them. ❤️ Today as a Gr.7 student she is a May Day volunteer and helped teach the May Day dances she loves.
This spring Sophia oversaw a large class of students with expert care and revealed her strength as a fine dance teacher. In the process she received scholastic credit.
We are thrilled to acknowledge and thank Sophia, an exemplary volunteer, May Day dancer and now May pole dance teacher.
Meanwhile Dawn, and her youngest daughter Sasha, have also been active in May Day this year.
Dawn expressed her enthusiasm for the wonderful May Day celebration that she observed her daughters enjoying and dancing in last year by volunteering in a big way this year.
She helped launch a new May Day folk dance class (May Day has two categories of dance - folk and May Pole)at the Queensborough Community Center. The fact that she had never danced or taught these folk dances before did not stand in her way. She gamely set out to support the endeavour in whatever way she could. As it turns out Dawn’s determination was the key to a new chapter in another student’s life as a dance instructor and we’ll update you about that in another post.
With the introduction of this class the May Day Association was able to double the involvement of children in grades 2-3 in the May Day event.
Thank you Dawn for helping to ensure that the May Day dances are passed down to the next generation. We appreciate you!!!
Like Dawn and her eldest daughter Sophia, Dawn’s younger daughter Sasha shares a love of May Day. This year both of Dawn’s daughters are part of New Westminster’s history: Sophia is part of the departing 151st New Westminster May Day Royal Suite while Sasha is part of the new 152nd New Westminster May Day Royal Suite. All grades 4-6 children in New Westminster can enter the May Day Draw to play the roles of the Suite members. The draw will re-open in Spring of 2024.
The May Day Association would like to acknowledge and thank the City of New Westminster who through the inkind portion of their grant to the Association made possible the rental space used for the new folk dance class at the Queensborough Community Center. Thank you for making this new class of folk dancers possible.
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