It’s no secret that some of Cape Breton Island’s best dancers come from the culturally-rich and vibrant Acadian community of Chéticamp, located along the Cabot Trail. This is where the famous southeast winds, known as les suête, blow strong onshore, and it is the home of local youth dance troupe La Swing du Suête. Composed of dancers aged 10 to 17—all students at École NDA in Chéticamp—La Swing du Suête has been celebrating and showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the region, through traditional and contemporary step dancing, for almost 30 years. Over that time, the troupe has made quite an impact on the local dance scene, as well as the community itself, which will be evident when Les Étoiles Acadiennes take the stage. Formed just last year, this new dance troupe is comprised of La Swing du Suête alumni who aged out of the youth group but wanted to continue to dance, which they do with all the passion and precision of someone who loves what they do. The two local troupes will welcome the Celtic Touch Dancers, a Scottish traditional dance group also from Cape Breton. They perform Highland and step dance choreographies, intertwining traditional and modern steps from these two traditions, created by their director and choreographer, Sabra MacGillivray, who will also be featured. Around these parts, dancing and music go hand-in-hand so we’ve lined up some crackerjack local players to keep things moving.