By Becky Hagan-Egyir
Centennial Square on a Wednesday evening: the sun hangs low in the sky and a cooling shadow covers part of the cement court. People are lounging in candy red chairs or laughing and playing games like table tennis or basketball on one side. Opposite of them, next to an oversized black and white chessboard with gigantic pawns resting on it, a young man declares “checkmate” as young females crowd around him, wondering what his opponent’s next move will be. Life continues this way for a while until suddenly, someone new enters the scene.
With a white lightsaber swinging skillfully in her one hand, Janine Waddell Hodder walks forward into the courtyard. A few people turn to gaze at her, clearly wondering: what’s going on? Slowly, a small crowd grows around Janine — they’re both devoted students along with new and curious ones who can sense that like Han Solo, Princess Leia, or Obi-Wan Kenobi that “the force is strong with this one”.
Janine is an Edmonton based fight and dance choreographer and actress who has trained with the best. She smiles as she says, “I actually took lightsaber training in Chicago at a professional stage combat conference…and I had a lot of fun!” At the conference Janine learnt many different styles of stage fighting, but she turned to lightsabers when she needed “a break from the intensity of the medieval warfare”. Now, every Wednesday night at 7pm, she shares her skills with all kinds of people, young and old, for a fun and entertaining work-out — which has even made for a few great date nights according to Janine!
Since the summer of 2013, these lessons have become popular as students come out no matter if there’s rain or shine. “[The lessons are] usually in Churchill. We’re here [in Centennial Square] when there’s festivals there. Our lowest class is when it’s pouring rain and we’re above Tix on the Square, we’ll have about 12 or 20. But we’ll get up to 50-55 people, so it does get quite large!” Janine remembers about her past lessons.
Next Wednesday, it’s your turn now to live out your fantasy of becoming the next great jedi! Or even just to try something new, to cross off of your bucket list. And with the exception of the toy lightsaber which you’ll have to purchase from a department store like Walmart if you don’t already own one, it won’t cost you a single dime to learn! (Makeshift lightsabers—like pool noodles—can be used, too).
