Native Earth invites audiences to explore the nuances of Indigenous identity stories with two dance pieces presented in a single evening during the Niimi’iwe Dance Double Bill, highlighting the importance of self-expression in dance.
Spine of the Mother by Raven Spirit Dance
Choreography by Starr Muranko
Performed by Tasha-Faye Evans and Marisa Gold
Tracing the inner terrain of our bodies as women through breath, impulse and memory unlocks kinetic energy creating ritual, which spans the spine of the mountain range we have shared for millennia. The metaphor of the “Spine of Mother Earth” is a name given by Indigenous Elders in South America to the Andean mountain range that spans from the base in Argentina, through the Americas and ends at the tip of Alaska. Our bodies become the landscape like the mountain ranges that connect the North and South (the Eagle and the Condor) and through this we find our kinetic connection to others that transmits impulse, breath and spirit.
Conversations by Vanguardia Dance Projects and Aanmitaagzi
Director and choreographer: Olga Barrios
Starting from the investigation of “body and territory” by the Colombian-Canadian choreographer Olga Barrios, this work seeks a conversation between women through the Americas, seeking a South-North echo. It is a dialogue of bodies extended in various latitudes of the Americas. Barrios’ research/creation explores the traces of Indigenous heritage that have been erased in her personal journey, as has happened with many people in various places in America and the planet. This work is based on the woman of many colours that she experiences in herself and with the many other voices in the world that seek connection with ideas of traces erased from history.
