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Arts Briefs

Squamish Nation totem pole coming to cultural centre

The Squamish Nation recently had a small part of their heritage returned to them, in the form of a forgotten totem pole.

The totem pole is about 70 years old and was created by Chief Mathias Joe, a hereditary Squamish chief who died in 1967. The 6.4-metre red cedar pole was discovered - still standing but completely hidden by brush and trees - on a British Properties lot that was sold to new owners about 18 months ago. The pole has since been donated back to the Squamish Nation.

It has been sent to the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre (SLCC), where it will be partially restored by Chief Mathias Joe's grandchildren and used as an exhibition piece and aid for carvers in training. This will be the oldest totem in the SLCC's collection.

Allison Burns - also known by her ancestral name, Cheximiya - is a member of the Squamish Nation and ambassador at the SLCC. She said that the returned totem pole is significant because it "shows that all our traditional land markings and aboriginal presence is not completely lost in our traditional territory due to colonization."

It will also help today's artists "pay homage to the ones that passed, and take the old techniques and bring them forward to the present art pieces that are created so they are not lost or forgotten," she added.

Only minimal restoration work will be done on the original piece, due to its age and weathered state. But the SLCC plans to make a replica of the piece.

The totem pole, which features the design of a bear and thunderbird, will be put on display in November as part of the centre's Cultural Journey exhibition. A formal blessing ceremony will be held early next year.

"Since the pole has been 'sleeping' for such a long time the blessing ceremony will awaken the spirit within," Burns explained.

 

Feel the rhythms of Cuba

 

Aspiring dancers and fans of the hit TV show, So You Think You Can Dance Canada, will be making a beeline to The Core on Friday afternoon, as the fitness centre plays host to another round of Areito dance workshops led by Arassay Reyes, one of the finalists from the first season of the popular show.

Reyes grew up in Cuba and studied dance at the Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana, training in Latin, contemporary, traditional African and Afro-Cuban styles. After graduation, she won a position with the dance company Compania Contemporanea Nacional de Cuba, and went on to perform throughout the country until moving to Canada in 2007. After just three months here, Reyes won a spot on the first season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, ultimately landing in the top-eight of the competition and joining the show's top-10 tour across Canada. She is currently teaching and performing in schools and dance studios throughout Vancouver, but will be making the trip to Whistler on Friday, Oct. 29 to lead a series of workshops that include reggaeton, salsa Cuban styling and Cuban rueda de casino.

From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Reyes will teach a class on reggaeton, a popular form of urban dance that originated in Puerto Rico in 1990s. Afterwards, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Reyes will lead a Cuban salsa class, which will focus on incorporating individual flavours, musicality and styles into Cuban salsa, creating more fluent and sexy moves. Finally, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Reyes will lead a class on Cuban rueda de casino, which will see participants dancing with a partner in a circle, learning dance movies as they're called out by the lead.

The cost to participate in each of the workshops is $18 for Core members and $20 for non-members, or $40 for members to attend all three, and $50 for non-members. For more information on the workshops, e-mail areitodance@gmail.com or phone 604-966-7229.

 

Celebrate the arts with Whistler legends

 

Whistler Arts Council (WAC) is hosting its major annual fundraiser, dubbed Our Whistler: Celebrating Our Stories 2010, at their new home in Millennium Place on Saturday, Nov. 6 starting at 6:30 p.m.

This year, which marks WAC's 28th anniversary and the celebration of our Olympic experience promises to be a lively evening of storytelling, tapas-style fare, cocktails, artwork and entertainment. As well, silent and live auctions will offer a range of items and experiences up for grabs.

To top it all off, the evening features a VIP roster of athletes and guests, including Steve Podborski, a member of the Crazy Canucks; Julia Murray, member of Canada's Olympic ski cross team and daughter of Canadian skiing legends Dave Murray and Stephanie Sloan, a three-time World Champion Freestyle skier, ski instructor, Director of Women on the Edge Ski Program and successful local real estate agent; Andree Janyk, devoted community member, ski instructor, volunteer and parent of two Olympians; John Benbow, dedicated Whistler Weasel Worker; and Chelsea Walker, Executive Director of the Whistler Adaptive Sport Program.

"Please join me and the Whistler Arts Council Board of Directors for an intimate reception of great food and storytelling by local celebrities and athletes," Joan Pitman, Chair of the Whistler Arts Council's Board of Directors, said in a recent release. "This evening offers an exclusive opportunity to hear first hand the stories of the Olympic experience."

The Community Foundation of Whistler (CFOW) will also be presenting the Citizen of the Year Award at the fundraiser.

Tickets are $100 per person, with all proceeds going towards WAC's programs and events. They are available at www.artswhistler.com, 604-935-8410 or in person at Millennium Place.