This Friday, Raven Spirit Dance returns to the Maury Young Arts Centre to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
"Braiding the Land" is a program that, like all of Raven Spirit's offerings, is full of Indigenous heritage. A press release describes the show as one that "explores the deep connections between ancestral landscapes and the human body, featuring works that evoke the healing in dance, the stillness of a winter boreal forest, and the flow of a rushing river."
Starr Muranko, Michelle Olson and Jeanette Kotowich choreographed the repertoire, while a bevy of talented artists is on hand to bring its three unique acts to life.
The first is called "Frost Exploding Trees Moon" and depicts one woman's solitary journey as she finds a place to set up camp in the wild, builds her temporary abode and settles into her new environment.
"Michelle created this piece as a connection to her First Nation, which is the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in up in the Yukon," Muranko reveals. "She spent time there speaking with her elders about this idea of: how do the grandmothers in her community move when they go out onto the land if they're going to be gathering or preparing a camp? She watched how they moved and how they didn't impose themselves on the land. It was like they moved with the land."
Next up is a piece titled "Steppin'," conceived by Kotowich with sound design by Wayne Lavallee and guest Métis fiddler JJ Lavallee in a starring role. In contrast to the rest of the program's more sombre elements, it is an energetic, contemporary Métis jig solo that has been showcased more than 50 times before.
Muranko describes "Steppin'" as a fast-paced, upbeat offering that beautifully bridges past and present elements of Métis culture while getting audiences to clap and shuffle their feet in a "celebration of the joy of movement." She recognizes Kotowich for being a longtime collaborator of Raven Spirit with credentials both domestically and abroad.
Last but not least, "Confluence" is a five-dancer segment that, like "Steppin'," has been performed numerous times before. It foregrounds and delves into the resilience of Indigenous women by incorporating a variety of perspectives and histories.
"We got the image from the idea of two rivers coming together, and this idea of [there being] different ways of expressing ourselves as Indigenous women … different ways that we support each other, hold each other in community," says Muranko. "A lot of our personal stories are reflected in the movement, too, over many years, and I think that some of the images people will see will be connected to women: community, prayer, hope and images of birds."
'Wonderful, warm audiences'
The members of Raven Spirit are excited to return to Whistler, having previously put on a show called "Spine of the Mother" in town.
"Whistler always has really wonderful, warm audiences," Muranko remarks. "We've always felt that, and I have a personal connection: my family lives up in Pemberton, too. We're excited to be in Whistler and we're also going to be doing some cultural work in exchange with the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre. Even though [Michelle and I] have lived in Vancouver for most of our lives, it's really important that we have those connections and conversations with the Squamish, Lil'wat and Tsleil-Waututh people.
"It's the most important thing for us to make sure that everywhere that we're going, we first have that connection with the local First Nations because they're the stewards of that land. For everybody in Whistler … how beautiful that you have the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre. It's so alive, it's so active. It's a real place of pride for Whistler, and people from all over the world come there."
For those who aren't familiar with Raven Spirit: it is a company run entirely by Indigenous female dancers and choreographers. In each show, they hope to represent the various parts of a woman's life whilst honouring multiple generations from elders to youngsters. Olson and Muranko, as co-artistic directors, are rooted in their respective Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and Omushkegowuk Cree (Moose Cree) backgrounds as they share Canadian First Nations culture with viewers around the globe.
"Braiding the Land" is scheduled for June 13 at 8 p.m. Visit showpass.com/arts-whistler-live-presents-raven-spirit-dance for tickets and more information.
