***ALL ARE INVITED TO AN OPEN REHEARSAL OF A Story Before Time ***
KDT will soon begin preparing to take its award nominated work for young audiences, the fabulous A Story Before Time, to Hartwick College and the International Performing Arts for Youth conference. We are inviting all members of the public to attend an OPEN REHEARSAL of A Story Before Time at Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre .
The open rehearsal will begin at 7pm on Friday January 15th, 2010 and take place in Studio C. For those who are not familiar with CCDT’s layout, one of our staff will meet you in the lobby at 7pm and lead you to the studio. This session will last approximately 1 hour and you will have the opportunity to speak with Santee Smith, Choreographer and Artistic Director and participating dancers.
This BEHIND THE CURTAIN event is PWYC (Pay What You Can) – all contributions are considered donations that support the ongoing work of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. Come out and have a look at how one of our most popular dance/theatre productions comes together!
KDT was in attendance at Planet IndigenUS‘s Opening Spectacles in more ways than one. I attended a reception and then sat on the lawn to catch excerpts of KDT’s Kaha:wi (simultaneously being performed at Dusk Dances’ new venue around Jane/Finch), as well as brief but interesting performances by Australia’s Doonooch Dance Company (they were amazing…) and Gaetan Gingras. Check out the photo gallery. Click on the photos once to open in a new screen, and one more time to get the large version. Enjoy!
I’m reposting this article about Six Nations/Brantford area events as part of Planet Indigenous.
Local events in orbit of Planet IndigenUs
Posted By SAL BOMMARITO, Expositor Staff
Posted 1 day ago: The Brantford Expositor
When Planet IndigenUs artistic director Janis Monture began working on the multi-disciplinary, international aboriginal arts festival a year ago, she had a specific goal in mind: to increase the contributions of local artists.
With just a few days to go until the opening ceremony, which has been choreographed by Six Nations dance artist and director Santee Smith, it’s safe to say that the Woodland Cultural Centre’s executive director has accomplished her goal.
“When I was asked to be part of it, we wanted to make sure there was more of a presence this time. We were involved the last time in 2004. But, when it was brought forth this time around, they asked me to take a leave of absence.”
Rosa and Beany John are teaching Pow-wow styles at KDT’s Summer Aboriginal Dance Training Intensive. I sat in on the class yesterday and took a couple of shots. Wish I could join in but someone’s got to take the photos! Their class is so excellent, however, and I think everyone enjoyed it. The stuff they’re teaching you would never learn any where else.
There’s still space in Week 2 of the Summer Intensive and next week Rosa and Beany will be teaching Hoop Dancing. Contact us if you want to join!
If you’ve seen the show then you’re probably excited about this…but not as much as we are! Audiences (and even the dancers) told us they LOVED the original music for A Story Before Time so we’ve finally been able to dedicate some time towards organizing its release. This marks a new step for the company, too, into the murky waters of the recording industry.
Wish I had a sample track to post but alas, it has already left the building.
Expect a more official annoucement by May 30, 2009.
This photo is Ca. 1890 – 1900 albumen plate of Ainu peoples. Ainu are one of Japan’s Indigenous peoples. Courtesy of Flickr photographer Okinawa Soba.
So, everything is confirmed and we are sorting out final details– visas, flights, etc.
The Yokohama Arts Foundation has invited KDT to workshop and remount Kaha:wi in October 2009. KDT will be workshopping with the Ainu Rebels, an up and coming group of dancers and singers with a hiphop flavour led by Mina Sakai, an Ainu Indigenous Rights activist and multitalented artist. Santee and selected dancers will also spend some time in the Ainu homeland of northern Japan, Hokkaido, researching and exploring. Expect to hear more about this exciting collaboration, in part funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. The first project is called “Dances of the Land”. Note that these links are in Japanese!
Check out the Ainu Rebels on youtube.
Awesome news: We’ve confirmed another two guest teachers for this summer’s Aboriginal Dance Summer Intensive Training Program.
Rosa John is of the Taino Nation and she her husband Melvin from the Kehewin Cree Nation are the founders of the Kehewin Native Dance Theatre. She has been using performance as a teaching tool for Native culture and history since 1981. With their four children and two grandchildren they have toured throughout Canada and internationally to the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, Switzerland, France and Italy.
She has trained thousands of Native youth in Canada and the U.S. in theatre, music and dance to provide a venue for Native youth to express themselves.
The foundation of her work is to keep providing Native youth with a positive alternative to negative lifestyles through training in the arts. She does this by using traditional forms such as storytelling, dance and mask to educate and entertain Native and non-Native audiences.
Dancers Sol (R) and Aukai (L) from the Halau I Ka Wekiu
Exciting news…we have confirmed one of our Aboriginal guest artists. The HÄLAU I KA WËKIU will be giving a workshop on the hula on Sunday August 23th 2009. Perhaps you didn’t know that the hula is an Aboriginal dance. This workshop will dispel any notions you hold about the hula being something that women with coconut tops do when the plane lands in Hawaii.
Some versions of the origins of the hula, according to Wikipedia:
There are various legends surrounding the origins of hula.
According to one Hawaiian legend Laka, goddess of the hula, gave birth to the dance on the island of Molokaʻi, at a sacred place in Kaʻana. After Laka died, her remains were hidden beneath the hill Puʻu Nana.
If you’re a teacher interested in exposing your students to the performing arts, think about attending this forum. We’re performing A Story Before Time.
About the Forum
Think Creatively!
The fourth Arts Education Forum will assemble and demonstrate how regional educators, professional artists and community presenters can work together to increase children’s opportunities to learn from and experience performing arts in both schools and performing arts venues.
Participate Actively!
Through performance, participatory workshops, interactive panel discussions and in-depth group meetings, delegates will build partnerships and create new and exciting networks to develop and ensure more performing arts opportunities for children and youth in your region.
Experience Passionately!
Start the day with a Performance of A Story Before Time by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. This captivating Aboriginal dance company was founded by Santee Smith and creates, produces and presents original dance works that draw inspiration from contemporary and Aboriginal dance. This exciting performance will be shared with a student audience and is the springboard for discussion throughout the day.
