Training

Overview

Raven Spirit’s training and mentorship activities are formulated with the intent of providing artists the opportunity to make work in the creative field, as cultural workers fully invested in communicating, creating, performing and disseminating work as broadly as possible. The intent is to develop training opportunities for the emerging Indigenous community of artists, address break between the professional realm and training programs, foster the creation of critical skills, and ultimately work towards a stronger community and better developed pool of performers.

SUMMER DANCE INTENSIVE 2010

Movement / Voice / Story
Sunday August 29 to Friday September 3, 2010
The Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street, Vancouver BC, V6B 2G

A program to develop performance and creation skills combining both traditional and contemporary Indigenous perspectives. This program will integrate cultural and contemporary practice with classes in movement, voice & storytelling. Open to all performers and interested community members.

CLASSES:

-Contemporary Dance
Beginner class: Tues/ Thurs (Aug 31/ Sept 2) 3:30pm to 5pm
Intermediate class: M/W/F (Aug 30/ Sept 1/ Sept 3) 9am to 10:30am

- Hatha Yoga: Tues/Thurs (Aug 31/ Sept 2) 9am to 10:30am

- Raven Spirit Dance Repertoire: M/W (Aug 30/ Sept 1) 10:30am to 12pm

- Pow Wow Dance: Tues/ Thurs (Aug 31/ Sept 2) 10:30am to 12pm

- Métis Dance: F (Sept 3) 10:30am to 12pm

- Traditional West Coast Dance: M/W (Aug 30/ Sept 1) 1pm to 3pm

- Hip Hop Song Writing: W (Sept 1) 3pm to 5pm

- Voice & Song: Tues/ Thurs (Aug 31/ Sept 2) 1pm to 3pm

- Body Storytelling: F (Sept 3) 1pm to 4pm

- Aboriginal Dance Perspectives & Story: M (Aug 30) 3pm to 5pm FREE EVENT

- Motions Workshop: Sun (Aug 29) 10am to 12pm

Contemporary Dance
This class is a somatic approach to contemporary dance. Participants will hone their skills in moving through space with expressivity, challenging the edges of their physicality and sourcing from their inner life.

Instructor: Michelle Olson, Artistic Director/ Raven Spirit Dance, Beginner class
Michelle Olson is a member of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation and the Artistic Director of Raven Spirit Dance. Her work as a performer and creator embraces the arenas of dance, choreography, theatre, storytelling and community development. She received a Bachelor of University Studies at the University of New Mexico and continued her dance training at the Aboriginal Arts Program at the Banff Centre. She was an Ensemble Member of Full Circle First Nations Performance.

Instructor: Julia Carr, Intermediate class
A graduate of Arts Umbrella and the Ballet BC Mentor Program, Julia Carr also holds B.Sc. Biology from Acadia University, and MA in dance performance from Limerick University in Ireland. Former assistant to the Director of MainDance in Vancouver (2005-2007), she is currently Assistant Artistic Director of Dancestreams, a pre-professional youth dance company based in Parksville, BC.
Meanwhile, she continues to pursue her dance career in Vancouver and has performed in the works of Kathleen McDonagh, Peter Bingham, Caroline Liffmann, Sara Coffin and others. Her own choreography has been presented in 12-Minutes Max, Co-Opted, Bloom, Launch Pad, Inter-tidal Arts Festival, and by Dancestreams. Julia recently completed an apprenticeship with EDAM Dance for their 2007/2008 season, and is presently working with Raven Spirit Dance and Aeriosa.

Hatha Yoga (mixed levels)
Hatha Yoga focuses on proper alignment, holding poses and synchronizing the breath with movement. This practice builds strength, flexibility and concentration. The class offers unique sequencing that includes standing, balancing, seated and inverted postures. Students are encouraged to find unique expression in their asana and explore the depths of their practice.

Instructor: Kerriann Cardinal
Since discovering yoga in 2000, Kerriann has experienced its’ transformational power in life both on and off the mat. She believes this practice cultivates consciousness in all aspects of life so that we can live every day with and open body, mind and heart. Kerriann’s classes combine attention to alignment, breath and a sense of play. She encourages her students to move safely, deeply and to listen to their body, the teacher within. It is an honor to share this practice of self-discovery and exploration with others.

Raven Spirit Dance Repertoire
This class will explore the movement and process of Raven Spirit Dance repertoire.

Instructor: Michelle Olson, Artistic Director/ Raven Spirit Dance

Pow Wow Dance
This class will be an introduction to the different styles of powwow dance and introduce the basic steps of traditional, jingle and fancy. The focus of this class will place emphasis on the women styles in powwow dance as well men styles will also be incorporated. The class will begin with a yoga stretch and go into the basic step to lay the foundations of the dances and touch on the history of the dances themselves. Bring your moccasins or dance shoes for this class.

Instructors: Shyama-Priya Singh & Nyla Carpentier
Fancy Dancing has been a passion for Shyama-Priya that she has been sharing for over 10 years. Her mother is part Icelandic, Cree and Celtic and her father was from Bihar India. She has performed at various events through out the lower mainland and has also traveled to show case fancy dancing. A part from performing she has been teaching Pow Wow dance within her community to all ages. Shyama-Priya completed two years of acting training with Margo Kane’s Full Circle Ensemble Training Program. One of her recent works was being one of 16 dancers from across Canada to dance in the 2010 Opening Ceremonies.

Nyla Carpentier was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and is of the Tahltan Nation. She is also of French and Scottish decent. Since the age of three, Nyla has been involved with the performing arts through dance as a native powwow dancer. Currently she lives in Vancouver, BC and has completed her artistic training with Full Circle: First Nations Performance Training Ensemble. Theatre and Dance have become the two main focuses in Nyla’s life. Her goals are to blend both her passions of dance and theatre as well as pursue a multifaceted career in the arts.

Métis Dance
The class will focus on Métis dances including the Red River Jig, Métis Square dance and other traditional Métis dances.

Instructor: Yvonne Chartrand, Artistic Director/ Compaigni V’ni Dansi
Yvonne Chartrand is a contemporary choreographer, dancer, and instructor as well as a national award winning master Traditional Canadian Red River Jigging Champion. Her ancestors come from the Métis community of St. Laurent, Manitoba. Yvonne is the Artistic Director of Compaigni V’ni Dansi (created in 2000), whose name translates as “Come and Dance” in Mitchif from the Red River area. Yvonne’s most recent work is a contemporary dance solo production called Stories from St. Laurent inspired by stories gathered from six Elders in St. Laurent and recently toured to Saskatchewan.

Traditional West Coast Dance
This class will focus on the creative process of traditional songs by sharing Ancestral songs and dances from the Squamish peoples and will explore how to compliment a song with dance. The disciplines of protocols will be conducted as well as traditions, teachings and rules of the Squamish Sea Going Canoes and Longhouse. The culture of the Squamish peoples include a 10,000 year old history both mythological and real, of family names, geological name places from which we receive our ancient legends, origin stories and teachings.

Instructor: Robert Baker, S’pak’wus Slúlum Eagle Song Dancers, Squamish Nation
Robert Bakers’ ancestral name is S7apluk and is the leader and co-founder of “S’pak’wus Slúlum” Eagle Song Dancers since 1994 and has been involved in his culture all his life. Born in 1946 and raised on the Squamish Nation, Bob has been singing and dancing his peoples’ stories for over 27 years. He is known for his work at the Híwus Feast house & the Cultural Centre on Grouse Mountain, as well as his international collaborations with performing artists in Canada, Japan, Taiwan, and Switzerland.

Hip Hop Song Writing
This class gives an introduction to hip hop song structure, rap styles and counting bars. Participants will engage in free writing and songwriting and share their work with the group.

Instructor: Carrielynn Victor, “Rapsure Risin”
Carrielynn Victor is a singer, a songwriter and a performance artist; she brings soulful vocals in her blues music, as well as more potent harder hitting sounds in her hip-hop. With her partnership in Rapure Risin and as a solo artist, Carrielynn has performed over 400 live shows across Canada and beyond, including two voyages on the globe traveling passenger ship the PeaceBoat (NGO/NPO), and the 2006 Aboriginal Achievement Awards. We can look forward to new solo music by Carrielynn that explores her passion for living, and demonstrates her unique style.

Voice & Song
The class will explore singing from Salish perspectives of music. The focus will be given to breath, articulation of vocables and how it all relates to the philosophy and worldview of the Salish peoples.

Instructor: Russell Wallace, Lil’wat Nation
Russell Wallace is a composer, producer and is a traditional Lil’wat singer from the Lil’wat Nation. Wallace’s music has been part of a number of soundtracks (film, video, television) and theatre/ dance productions. He was the composer in residence for the Chinook Winds Aboriginal Dance program from1996-2003 at the Banff Centre for the Arts. He has produced CD’s that have been nominated for awards at the Juno’s, Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, and at the Native American Music Awards in the USA. Currently Wallace works and teaches at the Native Education College.

Body Storytelling
This class will explore how words and images are interwoven into our moving bodies. From movement explorations we will cull images and text that could spark new directions in creating dance and written work. This class is also an offering of self-reflection in movement and words. Dancers, choreographers and writers are encourages to participate.

Instructor: Geraldine Manossa, Bigstone Cree Nation
Geraldine Manossa is a member of the Bigstone Cree Nation in Northern Alberta. She completed a Master of Arts degree from the University of Lethbridge, with a specialization in Cree Indigenous knowledge and performance. She has been writing about Indigenous performance processes and showcasing her work at various festivals across Canada including, Shared Habitat Festival (Toronto), Stream of New Dance Festival (Saskatchewan), Talking Stick Festival (Vancouver) and Dance Explosions (Calgary). Currently, she teaches Indigenous performance, storytelling methods and traditional expressions at the En’owkin Centre in Penticton, BC, a private post secondary institute dedicated to the preservation of Indigenous arts, culture and ecological initiatives. Her latest dance work is titled, Cipiyak Kanimihitotow and is inspired and based on the literary works of Cree poet Louise Halfe

Aboriginal Dance Perspectives & Story
An opportunity to discuss different aspects of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal dance forms from both North & South America and how the elements of ritual, ceremony & worldview play an integral part of the creative process. FREE EVENT

Facilitator: Starr Muranko, Associate Artistic Director/ Raven Spirit Dance
Starr Muranko is a traditional & contemporary dancer/choreographer who has trained and performed throughout the Lower Mainland, San Francisco and as far away as New Zealand and the Andes of Peru. She holds a BFA in Dance from SFU’s School for the Performing Arts and has trained internationally at the Performing Arts School in Ghana, West Africa and the American Conservatory of Theatre in San Francisco. Starr is committed to supporting Indigenous people and the living expression of their cultures through dance, music and story telling and honors her mixed heritage of Métis, Cree and German in all of her work.

Motions Workshop
Floyd Favel will be conducting a workshop based on Grotowski work. The exercises are designed to create a balance and alignment in the body and to connect to the ‘performer presence’. Presence on stage means a total human presence and an awareness of the stage and environment. The exercises are designed to facilitate that presence.

Instructor: Floyd Favel
Floyd Favel is a theatre and dance director, journalist, playwright and essayist. He has traveled extensively on his theatre researches and studied in Denmark at the Tukak Theater and in Italy with Jerzy Grotowski. He has presented or been produced at The National Museum of the American Indian, The Denver Art Museum, The Globe Theatre, The National Arts Centre

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

- All applicants must be 18 years of age or older

- Weekly rates and drop-ins available (arrive 15 minutes prior to start of class)

- Registration form must be completed (see insert)

REGISTRATION & FEES (HST included in prices)

Early Bird registration before August 1st, 2010
Regular registration after August 1st, 2010

Dance Training:
Full Week (August 29 to September 3) – $195 (EB) / $250 (REG)

Individual classes:
1.5 hr – $10 (EB) / $12 (REG)
2 hr – $12 HST (EB) / $14 (REG)

Drop In class:
1.5 hr – $14
2 hr – $16

Motions Workshop:
August 29 – $16

PAYMENT
Cheque – payable to Raven Spirit Dance Society
Money Order
Visa
Master Card

Mail completed form & payment to:
Raven Spirit Dance Society
677 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC, V6B 2G6
Phone: 604-828-3502
Fax: 604-606-6401

To register or require more information please contact Cherith Mark at:
Phone: 604-828-3502
Email: cherith@ravenspiritdance.com

Click
HERE for class schedule