A New Year message

Full Moon Solstice

“The landscape you see when looking back is startlingly different from the one you
believed you saw when the journey lay ahead. As such the story continues.”
- Alida Gersie

I am now sitting in our new office at the Scotiabank Dance Centre. I share this 7th floor view with crows and aerial gardeners. The light from the window brightens even a dreary Vancouver rainy day. And from this perch, I am afforded a bit of perspective on the present moment as well as the year past.

We began the year in Toronto, performing an excerpt of Gathering Light as a part of the Weesageechak Festival. Braving the bitterly cold tempatures, we carved ourselves deeper into the material and offered a bit of warmth and light, our little prayer for spring on the stage of Theatre Passe Muraille. The piece came into full bloom in July at Dancing on the Edge. We performed the work at the Chapel Arts Centre, and found how the nooks and crannies of this special venue supported the works’ expression.

This year also saw many gatherings. The Olympics was a huge gathering that happened on the West Coast and Raven Spirit got to participate in the Yukon Showcase performance ‘What the Land Remembers’. Over 40 Yukon First Nations performers on one stage was a powerful thing, and I was so proud to be counted among them. We also gathered for our week long pilot training program that brought together a stellar teaching team with a group of engaged and positive participants exploring both Contemporary and Traditional forms in dance, music and storytelling. In the Fall, we also gathered with emerging choreographers to participate in urban ink’s Personal Legacies workshop and from there we are continuing to develop our individual choreographic voices with the support of the collective group. We will be sharing our discoveries in early 2011 and working together to further develop our community of artists in Vancouver.

So we can add another full length work to our roster and many new friends who have joined our circle. It has been a good year. And I am so thankful for all the contributed to it.

Blessing for the New Year.
Michelle Olson
Artistic Director, Raven Spirit Dance

Raven Spirit 2010

It’s hardly the New Year anymore but I think you can say it until the end of January, so, Happy New Year!  We are in full swing for 2010 and we have some opportunities for you to come out and see our work.

Raven Spirit is located in the host city of the 2010 Winter Olympics and we will participating with the Yukon First Nations and performing as part of the Cultural Olympiad at the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) on February 21 from 9am to 5pm.  We will be presenting a short excerpt from our production, Songs of Shär Cho.  You can find out more information about the YFN by visiting the YFN website.

Cherith Mark, our Associate Artistic Director, is participating in the Olympic Torch Relay as part of her community.  She will be participating on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 and you can follow her online here.  Good luck Cherith!!

Gathering Light will be presented at Weesageechak Begins To Dance festival in Toronto on January 27.  This performance will be the last opportunity to see the work before it’s premiere at the Dancing on the Edge Festival here in Vancouver.