THEATRE PREVIEW

SEPTEMBER 2024 | Volume 243

 

A newly choreographed multi-media Indigenous dance work, celebrating the legacy of the late Elder Margaret Harris.

The Cultch is thrilled to announce the world premiere of Dancers of Damelahmid's Raven Mother, at the Historic Theatre October 9-12, 2024.

Raven Mother is the Dancers of Damelahamid's newly choreographed dance work in honour of late Elder Margaret Harris (1931 – 2020). It illustrates the vast impact Elder Harris had on the revitalization of Indigenous dance along the Northwest Coast, and the integral role of women in holding cultural knowledge. It celebrates our mothers who created the stronghold of these art forms and influenced the next generation of women. Raven Mother illuminates the profound leadership of our mothers, their essential contribution in this resurgence, and the force and transformation of this awakening.

Raven Mother is the Dancers of Damelahamid's most ambitious production and will be the culmination of generations of artistic and cultural work. With Raven Mother, movement, song, regalia, sculpture, and design, are interwoven with the embodied narrative. The Raven crest, manifested in multiple forms, embodies transformation, the strengthening of culture, the unveiling of a new spirit, and breathing life into a promise made to the children of generations to come.

Raven Mother speaks to our current realities, drawing from a rich lineage of teachings and insights. Innovation is conditional upon revealing the truths of today to pursue cultural endurance and intergenerational sustenance. Raven Mother is a tangible remembrance of a woman's spirit, marking the shift between generations that has sparked a new role for our daughters as the force to hold their grandmother's vision.

Late Elder Margaret Harris was a respected Cree Elder from Northern Manitoba. She spent a large part of her life on the Northwest Coast of BC with her husband Chief Kenneth Harris (1928-2010) and trained under Gitxsan Matriarch Irene Harris (1888-1972). She dedicated her life to the revitalization and teaching of Indigenous cultural practices, including song, dance, stories, and regalia making. Together, Elder Margaret Harris and Chief Harris founded the Dancers of Damelahamid in 1967.

Created and Produced by Dancers of Damelahamid
Artistic Director and Choreographer: Margaret Grenier
Set Designer and Artwork: Andrew Grenier
Regalia Designer and Creator: Rebecca Baker-Grenier
Song Composer and Vocalist: Raven Grenier
Collaborating Composer: Ted Hamilton
Lighting Designer: Jeff Harrison
Projection Designer: Andy Moro
Collaborating Director: Charles Koroneho
Northwest Coast Artists: David A. Boxley, David R. Boxley, Jim Charlie, Raven Grenier, Kandi McGilton, Dylan Sanidad
Elders: Betsy Lomax, Lawrence Trottier
Performers:  Margaret Grenier, Rebecca Baker-Grenier, Raven Grenier, Nigel Baker-Grenier, Renée Harris
Production/Stage Manager: Andy Grenier
Technical Director: Jeff Harrison 

WHEN: OCT 9–12, 2024
WED, OCT 9: 7:30 PM—OPENING NIGHT
THURS, OCT 10: 7:30 PM—TALKBACK
FRI, OCT 11: 7:30 PM
SAT, OCT 12: 7:30 PM

WHERE: Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables St., Vancouver, BC

TICKETS: Tickets from $29. Single tickets on sale now through The Cultch's Box Office: 604-251-1363 or thecultch.com/event/raven-mother 

Complimentary tickets are available for Indigenous patrons thanks to the support of the Ronald S. Roadbug Foundation. Contact outreach@thecultch.com for more details and to book tickets through The Cultch's Indigenous Ticket Program.

ABOUT DANCERS OF DAMELAHAMID:
The Dancers of Damelahamid is an Indigenous dance company from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia with a rich history of masked dance that inspires a compelling performance. Through dramatic dance, captivating narrative, intricately carved masks, and elaborate regalia, the Dancers of Damelahamid transform time and space and bridge the customary with a living practice.

ABOUT THE CULTCH:
Since 1973, The Cultch (formally the Vancouver East Cultural Centre) has been one of Vancouver's most diverse and innovative arts and cultural hubs. The organization operates three theatrical venues, a gallery, various ancillary spaces in the heart of East Vancouver, as well as digital programming through The Cultch Online that reaches international audiences. The Cultch offers dynamic contemporary programming in theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts, bringing world-class cultural presentations to thousands of citizens each year through its own programming and through providing rental opportunities for community users. Our purpose is to provide a venue for performance that serves a diverse and engaged public and provides space for artistic experimentation and development, building an audience for local companies and presenting cutting-edge national and international work.

The Cultch is located on the unceded Indigenous land of the xwməϴkwəýəm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil‑Waututh) Nations.

 

 

 

 

 

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