Matriarchs Uprising Festival showcases Indigenous contemporary-dance excellence, February 19 to 25
Annual festival features all-women lineup with performances from Raven Spirit Dance, Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo, Louise Pōtiki Bryant, and more
Raven Spirit Dance’s Confluence.
O.Dela Arts presents the Matriarchs Uprising Festival in partnership with The Dance Centre from February 19 to 25 at the Scotiabank Dance Centre, Morrow, and online
NOOJIMO’IDIZO – SHE CURES HERSELF is the theme of this year’s Matriarchs Uprising Festival, a celebration of Indigenous women in contemporary dance.
Indigenous contemporary-dance artist Olivia C. Davies is the curator of the annual festival, which runs from February 19 to 25 at the Scotiabank Dance Centre and Morrow (the performance space run by Odd Meridian Arts, formerly known as Dumb Instrument Dance). Davies founded O.Dela Arts in 2018 and the Matriarchs Uprising Festival in 2019, and both have been evolving steadily since.
An Evening with Raven Spirit Dance launches this year’s mainstage performances on February 22 at the Scotiabank Dance Centre. The company presents Confluence, a new dance piece that embodies the resilience of Indigenous women through a somatic tapestry of histories and perspectives. The event also features contributions from Sandra Lamouche, performing her Cree language-inspired healing journey 9ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ (nehiyawewin); and Tin Gamboa, presenting the dance film KARISKIS, which is about tilling the soil for future generations.
Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo’s WHAT WE CARRY. Photo by Melika Dez
On February 23 and 24, catch a solo double-bill at Niizh Niimiwinan – Two Dances. Award-winning Montreal-based dance artist Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo, who is of Mohawk and mixed-heritage descent, showcases WHAT WE CARRY from A’nó:wara Dance Theatre, which explores the experiences—both painful and joyful—that accumulate in the mind, body, and spirit.
Alongside her, Louise Pōtiki Bryant performs Pūheke (Māori for “to flow”). The New Zealand-based dancer has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and in her solo, embarks on a personal journey of healing which incorporates Te Ao Māori-inspired mindful illustration and movement tools.
Throughout the entirety of the festival, audiences can watch five short video works online as part of the Indigi-Dance On Screen series co-curated by Samantha Sutherland and Sophie Dow. (Stir recently connected with Dow, who is of Métis-Assiniboine and settler roots, about her lineage-based dance explorations in our 2023 Fall Arts Guide).
There’s also a variety of conversations, workshops, and a creative-residency sharing to check out. For a full schedule of events, visit Matriarchs Uprising.
Louise Pōtiki Bryant’s Pūheke.
Related Articles
