From Aanmitaagzi: “The final production involved eight weeks of development, creation and rehearsal in preparation for the premiere of Dances of Resistance. The premiere of Dances of Resistance, a full-length 1-hour community engaged dance theatre production with multi arts components, was a multi-site journey of resurgence and resistance. The production was a culmination of all the stories, choreography, music, textile art, and giant puppets made with community over the past three years.
The final production involved Integrated Opposition, curated by Clayton Windatt with intallations by Philip Cote, Rebekka Tabobondung, Kenneth “Jake” Chakasim, Jules Koostachin, Ange Loft.
Dances of Resistance, a three-year intergenerational community engaged arts project, has been a watershed project for our company, community, and the broader arts milieu. The project has had many layered and intersecting components: community engaged workshops, youth training & mentorship components, capacity building, professional development and cultural reclamation initiatives as well as presentations at numerous special events & festivals. The three main performative components included a 30 minute performance on the ice of lake Nipissing at Ice Follies 2014, a 45 minute performance at North Bay’s Capitol Centre with the final production on Nipissing First Nation. Over the past three years, the project has engaged over 25 professional artists, 10 youth interns, 8 arts organizational partners, 500 participants, and 2,000 audience members. The themes were drawn from a number of sources of inspiration and reflect an ongoing dialogue between artists, community and broader national movements.”
Posted with permission from Sid Bobb, Aanmitaagzi
Read Aanmitaagzi’s profile on ArtBridges’ Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map
