This season, we were thrilled to double the capacity of our Emerging Artist in Residence program, supporting two residency projects:
Eskasoni First Nation dance artist Sarah Prosper spent the summer exploring Mi’kmaw hieroglyphs & petroglyphs in relation to movement, history, and storytelling, mixing these worlds of language and symbols to create new understandings of intergenerational healing and growth. She spent the first month of her residency attending the Intercultural Indigenous Choreographers Creation Lab at the Banff Centre. After returning home, Sarah performed in powwows, dancing traditional kojua, fancy and jingle, as well as performing in concerts and workshops throughout Mi'kmaq territory. Her summer research culminated with a small open house where she shared her explorations and discoveries, and the questions that continue to inspire her.
Click to read more about Sarah's residency.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Prosper
Local street dance artists Carolin Mateus and Gabrielle Greener undertook a shared residency project. Guided by the values and philosophies of Hip Hop culture, they held auditions for a free intensive summer training program, and welcomed artists from a wide range of styles including contemporary, jazz, heels, waacking, popping, house, Kpop, and Hip Hop. They also had an opportunity to travel, meeting and sharing dance with Hip Hop artists from across Canada at the Unity Fest in Toronto. After a jam-packed weekend of dance, they came back to their training crew with renewed inspiration, choreographing a new work called Somos Uno (We Are One). Partnering with DevelopNS, they performed the piece at the Halifax Waterfront to an exuberant audience of over 400 people!
Click here to read more about Carolin and Gabrielle's residency.
Photo by I'thandi Munro