Aboriginal Dance Opera blends spiritual and cultural influences

Sleeping Buffalo Mountain [Banff, Alberta] -- An international company of Aboriginal artists representing 17 indigenous nations from Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States, including Hawaii, meld their talents in BONES: An Aboriginal Dance Opera. Dancers sing and singers dance to tell the story that follows our journey on Earth, the return of our Bones to the Earth, and the return of our Spirits to the Stars.

The Aboriginal Arts Program, in collaboration with the Theatre Arts Department at The Banff Centre, is proud to present this landmark production, infused with traditional and contemporary song and dance, deeply spiritual, and rich in cultural context. After four years in development BONES: An Aboriginal Dance Opera, a featured event of the 2001 Banff Arts Festival, will be presented August 8 and 10 at 8 p.m. and August 12 at 2 p.m. in the Eric Harvie Theatre.

Aboriginal Women’s Voices and the Chinook Winds Aboriginal Dance projects –- two ground breaking programs –- led the way for this new work, conceived, created and staged by Sadie Buck and Alejandro Ronceria. BONES was written and composed by Sadie Buck with choreography by Alejandro Ronceria. Buck says:

I was inspired to explore the intrinsic and inherent relationship of music and dance as it currently exists within Aboriginal communities. BONES: An Aboriginal Dance Opera begins with the earth. It begins with a call from the earth, with the first song, ‘The Earth Chant’ to the people of the earth, to move, to dance. As human beings, we exist in a delicate balance with the earth. We seek her knowledge. She is our Bones. Omanipa ne oman.

In the spirit of the indigenous ideology of inclusiveness, the sounds of many languages have been incorporated into a new language that came alive in the sounds as they were created, creating its own cadence, rhythm and patterns. The songs are sung in ‘the Language of the World,’ specifically created for this opera to include all the people of the earth. Ronceria explains:

The Cansa people of South America maintain a ceremony to this day that ensures the earth's rotation. In this ceremony, they speak a language that is essential to the maintenance of the ceremony and thus the continued rotation of the earth. They refer to this language as the ‘Language of the World’. For BONES, we have borrowed this concept, this idea for the opera; each of the songs is translated into this language.

David DeLeary, the music director for this production of BONES: An Aboriginal Dance Opera, also created the sound design. Chinook Winds composer Russell Wallace arranged the music, with additional arrangements by DeLeary. Wallace was also the music director for the recorded score, which forms a background for the live music. Sets, properties, and costumes were designed by Christine Plunkett and the lighting was designed by Harry Frehner.

The cast includes multi-talented and accomplished performers such as: recording artists Jody Gaskin, Jani Lauzon and Soni Moreno, New York-based actress and writer Muriel Miguel, and dancers Santee Smith and Carlos Rivera.

Aboriginal Arts Program artistic director Marrie Mumford, says:

BONES: An Aboriginal Dance Opera is a prime example of what happens in our program which operates within an Aboriginal cultural context. The program creates a gathering place where Aboriginal artists can remember and restore ancient forms, creating new images, to share their stories, both ancient and contemporary: through electronic media, words, music, song, theatre, and dance. I hope you join us as we celebrate this most recent expression of our commitment to cultural values and artistic excellence.

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Visit our Web site for up-to-date event information at http://www.banffcentre.ca/aboriginal_arts

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