Location: Teesri Duniya Theatre
251 Pine Ave. W. (Cité-des-Hospitalières)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zTn7h8LTDtghPq6fA
In-Person Session
French Translation will be available here:
Sponsored by McGill Institute for the Study of Canada
Schedule
10 am to 11am: Coffee
11 am : CATR Opening Remarks
11:30 am : Plenary Performance – Barbara Diabo’s My Urban Nature
Cette pièce plurielle, chorégraphiée par l’artiste mohawk Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo, mériterait certainement d’être présentée à nouveau. Le contenu y est dense. On y juxtapose différentes formes : danse traditionnelle mohawk, danse urbaine et danse contemporaine dans un pow-wow moderne et entraînant. Interrogeant le rapport des citadin·es à la nature, le propos peut sembler pessimiste : l’herbe est réduite à un rouleau de gazon synthétique, les ailes des oiseaux sont reproduites par des cerceaux de plastique. Les cubes dans lesquels sont contenus les interprètes expriment à la fois la densité urbaine et l’enfermement, voire la solitude vécue en ville.
Le spectacle se conclut toutefois sur une réflexion ouverte portant sur la célébration de la vie, sur la contribution de chacun·e à une élévation commune et sur l’instrumentalisation de la nature. La danse est ici une invitation à la fête, au rassemblement, et les idées qu’elle véhicule n’assombrissent en rien le caractèrecontagieux de cette performance haute en couleur. Un moment à la fois savoureux et solennel, tout à fait approprié à une représentation extérieure.
Chorégraphie : Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo. Interprétation : Daniela Carmona, Victoria May, Oliver Koomsatira, Sonik Boom, Sam Ojeda, Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo. Chant : Nina Segalowitz. Composition musicale : Cris Derksen, Craig Commanda, Nina Segalowitz, Urban Surf Kings.
12:00 : Indigenous Host Presentation to PAQ
12:30 – End of Session
Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo
(Kanien’keha:ka Nation)
Artistic Director and Choreographer of A’nó:wara Dance Theatre
Originally from Kahnawake and now living in Montreal, Barbara is the choreographer and director of A’nó:wara Dance Theatre. She has been on her toes since the tender age of 4 when she started studying classical ballet. She landed her first professional dance role at age 17 and then went on to graduate with a BFA in theatre from Concordia University and from the Native Theatre School. She has studied in many forms of dance, including ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, powwow, etc. As a choreographer and dancer, she specializes in creating works that highlight Indigenous themes/stories/perspectives by often combining powwow, Haudenosaunee dance, and other contemporary styles to create a fusion of dance that speaks to many different populations and tastes.
Her dance show, Sky Dancers, won Outstanding Touring Production in the Dora Mavor Awards 2022 and was also a recipient of the National Creation Fund. She was awarded the prestigious Prix de la Danse de Montreal category Interprete (dancer) in 2021. In 2019 her dance piece MY URBAN NATURE was awarded best choreography for outdoor show by Festival Quartiers Danses, in 2008 she was awarded the Mila Voynova Outstanding Instructor Award, she has been invited as an artist and a speaker nationally and internationally (Banff Centre [Canada], Enartes [Mexico], APAM [Australia], Kia Mau [New Zealand] CanDance [Ottawa], Aerowaves [Ireland], Waterproof/Oui [France], etc), and her first film for children was awarded one of the Top 10 Best Active Products of the Year (Dr.Toy).
She regularly performs in theatres, festivals, films, schools, conferences, and other special events. Some of her most recent work was performed at the Montreal Olympic Stadium, the National Arts Centre, Fleck Theatre Harbourfront Centre, the Confederation Centre for the Arts PEI, the First People’s Festival in Montreal, Place-des-Arts, Prismatic Festival Halifax, Festival Quartiers Danses, and other places across Canada and the USA. She was one of the only 8 hoop dancers in North America invited to perform at Gathering of Nations (New Mexico), the world’s largest powwow, in their first-ever hoop dance competition 2015.
She often works with La Danse sur les Routes du Quebec as an Indigenous Project Development Officer. With them, she led the development of the project: The keys to understanding Indigenous dance for better audience development, for which they were awarded the Diversity and Inclusion Prize by Compétence Culture. She continues to teach dance, is Chair of the board of the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance, and often is a consultant on Indigenous arts for various organizations.
Her goals are to inspire others, encourage cultural pride, uplift the spirit, and increase education and communication.