RE-QUICKENING

“I’ve come to this place to kill what’s killing me I’ve come to spit out the bruises and blood-let the pain of my grandmothers I’ve come to dance my bones, blood and wild flesh alive, to ceremony in light.” – Santee Tekaronhiáhkhwa Smith

Provoking, conceptual and visceral Re-Quickening is a timely call for reawakening the intact feminine. 

Through bold imagery, sound and embodied Indigenous narratives, it is a re-affirmation of life and sovereignty of female voice and body. Re-storying into balance Re-Quickening is a women’s renewal ceremony. Conceived through an Indigenous creation process, it’s a spiritual resurgence, a piecing together of shards of knowledge, tipping colonialism on its head. The performance touches and moves forward through themes of dislocation from land, body and voice, the history of violence against Indigenous women since contact, residential schools, assimilative process of the Indian Act towards reclaiming women’s medicine, power and connection to land and creative force.

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Collaborators

Re-Quickening is led by a powerhouse team of women collaborators: Santee Smith, Monique Mojica, Marina Acevedo (MX), Frances Rings (AU), Louise Potiki-Bryant (NZ), Bianca Hyslop (NZ), Nancy Wijohn (NZ) guided by the words of Leanne Simpson, Christi Belcourt, Alva Jamieson, Leigh Smith and Marie Campbell.

 
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre's new performance work, Re-Quickening premiered at the Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre on April 28-May1, 2016. Piecing together fragments of Indigenous knowing, Re-Quickening is a re-affirmation of life and healing from issues of violence against women and Earth. Conceived by Artistic Director Santee Smith, the Indigenous process was an inter-cultural, inter-Nations approach with collaborators looking to narratives encoded in Indigenous patterning and story, traversing the inner sacred landscape of inverted/backwards woman, Changing Woman, Sky Woman, Clay Woman and Mother Earth. Original score, design and script Re-Quickening includes key collaborators from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. Re-Quickening will be available for touring in 2017/2018 and beyond. Contact: info@kahawidance.org or call +1 416.923.7373 Production: Kaha:wi Dance Theatre Artistic Direction/Choreography/Concept/Writer/Performer: Santee Smith General Management: Cynthia Lickers-Sage Performers: Monique Mojica, Marina Acevedo Video Performers: Nancy Wijohn, Bianca Hyslop Dramaturgy: Monique Mojica Outside Eye: Frances Rings Video Design/Rehearsal Direction: Louise Potiki Bryant Lighting Design: Arun Srinivasan Costume Design: Adriana Fulop, Santee Smith Director of Photography: Paddy Free Music Composition: Cris Derksen (cello), Humberto Álvarez (instrumentation and voice), Eugene Draw (violin), Jesse Zubot remixed tracks by Cris Derksen, David R. Maracle (instrumentation), A Tribe Called Red featuring vocals by Tanya Tagaq (original commission 2012), Jesse Zubot featuring vocals by Tanya Tagaq (original commission 2014) Music Co-producer/Score Arrangement: Cris Derksen Drums/Mixing: Don Kerr Percussion: Paddy Free Songs: Santee Smith, Semiah Kaha:wi Smith Bustles/head pieces: Adrian Dion Harjo, Jennifer Martin Costume Construction: Ryan Webber Pottery: Steve Smith Writing Consultant: Leanne Simpson Gyrokinesis: Andrea Nann Language Consultants: Kaweienonni Cook, Tom Deer (Mohawk), Josefina Velasco Lopez (Zapotec), José Ángel Colman (Guna) Stage Manager: Jennifer Erin Lee Production Assistant: Lindy Kinoshameg Cultural Consultants: Alva Jamieson, Christi Belcourt, Leanne Simpson, Leigh Smith, Frances Rings Video Production Assistants: Jasmin Canuel, Semiah Kaha:wi Smith Recording Studio/Engineering: Gary Honess at Kuhlmuzik, Mario Frías at Toy Factory (MX), Don Kerr Production Photography: David Hou, Tony Nyberg, Brenda Hernández Kaha:wi Dance Theatre is grateful to receive generous support from: Canada Council for the Arts; Ontario Arts Council; Toronto Arts Council; Department of Canadian Heritage and GREAT. Their ongoing support fuels our creative work, education/training and outreach to communities. We would like to acknowledge our Re-Quickening production sponsor Creative New Zealand, as well as creation support from: Makeda Thomas - Dance & Performance Institute (Trinidad), Woodland Cultural Centre (No Word for Art Exhibition), Native Earth Performing Arts: Weesageechak Begins to Dance 2014 and Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement. Nia:wen kowa to our family, friends and colleagues who continue to inspire, feed and propel us forward; all our collaborating artists, staff, cast and crew for sharing their passion and amazing talents with KDT and for making it possible for us to envision Re-Quickening on the world stage. Special thanks to Harbourfront Centre Next Steps program for including Re-Quickening in their series.

Re-Quickening World Premiere Trailer

Kaha:wi Dance Theatre's new performance work, Re-Quickening premiered at the Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre on April 28-May1, 2016. Piecing together fragments of Indigenous knowing, Re-Quickening is a re-affirmation of life and healing from issues of violence against women and Earth. Conceived by Artistic Director Santee Smith, the Indigenous process was an inter-cultural, inter-Nations approach with collaborators looking to narratives encoded in Indigenous patterning and story, traversing the inner sacred landscape of inverted/backwards woman, Changing Woman, Sky Woman, Clay Woman and Mother Earth.