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Dancers of Damelahamid

Raven Mother
Margaret Grenier
Show
2024/2025
Vancouver

From mother to daughter

A vibrant tribute to Margaret Harris, an Indigenous elder who devoted her life to keeping her culture alive. A colourful multimedia narrative, a stream of images, dance, song, carved masks and sumptuous regalia.

A powerful upholder for Indigenous culture, Margaret Harris (1931–2020) was instrumental in revitalizing traditional singing, dancing, storytelling and regalia-making on British Columbia's Northwest Coast. With her husband, Chief Kenneth Harris (1928–2010), she founded the Dancers of Damelahamid company in 1967, out of a sense of urgency to preserve these ancestral practices. Her daughter Margaret Grenier, supported by her daughters and granddaughters, has taken up the torch. Raven Mother — a reference to the raven, the clan's crest—pays tribute to the unwavering determination and commitment of the matriarch and the vital role of mothers in passing on a precious legacy. Bridging Indigenous traditions and more contemporary forms, this is an immediate and essential immersion in a rich and remarkable culture.

Photo © Chris Randle
Andrew Grenier. Dancer Margaret Grenier.
Photo © Chris Randle
Andrew Grenier. Dancers Margaret Grenier, Nigel Baker-Grenier.
Andrew Grenier. Dancer Margaret Grenier.

Artists

Choreographer
Margaret Grenier

She choreographed Setting the Path (2004), Sharing the Spirit (2007), Spirit and Tradition (2009), as well as the multimedia contemporary dance productions Spirit Transforming (2012), Flicker (2016), and Mînowin (2019).

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Ana Pedrero

Company

Dancers of Damelahamid

Dancers of Damelahamid is an Indigenous dance company founded upon over five decades of extensive work of song and dance revitalization. For countless generations Indigenous dance played an integral part in defining art and culture. In response to the lifting of the Potlatch Ban (1884 – 1951), was the resurfacing of dance and the awakening of an art form that was outlawed for almost 70 years.

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Credits

Created and Produced by Dancers of Damelahamid

Artistic Director and Choreographer Margaret Grenier.

Set Designer and Artwork Andrew Grenier.

Regalia Designer and Creator Rebecca Baker-Grenier.

Song Composer and Vocalist Raven Grenier.

Collaborating Composer Ted Hamilton.

Lighting Designer Jeff Harrison.

Projection Designer Andy Moro.

Collaborating Director Charles Koroneho.

Northwest Coast Artists David A. Boxley, David R. Boxley, Jim Charlie, Raven Grenier, Kandi McGilton, Dylan Sanidad.

Composers of the song Strong Women Derrick Keeswood, Verrona Keeswood, Lawrence Trottier.

Elders Betsy Lomax, Lawrence Trottier.

Performers Margaret Grenier, Rebecca Baker-Grenier, Raven Grenier, Nigel Baker-Grenier, Renée Harris.

Production/Stage Manager Andy Grenier.

Technical Director Jeff Harrison.

Wardrobe Assistant Stevie Hale-Jones.

Collaborating Producer & Agent Eponymous.

World Premiere October 9, 2024, The Cultch Theatre, Vancouver.

Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund.

This work is a co-production of the CanDance Network Creation Fund, DanceWorks, Dance Victoria, National Arts Centre and Danse Danse.

Dancers of Damelahamid gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council and Metro Vancouver.

Raven Mother was created with the support of The Anvil Theatre, The Cultch, The Venables Theatre, Ballet BC, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Dancers of Damelahamid would like to thank The Hamber Foundation, Re:Naissance, Anndraya T. Luui.

Eponymous gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

DANCERS OF DAMELAHAMID

Executive and Artistic Director Margaret Grenier.

Creative Producer Andrew Grenier.

Artistic Associate Rebecca Baker-Grenier.

Artistic and Administrative Assistant Raven Grenier.

Language and Research Nigel Baker-Grenier.

Collaborating Producer Eponymous.

Creation process
Margaret Grenier explains the process in creating this new dance work which will premiere in the Fall 2024.
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Regalia
Rebecca Baker-Grenier discusses her process for creating the regalia pieces for Dancers of Damelahamid's new production Raven Mother.
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The music
Raven Grenier discusses her process for composing the soundscape for Dancers of Damelahamid's Raven Mother.
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The mask
Andrew Grenier explains the mask carving process for Raven Mother.
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