Celebrating dancing tradition of B.C.’s coastal First Nations

FIVE REASONS: Festival features Indigenous dance from all corners of the world

1 Dancers of Damelahamid

Now in its 11th year, the Coastal First Nations Dance Festival is co-produced by Dancers of Damelahamid and the Museum of Anthropology. A dance company from the Northwest Coast of B.C., the Dancers of Damelahamid will perform excerpts from their works Spirit and Tradition (2010) and Interweavings (2017) at this year’s festival.

2 Stina Therese Loras Hessaa

The festival marks the Canadian debut of this Norwegian-Sami artist. Hessaa uses her early ballet training to embody the traditions and story of the Sami people, an Indigenous Scandinavian population spread across parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.

3 The Flying Gwitch’in Fiddler

Real name Boyd Benjamin, the Yukon-based fiddler has shared the stage with Buffy Sainte-Marie and Ashley MacIsaac. At the festival, he’ll share the stage with guitarist Kevin Barr.

4 Rainbow Creek Dancers

Brothers Robert and Reg Davison formed the group in 1980 to share dances taught to them by their grandmother. The Davidsons create their own masks and ceremonial objects for the performances.

The troupe is a fest favourite.

5 Coast Salish Tsatsu Stalquayu (Coastal Wolf Pack)

This Salish song-and-dance group consists of more than 50 members, male and female and ranging in age from the very young to 60-plus They’ll perform a piece called Musqueam as part of the March 3, 12 p.m. program. Along with evening performances, the festival offers weekend matinees, youth workshops, and an artist panel (March 1).

Norwegian-Sami artist Stina Therese Loras Hessaa makes her Canadian debut at the Coastal First Nations Dance Festival on at the Museum of Anthropology until March 4.

The Coastal First Nations Dance Festival, in its 11th year, is co-produced by Dancers of Damelahamid.