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What to do in Vancouver: Coastal First Nations Dance Festival

What to do in Vancouver: Coastal First Nations Dance Festival

What to do in Vancouver: Have a Cross-Cultural Experience

If you’re wondering what to do in Vancouver this weekend, you may want to check out the Coastal First Nations Dance Festival running March 8-11, 2012 at the Museum of Anthropology. It’s a celebration of the stories, songs and dances of the indigenous peoples of the northwest coast of North America. Since 2008 the event has been produced annually by Dancers of Damelahamid from the Gitxsan nation, a professional group from BC’s northwest coast. It’s a continuation of a long-running festival in Prince Rupert, and it transforms the museum’s Great Hall into a celebration of Indigenous cultures and dance traditions.

what to do in vancouver coastal first nations dance festival museum of anthropologyWe connected with Margaret Grenier, Executive and Artistic Director of Dancers of Damelahamid. She explained the role that dance plays in First Nations culture. “The dance practices along the coast are very intergenerational. They are a very family-oriented form of dance, where most dancers will learn to dance from very early ages and just be immersed in the whole experience, often before they can even remember learning. We also have elders as well. A large part of the practice is that sharing of knowledge from the elders down to the children, and experiencing it and celebrating as a community.”

A Long Tradition of Dancing

Margaret’s own family has a long tradition of dancing. Her parents started in the 1950s and 60s, after the potlatch ban was lifted. She says, “I grew up with song and dance being a very important part of my family. Weekly practices, performances, cultural events and festivals were something that – even if I was too young to take part – I would still be there and experience it. For me it is something that has always been a part of me. I think that’s so important for young people, because it’s a very positive thing.”

One thing that Margaret wants to emphasize is that visitors to the festival can expect a very high caliber of artists performing. “Sometimes when we look at things that are family-oriented or nourishing the community we don’t necessarily see the strength of the art itself.” The audience response in the past has been very positive. Margaret says, “Because it’s coming from the heart and coming from these spaces that carry so much importance, audiences can really feel that. They really feel a sense of community, they really feel a sense of pride, a sense of inclusion. It’s a wonderful way to bridge cross-cultural understanding and see what these practices are today when we’ve had so much change in our communities.”

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Entertainment and Education

On Thursday and Friday dances will be taking place at 10:00am for school audiences. During the day on Saturday and Sunday performances will be taking place on the Festival Stage, and those are free with your museum admission. You can watch the dancers and explore all that the Museum of Anthropology has to offer. Or, if you want to step it up a notch, you can take in one of the ticketed signature evening performances on Friday and Saturday, suitable for adults and older children. The artists have come from as far away as Alaska, Manitoba and Australia. When it comes to what to do in Vancouver, this really is a one-of-a-kind event, offering excellent entertainment and education.

For more information on the Coastal First Nations Dance Festival, or to buy tickets, visit the Museum of Anthropology online.

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