On April 13, 2017 @CanadianOpera a packed audience celebrated alongside the V’ni Dansi’s Louis Riel Métis Dancers #COCLouisRiel upcoming performances.
V’ni Dansi is a Vancouver-based traditional Métis and contemporary dance company dedicated to sharing the dances, stories and culture of the Métis. Led by Artistic Director Yvonne Chartrand, the company is dedicated to preservation and innovation. V’ni Dansi’s Louis Riel Métis Dancers specialize in traditional Métis dance and is one of the only professional groups of its kind.
The dances were energetic, colourful and brimming with emotion. The dancers were all smiles and oozed a genuine joy and pride as they danced Jim Twain Special, Broom Dance and Sash Dance to name a few. The audience were keen to join in with foot tapping, hand clapping and laughter as we learned about Louis Riel’s legacy.
Traditional Métis jigging preserves the historical dances of generations ago, while contemporary Métis jigging modernizes traditional forms yet still pays homage to the cultural roots of each dance.
“The COC is in a unique position to use its presentation of Louis Riel to discuss the issues arising from a longer history of colonialization and appropriation,” says COC General Director Alexander Neef. “These are complicated issues and we hope it leads to a future that takes into consideration the aesthetic, spiritual, cultural and educational ways forward.”
Check out more amazing free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre! http://www.coc.ca/PerformancesAndTickets/FreeConcertSeries.aspx
Catch the Canadian Opera Company’s ‘Louis Riel’ from April 20 to May 13, 2017.
http://www.coc.ca/PerformancesAndTickets/1617Season/LouisRiel.aspx
Thirty Four Flavours 