This past June, with a mandate to mentor new artists and springboard new creations by aboriginal artists,   AAA founders Ryan Cunningham and Christine Sokaymoh Frederick supported choreographer Troy Emery Twigg’s latest endeavour Dancing the Universe in Flux (working title), at the 2012 Rubaboo Arts Festival in Edmonton. Twigg a member of the Kainai (Blood) nation of southern Alberta, drew inspiration for this work  from the lectures of Leroy Little Bear and Amethyst First Rider that investigate indigenous ways of knowing, especially when speaking about the universe and the idea of flux or continuous change.

~Troy Emery Twigg performs Dancing the Universe in Flux

The paradigm that is ‘contemporary dance’ typically nurtures highly personal forms of expression through movement.   This new work, though a natural fit to this standard, is more of  a hybrid of theatre and dance.  At this stage Flux was developed and presented at the festival with the guidance of director-dramaturg Ed Roy.   The character Twigg creates is a trickster (one who breaks the rules) and clown-like character known as “Old Man” (Napi).  This particular incarnation of the trickster was developed in collaboration with Muriel Miguel of NYC’s Spider Woman Theatre.

~ Ryan Cunningham and Christine Sokaymoh Frederick of Alberta Aboriginal Arts

~ Director-dramaturg Ed Roy in Edmonton at Catalyst Theatre

Dancing the Universe in Flux is currently scheduled to premiere at Rubaboo 2013 in Edmonton