MAINSTAGE 2026-27
Raven Mother
Raven Mother is the Dancers of Damelahamid’s newly choreographed dance work in honour of late Elder Margaret Harris (1931 – 2020). Raven Mother illustrates the vast impact Elder Harris had on the revitalization of Indigenous dance along the Northwest Coast, and the integral role of women in holding cultural knowledge. It celebrates our mothers who created the stronghold of these artforms and influenced the next generation of women. Raven Mother illuminates the profound leadership of our mothers, their essential contribution in this resurgence, and the force and transformation of this awakening.
Raven Mother is the Dancers of Damelahamid’s most ambitious production and will be the culmination of generations of artistic and cultural work. With Raven Mother, movement, song, regalia, sculpture, and design, are interwoven with the embodied narrative. The Raven crest, manifested in multiple forms, embodies transformation, the strengthening of culture, the unveiling of a new spirit, and breathing life into a promise made to the children of generations to come. Raven Mother speaks to our current realities, drawing from a rich lineage of teachings and insights. Innovation is conditional upon revealing the truths of today to pursue cultural endurance and intergenerational sustenance. Raven Mother is a tangible remembrance of a woman’s spirit, marking the shift between generations that has sparked a new role for our daughters as the force to hold their grandmother’s vision.
Dancers of Damelahamid
photo Michael Slobodian
TRAILER
ARTIST BIO
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. The Dancers of Damelahamid emerged in the 1960s out of an urgency to ensure that these artistic practices were not lost.
The Dancers of Damelahamid has since established itself as a leading professional Indigenous dance company. The company’s artistic approaches have contributed to its abilities to bridge creative practices and to work with innovative mediums, while maintaining commitment to the integrity of their artistic legacy. It is through continual and diligent practice that this dance form endures as non-static and relevant to current innovation, influence, and insights.
The Dancers of Damelahamid has produced several theatre-based productions and choreographed dance works, with their most recent production, Mînowin, premiering at the National Arts Center in Ottawa, ON. The company has produced the annual Coastal Dance Festival since 2008, presenting Indigenous dance from the Northwest Coast as well as hosting guest national and international Indigenous artists.
Performance History & Upcoming Performances
October 9-12, 2024: Premiere in Vancouver
Presented by The Cultch
November 12-15: Montreal
Presented by Danse Danse
November 21, 2024: Ottawa
Presented by the NAC
November 26, 2024: Peterborough
Presented by Public Energy
November 29, 2024: Toronto
Presented by Danceworks
January 23-24, 2025: Victoria
Presented by Dance Victoria
June 9, 2026: Quebec City
A co-presentation of La Rotonde and the Grand Théâtre de Québec in collaboration with KWE!
Project Created by: Dancers of Damelahamid
Key Artistic Collaborators: 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 Woman:
Derrick Keeswood
Verrona Keeswood
Lawrence Trottier
Elders:
Betsy Lomax
Lawrence Trottier
Performers:
Margaret Grenier
Rebecca Baker-Grenier
Raven Grenier
Nigel Baker-Grenier
Renée Harris
Performance type: THIS WORK IS BUILT FOR THEATRE
How do you define this work: Indigenous Dance
Length of performance: Approx. 75 minutes
Audience type: General Audience
Number of Performers on tour (including choreographer): 5
Number of Support Staff on Tour: 4: TD, production/tour manager, projectionist, and regalia assistant
Availabilities: 2027/28 Season,2028/29 Season
Project Details
Community Engagement
General Technical Requirements: Stage:
11m wide x 8.5m deep measured from the main curtain (plaster line) to the back wall and between side curtains. Additional side and backstage space is required for side lights, regalia tables and clothing racks.
Black Marley or equivalent
Black backdrop
Rigging height of 5m, with full lighting grid
Two more rigging positions over stage for two projectors focussed on side wall screens SL and SR which are provided by company
Lighting:
Company will provide a lighting plot specific to venue and will attempt to modify required equipment based on venue inventory. Typically required equipment include:
ETC ION lighting console (Minimum 2 DMX Universes, sACN with multiple universes preferred)
minimum 96 DMX controlled dimmers
a minimum of 50 conventional fixtures
a minimum of 15 LED fixtures (RGBW minimum)
5 PIN DMX input to venue system preferably located at stage level.
PA System:
Professional quality stereo sound system, with audio console with at least 6 Channels, 2 XLR inputs in the booth and 2 XLR inputs at side stage
Audio Equipment
• 2 lavalier mics with receivers
• 2 SURE or Senheizer body packs and receivers to be used with 2 DPA wireless headset
microphones provided by Dancers of Damelahamid (model 4188-DLF-F00MH)
Required Video Equipment
• 1 projector (min 14K Lumen Laser) capable of covering entire Upstage curtain (11m wide x 5m High).
• 2 projectors (min 8K Lumen Laser) focussed on SL and SR side walls (4m wide x 3.2m High).
Set:
The Raven Mother set consists of 4 roll down projection surfaces; an US projection Scrim; two curved side flats; a Raven Sculpture US of Center; a Raven canoe on wheels that must be able to enter and exit US Right or Left. There is a Spirit Box on Wheels that also enters/exits USL and USR (refer to LX Plot)
Required amount of time for tech set up: Full day
School outreach performances and workshops are also offered.
Outreach Activities
The company offers dance workshops that can be tailored to varying levels of dance experience and abilities.