MARGARET GRENIER
Margaret is the Executive and Artistic Director for the Dancers of Damelahamid, and the director of Coastal Dance Festival, founded in 2008. The dance company was initiated in 1967 in Prince Rupert by Margaret’s parents Chief Kenneth Harris and Margaret Harris. It was a way to bring back and preserve the artistic and cultural knowledge of their ancestors that was banned by the Canadian government. Acknowledging her hereditary lineage that carries dance, she recognized her responsibility to continue this, and therefore is compelled to do the work. The festival is a space to present West Coast Indigenous dance, with many artists having grown with the festival through the years. Margaret expressed that the festival promotes hope for its West Coast artists and international guests. She stated “the way that we do things is unique to our culture here on the West coast. There is a strong space for traditional practice, as well as the ability to define what we think from a current context.
damelahamid.ca
Photo: Chris Randle