Mask
Mask
1995
About
The mask was created by Sanford Williams, a Nuu-chah-nulth artist, studying and practicing carving at ‘Ksan. Karen writes: Doreen Jensen took me to ‘Ksan Village, and she said “Go into that room of masks and find the mask that’s you.” I found this mask hanging on the wall and thought – this must be the one. I felt that it wanted to come down off the wall and be danced, and I discussed this with Doreen, with Sanford Williams, the carver, and with Alice Jeffrey, who I was staying with.
“This mask represented We-gyet’s wife. We-gyet is the trickster in the Gitk’san tradition, ‘a creator by accident, caught between spirit and flesh.’ We-gyet’s wife is associated with fire and salmon.
This pieces consists of four distinct sections, separated by blackouts. Each offers a different view of the mask and Karen’s relationship to it. There are three shorter sections followed by the main body of the work.”
- From Mask program handbill, Sept 28, 1995. Performing Arts Theatre
“‘Can I put this mask on?’ This collaboration between Sanford Williams and Karen Jamieson examines the paradox between the First Nations and the Western Traditions. A continuation of the cross-cultural dialogue begun with Gawa Gyani, this work addresses difficult questions about the role of the mask in Western society compared with its role in traditional First Nations societies, and the ‘re-invention’/adaptation of ancient beliefs for modern consumption. The mask is embodied by Karen Jamieson who dances a discourse between herself and a taped dialogues with Native artists Evan Adams, Alice Jeffrey, and Sanford Williams.”
- Media Release, 5 Dances, 1995
THE PEOPLE
Choreographer/Dancer: Karen Jamieson
Composer: Jeff Corness
Director: Daina Balodis
Vocals: Fides Krucker
Text: Evan Tlesla Adams (Tla'amin Nation, Coast Salish), Alice Jeffrey (Miluulak, Hereditary Chief, Gitk’san), and Sanford Williams (Mowachaht, member nation of the Nuu-chah-nulth of Yuquot on Nootka Island)
Costume Design: Susan Berganzi
Mask: Sanford Williams (Mowachaht, member nation of the Nuu-chah-nulth of Yuquot on Nootka Island)
Reviews
“In Mask, it’s easy to see how Jamieson earned her reputation as a magician. She communes with a Native mask, and then breathes life into the wooden carving by wearing it. The piece opens with the mask, a representation of the wife of We-gyet (the trickster in Gitksan tradition), hanging on the wall – so Jamieson can re-enact the story of how she found it in a Gitksan village and felt it ‘wanted to come down off the wall and be danced.’ She strips off her costume, baring herself to the spirit, and eventually dons the mask to embody the character.
The dance that follows is typical of Jamieson’s gift for taking ordinary, even banal, movements and imbuing them with magic. Putting her dance into words makes it seem unremarkable: her body sways, her hips roll, and her arms wave. That seems to describe anything from a belly dancer to a hula dancer, but neither of those figures comes close to suggesting the spell that Jamieson casts when she dances. Through some mysterious process, the wooden mask takes on expressions. We-gyet’s wife is by turns compassionate, amused, and quizzical. While some audience members grumbled that the piece was too long, I couldn’t tell you how much time it took on the clock – I found it engrossing.”
- Shannon Rupp
“Jamieson Returns to Magical Simplicity”
The Georgia Straight, May 12-19, 1995
“Using the full space on stage, she expressed the different aspects of We-gyet’s wife: from playful little girl to a firm but gentle woman. The mask became alive and one could vividly visualize the powerful spirit behind the mask. Again the choreography was very intimate and emotional. The response from the audience was electric.
The last stage of transformation was finally letting go of the mask and returning to her true self.”
- Molly Chai
“Karen Jamieson Dances at New West”
The Other Press, October 3, 1995
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