Raven of the Moon
Raven of the Moon (2000)
2000
About
“The production you are a part of tonight is the first layer of a two-year dance installation project that will develop layer by layer, eventually involving a larger group of members from the Roundhouse.
The masks of carver and storyteller Victor Reece drive the work; masks rooted in the Tsimshian creation story of Raven Steals the Light. It is shaped by the Roundhouse history and architecture, a product of the industrial age of the steam engine.
The dance that has emerged was developed in response to the colliding forces of two different kinds of power and two different histories, and shaped by a transforming architecture.
The goal of the ensemble of dancers and designers is to become conduits for the spirit of this place in this very moment and we invite you to do the same.”
- Karen Jamieson
- From Raven of the Moon program handbill, May 11, 12, 13, 2000
THE PEOPLE
Choreographer: Karen Jamieson
Mask Carver and Storyteller: Victor Reece (Tsimshian)
Performers: Karen Jamieson, Victor Reece (Tsimshian), Dustin Anderson, Byron Chief-Moon (Káínawa Nation “Blood Tribe” of the Niitsitapi, “The Blackfoot Confederacy”), Alvin Erasga Tolentino, Alisoun Payne
Composers: Ted Hamilton & Jeff Corness
Lighting: Gerald King
Set and Costumes: Susan Berganzi
Costume Assistants: Kriss Boggild, Norma Lehto, Sean O’Neil
Wardrobe and Makeup Assistants: Maria Insell
Make-up Consultant: Jessica Venturi
Mask Rigging: Kriss Boggild
Production/Stage Manager: Kelly Creelman assisted by Paula Hoover
Production Assistant: Jessie Johnston
Sound Design: Terry Podealuk
Volunteers: Sandro Ainsley, Rachel Anderson, Nina Baukett, Wita Bauermann, David Beazley, Doug Herbert, /Witsikie Kheswa, Debbie Love, Lisa Phillippe, Kira Schaffer, Eowynn Steele, Heather Taylor, Philippa Ward
Project Consultants: Linda Moore, architecture for the restoration of the Roundhouse, and Bruce MacDonald, historian and author of Vancouver a Visual History
REVIEWS
“Raven of the Moon follows a tale narrated by Victor Reece, a member of the Tsimshian Nation’s Wolf clan. His great-grandfather first told him about the raven and its many forms: trickster, transformer, giver of life. Reece carved two stunning masks to complement his story…one, with an elongated beak, is painted cobalt blue and emerald green; the other, a broad, chalky-white, has a shiny turquoise outline.
As Reece recounts his story in both English and Tsimshian, Jamieson takes on the role of our ‘tour guide,’ speaking in a mechanical tone akin to that of the voice that announces SkyTrain stops. In keeping with her fascination with architecture, she occasionally points out the centre’s post-and-beam construction, its timber roof, and the train tracks that slice through its floor. She also directs viewers to trail the performers as they move through the corridors of the Roundhouse, across its Exhibition Hall, and into the theatre.
Although the narration gets lost, the piece is held together by the wholly engrossing choreography. Jamieson is known for her earthy, grounded movement – which still exists here, especially in scenes performed by guest dancer Byron Chief-Moon – but there’s a streak of fire in this piece that hasn’t been seen in her other recent works. She seems to be expressing herself on a new level, one that’s rife with passion, playfulness, intensity, and aggression. It’s surprising to see such physical, near-gymnastics gestures in a Jamieson piece, but they look good here. The charged motion also looks especially brilliant on two performers in particular: Dustin Anderson and Alisoun Payne.
Besides the memorable dance, the piece also succeeds because of the music. A long-time collaborator with Jamieson, Corness, too, seems to have reached a new level; his throbbing, multilayered phrases are both chilling and sophisticated.”
- Gail Johnson
“Native Myth Meets Engrossing Dance in Raven”
The Georgia Straight, May 18-25, 2000
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