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HEADING TO THE LAND OF MIDNIGHT SUN!!!
This JULY Dancing Earth fulfills a long held dream, to share our work in NORWAY (one of DirectorRulan’s ancestral homelands!) with cultural exchange and collaboration with Sami Indigenous peoples of the subarctic circle, for the RIDDU RIDDU Festival.We are thrilled highlight our first Sami collaborator: Sarakka Gaup, of Giron Sámi Teáhter (director Asa Simma), an actress and activist who attended the Indigenous gatherings at Climate Change Summit in Paris - standing together connected by a long red line, that have inspired part of our:
We thank Rita Mienna, Festival coordinator of Riddu Riddu and liason Maria Firmino Castillo, as well as the US Embassy whose support allows us to represent the United States of America at this powerful festival of international Indigenous peoples, read more at www.riddu.no. |
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 This beautiful image is of Sami land, shared by extraordinary Joiker/Singer Maret Sofie Jannok who will be singing our welcoming song for our opening performance, and as is the headliner for the Festival! She is also seen here at Climate Change Protests in Paris, amongst the Indigenous women leaders including Casey Horinek Camp and Pennie Opal Plant, whose voices are woven into the soundscape of:   To prepare for the journey north, in June we will be in residence the beautiful Academy for Love of Learning in New Mexico for Indigenous womens leadership and creative intensive, and we thank them for support, as well as USArtists International.  Our 2016 Summer Institute is in residency for one week this August at Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center, Apache territory and the former home of artist Georgia O Keefe.The Institute participants are cultural, ecological and experimental artists from Aotearoa, Colorado, California, and New Mexico representing indigenous heritage including including Maori, Ilocano/Kamampangal/Bikol, Dine, Chicana, Yaqui/Yoeme, Miq’mac, Hopi, Dine, Okay Owingeh, Hawaii, Apache, Seneca, and Creek converge for intensive indigenous exchanges and practices. We'll begin with Pueblo women elders' cultural welcoming and continue with moccasin-making moccasinsor huaraches, land dance, and creative culturally-rooted collaboration.  On Aug 20-21 we'll descend from the canyon to Santa Fe during the historic Indian Market, to ‘occupy’ the Center for Contemporary Arts.There, we will emerge from Cannupa Luger’s large scale art installation in an interdisciplinary activation and animation of the space. 5:30pm Performance,by invitation only, including repertory from our Norway tour!7-8 pm Public Performance8-9pm Dance party with DJ!
Dance Artists including © Paulo T. Photography / © Baltazar Dasalla / © KuuKu Black / © David K.
And, on Sept 9th, presented by Ft. Lewis Concert Hall in Durango CO, DANCING EARTH will share the public premiere of full length eco production of … SEEDS.
ARE YOU INSPIRED?
Our first tour to Norway still needs funds to cover costs of meals and other expenses for our Cast of Six (6)!We deeply appreciate any support you feel moved to offer; please contribute your good energy and resources to this incredible tour!
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY: The first ten donors of $25 or more will receive a limited editionDANCING EARTH CALENDAR!
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Our last few months were filled with motion as Spring burst into bloom
 PUBLISHED,APRIL EDITION!Behold the long awaited Dance Research Journal is published by Congress of Research in Dance, with guest editor Professor Jacqueline Shea Murphy. Director Rulan contributing an article , and DancingEarth is honored to be on the cover, and to have our work described in the essays of Maria Firmino Castillo, Jacqueline Shea Murphy and Tria Andrews. Other essays written by esteemed colleagues Daystar Rosalie Jones, Rosy Simas, Tanya Lukin-Linklater, Jack Gray. Emily Johnson, Sam Mitchell with Julie Burelle, Mique’l Dangeli, Tria Wakpa Blu, Karyn Recollet, Marrie Mumford and Neil Maclean …
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IN MOTION IN LANDS OF AKIMEL O’ODHAM, ZUNI, HOPI, DINE
aka ARIZONA
Here is what our audiences and workshop participantshad to say about this amazing Tour to 16 Sites!
“I would like Dancing Earth to stay at our school for our children to enjoy.”“The performance was emotional, almost like you could feel the dance.”“I really liked the entire show, the tradition and the culture”“It was very touching, very much needed,reminder to ourselves and community members to honormother earth and our women, the barriers of life. Ahee’hee!”“I loved the performance. I am inspired to dance!”
- Along with performance, we also offered an Educational Guide for 750 students K-12, which combined images, descriptions and suggestions for experiential activities related to each dance(such as seed ball making recipe to go with dance about corn beans squash and sunflower)!
- Our special opening night preview was for special invited guests, with over 100 inyter-tribal community members, friends, family, and local dance students met duriing Rulan’s articipation in April’s American College Dance Conference. We thank Michael Reed for invitation, Melissa Vuleticj for coordination, and Lisa Adamsen Gammage Hall Tech Director, and all the amazing tech crew including brilliant lighting designer Stacey Alston and our costumer Emily.
- Thank you to special guest artists Leatrice Lewis (Zuni) and Uqualla/Uji Gwala (Havasupai), who were not only our culture advisors but became lead dancers in opening duet! (image on Right by © Tim Trumble courtesy of ASU Gammage Hall).
Special THANK YOUS / ELAKWA / A’XEE-HE / PILOMNIYA / MIGWECH / MVTO/ GRACIAS/ go out to our amazing circle of support, especially:
- Lee Ann Hunt for her support of youthcommunity engagement in Gallup NM!- All attendees of our open rehearsal who made kind donations!- Pam Taylor ( whose wonderful photos are featured above and as the lead image), and Winnie Meunch for generous support in Sedona!- To Kati & Friends of Flagstaff Earth Day event, Angela Rosenkranz at MCC, Susanna Keita at GCU!- Joe Dean of Lumenscapes for projector assistance!- Teahonna and Staci for coordination of all Native community sites!- Tony Skrelunas of Grand Canyon Trust for his vision and belief in this project!
IN MANAHATTA, LENAPEHOKINGaka NEW YORK CITY
 Rulan goes to NYC to meet with cohorts of A Blade Of Grass 2016Fellowship. She was greeted by Lenape representatives Joe Baker and Hadrien Coumans who bestowed her with an eagle feather - the highest honor, and noted that ABOG is perhaps the  most powerful and progressive foundation because it acknowledges artists as the most potent catalysts for social change. Read about their extraordinary scope of vision - art brigades, quantum futurism, underground workshops, freedom chambers, re-entry think tank, radical mentorship, experimental orchards, trash alchemy and more!(Rulan photo by © Daniel Quat Photography)
- Rulan’s visit coincided with the culminating performance at the end of three month residency atNYU’s Asian Pacific Islander Institute by our dear friend and acclaimed choreographer/scholarJack Gray (Ngati Porou, Ngapuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngati Kahungunu - the only artist honored to represent TOI MAORI), with many indigenous colleagues present to perform or celebrate, and many activities throughout residency including an Indigenous Dance Forum, which can be Heard HERE.
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IN MOTION IN Ogap'ogeaka SANTA FE
- Leaving Santa Fe this summer are two amazing arts leaders : Adam McKinneyDance Dept Chair of NMSA and Daniel Banks Chair of Perf Arts at IAIA; arts students here have flourished under their care, and we wish them the very best with their future ventures. (photo courtesy, Santa Fe Radio Cafe)
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IN MOTION IN MNI SOTA MAKOCHEaka MINNESOTA
In May: A week of community engagement in prep for Indigenous Dance Festival in March 2017,Thank Rosy and Dayna and staff of Ordway!
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 IN MOTION IN YELAMUaka SAN FRANCISCOIn May: Back home for family time and Bay Area Workshops,and planning for Fall concert with Cuicacalli!San Francisco, Cuicacalli’s Ariane Cortes and her student mariachi band leads the front of the parade shown here alongside Dolores Huerta (activist alongside Cesar Chavez for labor and civil rights, last year they made history!)  |
IN MOTION IN LANDS OF THE UTE DINE APACHEaka COLORADO
In May: a return to Durango for a week of communityengagement meetings for residency. CLICK HERE for a review of 2014 production involving 60 students and community members, written by Leslie Arbogast, "SEED was a fascinating tribute to activism in the spirit of returning to Indigenous food systems, with a goal of improving human health and the physical condition of our planet, RulanTangen and Dancing Earth have risen to the challenge."photo © & courtesy of Courtesy Of The Company |
IN MOTION in TEXAS
In June, Indigenous dance panel at Dance USA conference in Austin, led by Rosy Simas (of Rosy SimasDance), with Andre Bouchard (Director of WALRUS ARTS MANAGEMENT, a forthcoming new talents booking agency for Indigenous music and dance). Also representing issued for Latino choreographers in Southwest is Yvonne Montoya of Safos Dance Theater in Tuscon AZ. |
 IN MOTION in ENGLANDFrank Waln, S  ampson Brothers and Tanaya Winder on tour!We dedicate this newsletter to the passing of a young hoop dancer who touched many hearts, who recent passing along to the star road of ancestors and luminaries - including David Bowie and Prince. To read more about the amazing life and spirit of Tino Rivera, and with loving condolences and respect for his family, please read this Article HERE. |
GRATITUDEWe are so grateful to our nationwide communities of supporters who enrich us with stories, food, home hosting, artistic collaborations on costume and film, donations of equipment (thanks Jo Dean for the projector!), discounts on rehearsal space (Railyard Performance Center & Dragon Rising) individual time and energy. And we thank our visionary funders and in kind supporter institutions:
 We are a Member of Intersection for the Arts, providing fiscal sponsorship, networking and consulting for artists.www.theintersection.org |
 New Mexico Dance CoalitionEspecially the friendship, mentorship, inspiration teamwork of Lee, Julie & Myra. |
  Support from Jessica & Tim HarjoIndigenous Biocultural Exchange Fund
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