In-Person
Past Event
Oct 7 - 8
7:30 pm
The beat of the drum continues in the 21st century. The Canadian premiere of Indigenous Liberation explodes with jubilation and spellbinding regalia. Their powerful storytelling will uplift and inspire.
Photo by Danny Upshaw
Co-presented with
Centuries-old stories, imparted through movement. Retold by today’s generation, with an eye on our shared futures.
In their Canadian debut, Indigenous Enterprise explores traditional dances passed on from their elders and reimagined for a new crop of award-winning performers. The Phoenix, Arizona based troupe combines dance and filmmaking, using projected animations to prelude the origin story of each traditional dance as it is performed. Their full-length production Indigenous Liberation is as much storytelling as it is dance, with messaging that is at once powerful and uplifting.
Explosively jubilant movements are enhanced by the dancers' colourful regalia and embellished with intricate beadwork, quillwork and featherwork. The aesthetic is not only spellbinding, but each detail is intentional, holding deep significance and meaning within Indigenous culture and traditions.
Choreographed and performed by seven different renowned Indigenous artists, this dynamic programme highlights a diverse array of pow wow dances to inspire and heal. Founder of Indigenous Enterprise Kenneth Shirley hopes, “you all enjoy this presentation as much as we enjoyed making it.”
This is an in-person presentation taking place at Toronto Metropolitan University Theatre (formerly Ryerson Theatre - 43 Gerrard St E, Toronto).
All seats are $15, +HST and fees.
This event is also part of the Festival Package, which can help you enjoy additional festival performances and save 15%. Festival Packages are available now.
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Performance schedule:
Friday, Oct 7, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct 8, 7:30 PM
There will be a post-show Artist Chat following our Saturday, Oct 8 performance. Moderated by Red Sky Performance's Artistic & Executive Director, Sandra Laronde.
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Performance length: Approximately 60-minutes.
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Wednesday October 5, 6-7pm
FREE
Don't miss this unique opportunity to meet our festival dancers and to learn some of their traditional dances.
Fall For Dance North has partnered with Danceworks to present a community dance workshop led by Kenneth Shirley (Indigenous Enterprise CEO) and the cast of Indigenous Liberation.
Participants will be introduced to dances such as the Native American Flute, Men’s Chicken Dance, Women’s Fancy Shawl, Women’s Jingle Dress, Hoop Dance, among others. This eclectic and exciting workshop furthers the company’s mission to share the culture of Indigenous people and increase understanding of Native identity.
Length: 60 minutes
Location: Outdoors at Harry Arthur Commons,York University (grassy park beside York University Subway Station);
94 York Blvd #90
North York, ON
M3J 2S5
Level: Intermediate (This workshop is tailored to pre-professional or professional dancers of any discipline. No experience or training in traditional Indigenous dance required)
Cost: FREE (No registration required. Capacity is limited and available on a first-come-first-served basis. Please arrive early to secure your spot)
If you have any questions or require accommodations, please contact: outreach@ffdnorth.com.
FFDN has created original behind the scenes content to pull back the proverbial curtain on some of our festival programmes. We hope these enhancement materials help to provide more context, history and an overall deeper experience of our festival and the wonderful artists we are privileged to present.
Below, enjoy an article from FFDN's Community Arts Coordinator, Faith Buchanan, which will help you appreciate the depth and complexity of Indigenous dance. As well, a conversation on our in-house podcast Mambo featuring Indigenous Enterprise CEO, Kenneth Shirley and Arise choreographer Jera Wolfe.
Carrying the Torch of Tradition and Heritage
By Faith Buchanan
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We are born with the innate ability to connect to rhythm and movement which when nurtured, invites us into a transformational, spiritual and emotional experience. Native American company Indigenous Enterprise draws audiences into the deep origin stories of healing and resilience that lay at the foundation of Indigenous dance, culture and heritage.
"Song and dance are universal and are a common thread that everyone connects to, yet at one time our cultural dances and traditions and even our languages were stripped away from us and outlawed, taking away the very core of who we are as a people.” quoted from Indigenous Liberation in 2021 at the Joyce Theatre in New York City.
Indigenous Enterprise, led by Kenneth Shirley, is a North American dance company, dedicated to educating the public on indigeneity, while striving to push past the confines of the colonial-shaped lens through which dance is viewed in North America. When Kenneth Shirley founded the company, his goal was to shift the narrative surrounding Native American culture.
Kenneth and troupe follow in the footsteps of their ancestors as they progress toward a goal of preserving Indigenous culture and halting the deletion of Indigenous identity. In an eloquent quote from their presentation at the Joyce Theatre in New York City, Indigenous Enterprise said, “We are the first generation with the responsibility of keeping our culture alive … It is through dance that we were able to survive, hold on to our stories and dance before you today”.
The traditional dances that Indigenous Enterprise present in Indigenous Liberation, such as the Jingle Dress Dance, represent a long lineage passed from body to body, slowly evolving, while never losing its soul and bearing a spirit that permits audience members to feel the movers' and their ancestors' pride and resilience. From the breathtaking regalia to the poise of the dancer as they step perfectly in time with the beat of the drum, the performers tell real stories of prayer and healing.
The company’s exuberant yet warm disposition encapsulates a certain urban-contemporary swagger that captivates audiences worldwide. This swagger stemmed from ancestral influences while also being inspired by what Kenneth explains as a deep reverence for hip-hop culture and how crowds respond to hip-hop dance. In referring to hip-hop culture, Kenneth pinpoints the evolutionary nature of dance in relation to time, presenting the idea that movement is deeply connected to the spirit of its outer influences. “With our creative selves, we adapt. Indigenous people have always been resilient and able to adapt to the people that come around them." said traditional dancer and company member Acotia Margarite.
“I just want to let Canada know that we’re still here” Kenneth expressed when asked how he would like audiences to feel after their performance. “I want them to leave feeling uplifted…these dances are like medicine”. Through their performances, the company reminds audiences of their innate ability to connect to rhythm and movement on a spiritual level while allowing viewers to experience the pride and honour of bearing an Indigenous identity.
Faith Buchanan is FFDN’s Community Arts Coordinator. Learn more about Faith in FFDN’s Our Village.
Make sure to check out Episode 4 of the current season of FFDN’s in-house podcast Mambo for a playful and curious conversation between Indigenous Enterprise CEO Kenneth Shirley and Jera Wolfe, choreographer of Arise featured in FFDN’s 2022 Signature Programme. Kenneth shares a story of Indigenous Enterprise’s residency at Jacob’s Pillow during a COVID lockdown and how that time influenced the creative process of Indigenous Liberation. This conversation also offers a glimpse at Jera’s momentous ballet (now featuring 146 dancers), on-stage at Meridian Hall Oct 6 - 8.
Also available on these popular streaming platforms
At this time, audience members will not be required to show proof of vaccination at Toronto Metropolitan University Theatre (formerly Ryerson Theatre), however any changes to public health regulations may affect these policies and will be communicated to ticket buyers.
Audience members are strongly encouraged to wear a mask for indoor programming and should be worn until seated in designated areas or when leaving their designated area to use the washroom or other areas of the venue.
All staff, artists, crew and volunteers will be masked during activity and while interacting with audience members.
This programme is co-presented with
A leading presenter of dance in all forms, DanceWorks develops and promotes seasons of high quality, culturally pluralistic dance programming created by professional dance artists. DanceWorks’ programming supports cross racial solidarity, holding space for BIPOC artists and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIAP. Work that addresses social justice issues, and challenges racism against Indigenous, Black, and Asian peoples is valued and encouraged. DanceWorks advances opportunities for the Disability Community within the dance milieu. Based in Tkaronto/Toronto since 1977, DanceWorks cultivates meaningful engagement with dance artists through outreach, education and animation initiatives.
We at DanceWorks are elated and honoured to partner with Fall for Dance North to present Indigenous Liberation, performed by Indigenous Enterprise, featuring a collective of artists from across Turtle Island. Led by Kenneth Shirley, these powerful powwow dancers celebrate their unique roots and identities through tradition and transformation, awakening our spirits by sharing Indigenous knowledge and talent.
- Mimi Beck, Dance Curator, DanceWorks
*Note: personalized seat selection not available with our Festival Package, system will automatically choose "best available seats"
