Dancers of Damelahamid’s Coastal Dance Festival. | Photo by Chris Randle
“The Indigenous knowledge carried through dance is really a way of being in this world and connecting ourselves to others and to the places that we come from,” says Margaret Grenier, executive and artistic director of the Coastal Dance Festival. Presented by Dancers of Damelahamid, the festival returns for its 18th edition from March 4 to 9, featuring both local and international artists in a celebration of Indigenous cultures.
“People are connected to the festival, and they see how important the art is to the artists,” Grenier shares. “They are also affected by the care that is given to one another, to the art form, to the regalia, to the children, to everything that we bring together when we come to celebrate.”
Rethinking space
Grenier has been directing the festival since 2008, expanding its reach from local to international artists. Originally created for the 2008 Cultural Olympiad celebrations in Vancouver, the artistic director initially intended for the festival to feature traditional Indigenous dance from the west coast – filling what she saw as a gap in the festival space.
“Many dance festivals at the time really focused on contemporary dance, and we wanted to provide an opportunity for artists who were focusing on their traditional dance forms,” she explains.
Held at both the University of British Columbia’s Museum of Anthropology (MOA, March 4–6) and New Westminster’s Anvil Centre (March 7–9), this year’s festival continues its balancing of expansion and traditions. For Grenier, the return to MOA’s Great Hall after its seismic upgrades is a chance to reflect on how their relationship with that space has changed since the festival’s beginnings. Part of this reflection includes the Dancers of Damelahamid performing excerpts of their piece, Raven Mother, as a site-specific sharing.
“Raven Mother is a very special piece for us because it honours the generation, and in particular, the women of the generation who ensured that we have dance today and dedicated their lives to bring dance back on the West Coast,” the artistic director explains, noting that her mother was one of those influential women.
MOA’s Great Hall will also host the artist sharing series, including conversations with two international artists: Jo Clancy from Australia and Charles Koroneho from New Zealand. For Grenier, it is also important to continue fostering connections built through the Anvil Centre –
connections allowing the festival to more easily reach audiences in the Fraser Valley.
“We really wanted to maintain that connection not only with the broader community, but also with the Indigenous community of New Westminster,” the artistic director explains.
A generational bond
This year’s festival will also feature senior Māori artist Koroneho’s Ko Te Ākau – a live digital performance installation investigating digital artifacts and Indigenous futurism. For Grenier, this site-specific installation, a first for the festival, is an opportunity to reflect on how tradition is perceived.
“Often when we think about the traditional, we really focus on preserving, and the ‘traditional’ doesn’t necessarily mean preserving,” she explains. “It’s really about the knowledge and the practice and living that practice today.”
Grenier further emphasizes how Indigenous futurism situates the Indigenous identity in the time ahead, highlighting its relevancy for younger generations. This focus on bridging generational gaps has indeed been central to the Coastal Dance Festival. For the artistic director, a memorable part of working on this festival has been witnessing the passing of leadership from elders to younger generations.
“We see young artists coming into their own practice,” she adds. “I think that really is one of the best gifts or memories that I have with the festival: seeing our young people growing up in it, learning their cultures, their songs and their dances and the hope that it gives us.”
Vancouver-based company Raven Spirit Youth Dancers will also be featured at MOA in a collaboration with Australia’s Wagana. Their work includes a young artist with down syndrome who has connected with their ancestral dance practices – an example of a generational bond that Grenier sees as the festival’s heart.
“It really is about ensuring that these practices are not lost from generation to generation,” she adds. “Our artists have been working for decades to revitalize and strengthen Indigenous dance.”
Grenier notes that the festival is also deeply meaningful for its celebrations of elders who have passed – cherishing their legacies through song and dance. For the artistic director, dance remains important for cultural revitalization. It connects Indigenous peoples to their culture, families and home territories – strengthening their Indigenous identities while nourishing their cultural pride.
“It’s doing more than just creating art,” she adds. “It’s really taking care of ourselves and our communities and our young people and ensuring that we can contribute to something that’s vibrant, healthy and whole.”
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