A production by: A’nó:wara Dance Theatre
Concept, choreographer, and performer: Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo
Elders: Wahiakeron Gilbert and Sedalia Kawennotas Fazio
Music: Red Cloud, Sedalia Kawennotas Fazio, Michael Tekaronianeken Diabo, Wahiakeron Gilbert, David Bowie
Kanien’keha language: Wahiakeron Gilbert, Sedalia Kawennotas Fazio, Kwawennawi Diabo, Kahentísa’s Alfred
Cradleboard: Patrick Bureau
Beaded dress: Anne Konwawennawi Hemlock
Outside-Eye: Victoria May
Lighting designer: Arun Srinivasan
Stage Manager: AJ Morra
Head Technician: Aidan Jackson
Production Manager/Technical Director: Julia Howman
The buckskin dress worn in Part 1 of What We Carry was made by Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo’s great-grandmother and given to her by her grandmother.
An A’nó:wara Dance Theatre Production
Presented by Native Earth Performing Arts
An A’nó:wara Dance Theatre solo choreographed and performed by Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo.
What We Carry is an expression of Diabo’s life’s journey as she shares many experiences that she carries in the bundle of her body, mind, and spirit. What We Carry is sometimes painful and sometimes joyous as she explores motherhood, Indigenous language and cultural responsibility, relationships, the feminine body, ancestors, and more. She is grateful to be able to walk this path that her ancestors started and the next generations will continue.
Content warnings: some flashing lights and some mature themes
Duration: 40 minutes
Pt. 1 of the Niimi’iwe Dance Series:
“In past seasons, we presented Niimi’iwe as a double-bill evening of dance. This season, we chose to expand the offerings to each hold their own space in our season, and so that we can honour the individual stories that both contain. Each piece works on its own, but in connecting them in our Niimi’iwe Series, we are inviting audiences to explore the nuances of Indigenous identity stories and highlighting the importance of self-expression in dance. It’s extra special for us too, as audiences will experience the first full, live runs of these shows in t’karonto at our Aki Studio.”
— Joelle Peters (Artistic Director)