2016 Coastal First Nations Dance Festival Comes to MOA This March

Dancers of Damelahamid in partnership with the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology (MOA), showcase an enlightening weeklong celebration of the distinct stories, songs, and dances of Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast in the 2016 Coastal First Nations Dance Festival, March 1 to 6, 2016 at MOA.

This year's festival presents an abundance of highlights, including the debut of cultural hoop dance artist and So You Think You Can Dance Canada finalist James Jones; the festival's first-ever smoke dancer Tesha Emarthle; a work-in-progress showing from Vancouver's own longtime collaborators Karen Jamieson and Festival Artistic Director Margaret Grenier; coupled with an exclusive sneak preview of Dancers of Damelahamid's upcoming world premiere, Flicker.

"As we near a decade of festival performance, it's truly a thrill to witness the evolution of the Coastal First Nations Dance Festival and its vital role in the cultural fabric of Vancouver," says Festival Artistic Director Grenier. "Each season, we endeavor to assemble a talented pool of emerging and established performers, which serve as a critical link in strengthening and upholding the rich cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples. We are honoured by the opportunity to share such a diverse and meaningful array of First Nations artistic practices in the grandeur of the Great Hall at MOA."

The ninth annual festival features artists from across coastal BC, Alberta, Ontario, Yukon, and Washington State, offering a captivating perspective and fostering a deep appreciation and understanding for First Nations cultures. Signature Evening Presentations and afternoon Festival Stage shows run alongside a series of highly anticipated School Workshops that sell out each year.

New this year, and not-to-be-missed, are two of Canada's most electrifying young performers: Ontario-based headliner Tesha Emarthle will present a smoke dance - a traditional, heart-pumping style of war dance featuring lightening-speed footwork. From Edmonton, James Jones- who has performed extensively with pow wow drumming-infused electronic group A Tribe Called Red, was a 2009 finalist with So you Think You Can Dance Canada, and most recently was a performer in the 2015 Pan Am Games - will join Emarthle for a series of School Group performances. Emarthle will also perform her dynamic smoke dance as part of the festival's Signature Evening series, on Friday, March 4 at 7:30pm.

In anticipation of the festival's upcoming 10-year anniversary, Grenier and Jamieson will premiere the work-in-progress duet, Light Breaking Through Broken, which celebrates the decades-long relationship between Dancers of Damelahamid, MOA, and Karen Jamieson Dance onTuesday, March 1 at 5pm, followed by an artist talk.

Signature Evening attendees will also be treated to a special sneak preview of the highly anticipated upcoming world premiere of Flicker, an innovative, mystical performance featuring traditional Coastal masked dance, on Friday, March 4 at 7:30pm.

The 2016 Festival consists of three primary components:

Signature Evening Presentations - Ticketed gala events featuring headline performances from Dancers of Damelahamid and special guest artists.

Festival Stage Performances - Showcase presentations from visiting performers. The Festival Stage Performances take place on weekend afternoons and are included with regular admission to MOA.

School Group Performances - Weekday sessions introducing K-12 students to the rich history and traditions of First Nations dance, performance, and storytelling.

The 2016 Festival line-up hosts a range of returning audience favourites, and first-time festival performers. For line-up details, visit damelahamid.ca.

Special VPL Presentation - "Dancing Our Stories" on Feb. 23 at 7pm
Festivalgoers are invited to attend an advanced presentation exploring story through dance hosted by Grenier and accomplished fancy dancer Rebecca Baker, Tuesday, Feb. 23 in the Alice Mackay Room at Vancouver Public Library. Info at vpl.ca.

About Dancers of Damelahamid (www.damelahamid.ca) - Dancers of Damelahamid is a professional Aboriginal dance company from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. The Gitxsan, 'people of the river of mists,' are part of the coastal group of cultures that have the distinctive button blanket regalia. Their rich history of masked dance inspires a compelling performance, celebrating the diversity and time depth of the many beautiful Indigenous cultures across Canada. Through dramatic dance, captivating narrative, intricately carved masks and elaborate regalia the Dancers of Damelahamid transform time and space, and bridge the ancient with a living tradition. The Coastal First Nations Dance Festival is produced and presented annually by Dancers of Damelahamid.