Drum Grid: A Sonic Journey with A’sitapiiksi (5:30PM 25 Sept.)
Drum Grid: A Sonic Journey with A’sitapiiksi
September 25th @ 5:30 PM
Empress Theatre/Cinema Entrance
245 Main Street
Fort McLeod AB
A’sitapiiksi Powwow Club
Sandra Lamouche (Nehiyaw Iskwew), Dancer
Coaldale Prairie Winds Drum Line
Where Powwow Rhythms Bring the Streets to Life
On 25 September, and beginning in front of the Empress Theatre/Cinema, the streets of downtown Fort Macleod come alive as a dynamic, outdoor musical stage for Drum Grid: A Sonic Journey with A’sitapiiksi, as part of New Music LAB’s Unfamiliar Trails Coming Together concerts.
The Coaldale Prairie Winds Drum Line will perform Drum Grid, by acclaimed Navajo (Diné) composer Raven Chacon, turning the town’s street grid into a living, breathing concert. The drums resonate through the streets of downtown Fort Macleod and lead the audience both sonically and physically to the grass north of the CIBC Branch (163 24th St) to introduce the first set of young dancers, led by the A’sitapiiksi Powwow Club
From here, the performance weaves Blackfoot (Siksikaitsitapi) drumming and dance directly into the fabric of Chacon’s groundbreaking composition. As one dance concludes, the drumline carries the rhythms through the streets, bringing the audience to the next location and dance style including Chicken Dancers, Grass Dancers, Male and Female Fancy Dancers, Jingle Dancers, and Female Traditional Dancers.
Sandra Lamouche
The performance culminates back in front of the Empress Theatre, as the performers, joined by renowned hoop dancer Sandra Lamouche, convene in a celebration of Indigenous culture, creativity, and community on Blackfoot Traditional Territory.
