Vástádus eana – The Answer is Land

DanceHouse and Dancers of Damelahamid present the Vancouver premiere of the politically-charged and spiritually-centred work, Vástádus eana – The answer is land. Choreographed by Elle Sofe Sara, the full-length work is a powerful exploration and reclamation of the central tenets of Sámi cultural identity: community and kinship between people and nature. Enter to win tickets below »

Vástádus eana – The Answer is Land

• Dates: February 23-24, 2024 at 8:00pm
• Location: Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
• Tickets: Available online now

Having been subjected to almost-total cultural obliteration through residential schools, language suppression, and religious conversion, Vástádus eana – The answer is land embodies a critically important message about the foundational attachment arising from community and culture, and offers a return to dignity, healing, and ultimately the possibility of a new relationship with the natural world for the Sámi people.

“For Indigenous communities from around the world, artistic practices such as storytelling, singing, and dancing are an integral part of the celebration and preservation of a people’s cultural identity and overall well-being,” says Margaret Grenier, Artistic Director of Dancers of Damelahamid. “Sharing these practices offers a deep sense of healing and reclamation over their spiritual practices, and offers the opportunity to rebuild community and connection to the natural world.”

Taking inspiration from a poem that foregrounds the relationship between the Sámi people and their homeland, Sofe Sara’s choreography – at once both playful and bold – speaks to the strength and resilience of the Sámi people, as well as the community’s generational trauma caused by hundreds of years of colonialism and forced assimilation. Sámi people are Indigenous to Sápmi, the traditional territory that spans the northern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, including modern day Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia.

Enter to Win

You can enter to win a pair of tickets to the Vancouver premiere on February 23rd, here’s how:

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