Jeanette Kotowich: Kisiskâciwan

An exciting world premiere from choreographer Jeanette Kotowich, Kisiskâciwan is a creative return to the fast-flowing landscape of Saskatchewan, the robust and undulating land of her ancestors. Conceived and performed by Kotowich, who is of Nêhiyaw, Métis and mixed settler ancestry, this new solo is a richly textured journey to one’s self, and references protocol, ritual, and our relationship to the natural and spirit worlds.

“Through memories of my childhood summer, embraced by the Kah-tep-was (Nêhiyaw for river that calls) valley, the vast prairie and gently rolling landscape has echoed its lasting impression and whispered a language of inspiration. This is a sacred place that calls generations of peoples for gathering, hunting, and spiritual replenishment.” – Jeanette Kotowich

Presented as part of The Dance Centre’s Global Dance Connections series.

Originally from Treaty 4 territory Saskatchewan, Jeanette Kotowich creates work that reflects Nêhiyaw/Métis cosmology within the context of Indigenous performance, Indigenous futurism and contemporary dance. Her creations have been presented at theatres and festivals across so-called Canada, including Kwê at Matriarchs Uprising and The Dance Centre’s Dance In Vancouver. During the pandemic, Jeanette has been creating a series of short experimental dance films and has been artist-in-residence at Raven Spirit Dance, NAC Indigenous Theatre, Shadbolt Centre and The Dance Centre. In the summer of 2020, she conducted land-based research in her home province of Saskatchewan, fusing interdisciplinary collaboration, decolonial practices and embodied research towards the creation of Kisiskâciwan.