The internationally-renowned Indigenous dance company Dancers of Damelahamid brings its rich and compelling work to the stage for the March edition of The Dance Centre’s Discover Dance! noon hour series. Spirit and Tradition layers vibrant dances, singing, drumming, and projected imagery to immerse audiences in the ecosystems and culture of the Indigenous lands and waters of the Northwest Coast. Tracing themes of reciprocity and ecological sustainability, the work shares important teachings on balance, interconnectedness, and community, and has been presented across Canada and in Hawaii, Scotland, Germany, Peru, Ecuador and China.

Dancers of Damelahamid is an Indigenous dance company founded upon over five decades of extensive work of song and dance revitalization. For countless generations Indigenous dance played an integral part in defining art and culture. In response to the lifting of the Potlatch Ban (1884–1951), was the resurfacing of dance and the awakening of an art form that was outlawed for almost 70 years. The Dancers of Damelahamid emerged in the 1960s out of an urgency to ensure that these artistic practices were not lost.

The Dancers of Damelahamid has since established itself as a leading professional Indigenous dance company. The company’s artistic approaches have contributed to its abilities to bridge creative practices and to work with innovative mediums, while maintaining commitment to the integrity of their artistic legacy. The Dancers of Damelahamid has produced several theatre-based productions and choreographed dance works, with their most recent production, Mînowin, premiering at the National Arts Center in Ottawa. The company has produced the annual Coastal Dance Festival since 2008, presenting Indigenous dance from the Northwest Coast as well as hosting guest national and international Indigenous artists.