Indigenous-themed going-home story touring Canada

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is currently touring Going Home Star, a brand new production that finds its subject matter in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

This intriguing blend of European art form and Aboriginal narrative is the first of its kind for the ballet world. For many years, the late Elder Mary Richard, as a board member for the RWB, prodded Artistic Director Andre Lewis for an original Indigenous-themed ballet.

The company had, in the past, performed their interpretation of George Ryga’s The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, but the desire was to create something new.

As the 75th anniversary of the company loomed ahead, once again the suggestion was made— this time from Cree board member Tina Keeper, known for her role on North of 60 and for her political activism.

With the Truth and Reconciliation proceedings in everyone’s minds, the idea was quickly tapped into that this new ballet would deal with the trauma and healing in our community.

Having explored psychological terrains before in his ballet Svengali, Mark Godden was recruited to choreograph the new piece. What’s truly unique is that Going Home Star boasts a brand new score from composer Christos Hatzis, who utilized the throat-singing virtuosity of Tanya Tagaq and the textured speaking voice of Northern Cree singer Steve Wood.

It wasn’t lost on Mark Godden that using ballet, a traditionally white, European dance to express First Nations’ voices and stories was ironic to say the least.

“The bridge between these two cultures had to be the music,” says Godden. “The music allows you to go to some very dark and intimate places. There’s a beautiful saying from Flannery O’Conner, ‘The South is not necessarily Christ-centered, but they are Christ-haunted’. We talked about how this is a haunting. That is what Christos is trying to tap into.”

The story follows an urban Native girl named Annie, who owns a hair salon and is as viable and strong-willed as they come. Yet her life feels unfulfilled until she meets a homeless man named Gordon who is a residential school survivor. Gordon imparts her with the past by eliciting visions of Niska and Charlie, two children under the abusive authority of clergymen. This is history she does not know and though it’s a great burden to hold, Annie finds the will to help Gordon along and together they seek strength and healing for the future.

These themes have been thoroughly explored before in the works of Canadian novelist Joseph Boyden, who provides the narrative through line for Going Home Star. Annie and Gordon first appeared in Boyden’s Giller Prize winning novel Through Black Spruce, but are reinterpreted as lost souls in the ballet.

Boyden re-imagines Niska from his novel Three Day Road and utilizes Charlie as a new character. Together these four represent the directions of the medicine wheel. There are also two Elder spirits who watch over the four characters and provide the inspiration for the ballet’s title.

“I call them star children. Pretty early on I wanted it to be a ‘going-home story’. The Polaris star is known in some First Nation’s communities as the going home star. If you keep the star over your shoulder as a reference point then you’ll always be able to find your way home. I absolutely love that idea, says Godden.

It was important to Tina Keeper and company that the ballet was created in an authentic and respectful way. During rehearsals the company observed smudging ceremonies, spoke with Elders and community members and collectively participated in a four- hour sweat lodge ceremony, which was a personal challenge for the claustrophobic Godden, who spoke about the unifying experience.

“To move forward we can’t just think about ourselves and the story and how we want to hold it. This story relates to very real individuals. This affected all the dancers. Onstage you see a sense of authenticity and sincerity from them that is really different from what they are used to performing. So I think that radiated out to many people in the audience.”

In Winnipeg, Godden said audience members were moved to tears and it serves to mention at each performance there will be an Elder Corner in the lobby, as well as on-site counselors. This demonstrates once again how considerate and genuine the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s efforts are.

“The path of vengeance and the path of feathers start and end together. On the path of vengeance I departed, on the path of feathers I arrived,” Godden recites a Haida peace poem.

“To me, this speaks of reconciliation. It’s about where you start and where you end. That’s the feeling of the ballet.”

Going Home Star will be touring from sea to shining sea well into the spring with dates being advertised on the Royal Winnipeg’s website.