Shawn Harper
‘Wolf: A Transformation’ is inspired by an Anishinaabe/Ojibwe story.
Kanopy Dance director Lisa Thurrell characterizes “Polaris,” the company’s season-opening program, as “a fusion of Indigenous and modern expressions.”
“Polaris,” to be performed Oct. 10-12 at the Overture Center, features guest dancer and choreographer Daniel Fetecua Soto (Fetecua) who brings a wealth of experience from his days as a soloist with the Limón Dance Company and his current work in New York City. Fetecua’s choreography often draws from Colombian folk traditions as well as modern dance techniques.
On the program are “Wolf: A Transformation,” “Rejoice: Returning Home” and “Pacha-Mama.” Kanopy will also present a work of artistic director Robert Cleary as part of the program.
Thurrell says the lineup is “inspired by individual voices that are Indigenous and native peoples.”
Fetecua will dance in “Wolf: A Transformation,” inspired by the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe story of the wolf being companion to the first man, choreographed by special guest Daystar.
Daystar, founder of the first Indigenous modern dance company in the U.S., is a longtime collaborator with Fetecua. She’s “gifted” the dance to Fetecua, says Kanopy’s associate director Susanne Voeltz, so it can continue to be danced and passed on to the next generation.
Daystar is “a true pioneer,” says Voeltz. “She is an incredible innovator, so ahead of her time. That we are able to present this [dance] is a phenomenal opportunity for Kanopy and Madison audiences.” Daystar will introduce and narrate. The dance will incorporate custom-designed masks by Hopi woodcarver and sculptor Timothy Talewepi.
“Rejoice: Returning Home” is a group ensemble directed by Fetecua that evokes ancestral memories that come to each generation through various art forms.
“Pacha-Mama,” which means “mother earth,” is a solo dance by Fetecua. What is the influence of our planet earth on our beings? What would it mean to re-connect with earth? Here the choreography incorporates currulao, a traditional dance and rhythm from the Colombian Pacific coast, American modern dance, and, in a nod to another part of Fetecua’s training, German tanztheater.
“His work is complex, drawing from all those traditions,” says Voeltz. “It’s a very dynamic mix. It’s very much his own choreographic voice.
“Dance is a visual language, but we do tell stories,” adds Voeltz. “We want to present moments that are visually arresting, but we also want to demystify the art…and help the audience discover new ways of seeing the world, of seeing movement in space and time.”
