Red Sky Performance
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 420 M5V 3A8 Toronto, ON, Canada

Catch Red Sky Performance in a one-hour documentary called Why We Dance" on CBC's Nature of Things and CBC Gem. We’re one of five professional companies featured in this documentary who use their artistry to connect with the natural world. Guided by scientists, dancers and philosophers who have dedicated their lives to movement, Why We Dance artfully explores the nexus of movement and our deeper selves, revealing the evolutionary implications of dance through cinematic perfo...rmances, experiments into human development and social behaviour, observations of kinetic animal species. CLAN is choreographed by Sandra Laronde, and performed by collaborator Joey Arrigo, Kristin DeAmorim, Falciony Patino-Cruz, Katie Couchie, Moira Blaise-Humana, Ascension Harjo, and Theland Kicknosway. Red Sky is featured in Why We Dance, directed by Nathalie Bibeau, produced by Robert Lang of Kensington Communications, edited by Bruce Lapointe and written by Allen Booth, premieres on CBC's The Nature of Things on Friday, February 25th at 9 PM EST on CBC and for free on CBC Gem in Canada. Watch the trailer here: https://bit.ly/3JiL7my The Nature of Things is one of the most successful series in the history of Canadian television. Hosted by world-renowned geneticist and environmentalist, David Suzuki, the program is in its 61st year, a landmark by any standard. Performer: Kristin DeAmorim, photo: David Hou #dance #whywedance #indigenous #redsky #performance #nature #natureofthings #kensingtontv

STOKED FOR SWEDEN: We're going to Sweden! We're one of six companies selected to attend Bibu, Sweden's largest festival for young audiences. We'll gallop overseas all the way to Sweden with our critically-acclaimed production of "Mistatim". Together with ASSITEJ Artistic Gathering, BiBu is a six-day festival 17-22 May in Helsingborg with Swedish and international theatre, dance and circus performances for children and young people together with a wide range of seminars, debat...es, workshops and other performing arts-related surprises. Giddy Up Sweden, here we come! https://bibu.se//now-we-have-released-our-swedish-and-inte Performer: Falciony Patino-Cruz, photo by: David Hou #bibu #sweden #international #theatre #dance #indigenous

We've had the good fortune of working with Autumn Peltier and we're truly proud of the nibi movement that is happening and the big splash that this young Anishinaabe woman is making. This dynamo is on the cover of MacLean's Magazine! Chi-congrats Autumn!

We're thrilled to announce that we're kicking off our Winter/Spring 2022 tour of Trace from February 17th - April 9th, 2022. This is our second whirlwind tour across Turtle Island (Canada & USA). We’ve managed to tour during the ‘valley’ of the pandemic. We'll tour throughout British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ohio and Kansas. We're soooo excited to get on the road again and perform live for everyone! Yoohoo! More details soon to follow so stay tuned.

You will want to check out Madelaine McCallum! She will be joining us for an online series so stay tuned for our announcement next week.

We’re so proud of what’s happening in the far north.

It's been thrilling to start the new year being red-hot creative with a meaningful new project. We're developing the next chapter of our Miigis saga called "Miigis: Underwater Panther". We're focused, creative, and excited and can't wait to share this new work with y'all! Stay tuned for more to come! Performers: Kristin DeAmorim, Carleen Zouboules, Daniela Carmona. Photo: David Hou

On Friday, January 14, 2022 EDT at 5 pm, join us online for a REDTalk with Louise Bernice Halfe, Canada’s Parliamentary Poet Laureate hosted by Jules McCusker. Our REDTalks series returns for an exclusive interview with Cree author/poet/storyteller Louise Bernice Halfe, Canada’s Parliamentary Poet Laureate. Halfe, a.k.a. Sky Dancer. Her works include Bear Bones and Feathers, Blue Marrow, and her newest work, awasis-kinky and dishevelled. She will talk about her role as Poet L...aureate, her life as a storyteller and writer, and the importance of Indigenous voices today. Louise is from Saddle Lake Reserve in Saskatchewan. She has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Regina and has served as Saskatchewan’s Poet Laureate. Her works include: Bear Bones and Feathers, Blue Marrow, The Crooked Good, Burning In This Midnight Dream, Sohkeyihta, and awasis-kinky and dishevelled. She currently serves as the national Parliamentary Library Poet Laureate. WHEN: Friday, January 14, 2022 WHERE: Online (link below) Tickets for this online only event are $10. Click here to order your ticket! Red Sky gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Canadian Heritage for our REDTalks Series. #indigenous #redtalk #author #writer #poetry #poetrycommunity #laureate

2022 rings in new creative projects, multiple tours, a world premiere, and digital projects that we want to share with audiences here in Toronto, Canada, and with the world! We wish everyone a better, brighter, and more meaningful 2022! Performer: Kristin DeAmorim... Photo by: David Hou See more

We were so fortunate to have Candy Palmater as a guest host for our REDTalks Series. She was brilliant, compassionate, and very funny. It was an honour to know her and work with her. We will miss her fast-twitch mind and zest for life. Our sympathy and heart go to all who loved Candy. RIP dear Candy and chi-miigwetch for being such a bright and beautiful light. Photo: Candy Palmater (right) with Muriel Miguel at our REDTalks Series.

We have exciting news to share! We’ve got a new chapter in our Miigis Saga called "Miigis: Underwater Panther" that’s ready to debut in 2022! Miigis is about our journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes as we explore catalysts for movement, water trade routes, Anishinaabe archetypes, and mystery beings on our journey from salt to fresh water. The Miigis Saga reveals the power of nature through contemporary Indigenous dance, theatrical innovation, and a fusion of ath...leticism, music, and film. We can’t wait to dive into project and to bring its light to the world. : David Hou // Performer: Kristin DeAmorim

Our holiday fundraising campaign is reaching a crucial time as we near the heart of the holiday season. Your donation to Red Sky Performance makes it possible for us to create and share ground-breaking Indigenous contemporary work, innovate in the digital space, present leading Indigenous leaders through our REDTalks series, and mentor the next generation of artists. More Than Dance, We Are A Movement! Donate to Red Sky Performance today at https://www.redskyperformance.com/donate/ and be a part of the resurgence of Indigenous art & culture in Canada today!

We are so grateful for the brilliant mind of bell hooks. She is tremendous. Chi miigwetch bell for all that you brought to the world.

We’re pleased to share the news that Executive & Artistic Director Sandra Laronde will join an in-person Canadian Creative Industries Trade Mission to Europe in March of 2022! This multi-sector trade mission will be held in Berlin (Germany), Amsterdam (Netherlands), and Stockholm (Sweden). I’m thrilled to be selected for the 2022 Trade Mission to Europe and to explore potential international opportunities and partnerships in Amsterdam, Berlin, and Stockholm, says Laronde. It will be my pleasure to be there with fellow Canadians and to shine a light on what we do so exceptionally well at Red Sky Performance.

WHY IS RED SUCH A POWERFUL COLOUR? Red is the colour of extremes. It's the colour of passionate love, seduction, danger, and adventure. Red is the color of fire and blood energy and primal life forces and most of red's symbolism today arises from its powerful primal associations. Happy Valentine's Day to one and all! Share the big love.... Here's a photo from a duet. Photo: Performers Samantha Halas and Jera Wolfe, choreographed by Sandra Laronde, lighting by Steve Lucas, costumes by Jeff Chief.

REDTalk: Big Thinking and Rethinking Blackfoot Metaphysics with Dr. Leroy Little Bear WHEN: Thursday, February 11 at 4:00 pm EST Join the acclaimed and wise scientist Leroy Little Bear in conversation with Red Sky Artistic Director Sandra Laronde to talk about big ideas spanning Blackfoot metaphysics and the role of Indigenous thinking to help shape solutions for a better future.... Dr. Leroy Little Bear is Blackfoot from Kainai First Nation in Alberta. He is a renowned teacher, researcher, and professor emeritus at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta. His lifetime of accomplishments includes some of the most important political achievements for Indigenous peoples in Canada. To register for this event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/redtalk-big-thinking-and-rethi Red Sky acknowledges the generous support of Canadian Heritage

We had the privilege of performing at Jacob's Pillow in the Doris Duke Theatre last year. We're honoured to be part of this illustrious line-up of world class companies and artists.

CALL FOR INDIGENOUS MUSIC CREATORS from across Canada and the United States. We're bringing our award-winning production Mistatim to the screen for an engaging digital experience. Working with Red Sky Performance and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Mistatim will be reimagined to include newly created music by four Indigenous music creators and eight TSO musicians, who will explore and learn together. The collaboration will include four mentorship sessions with leading Indigen...Continue reading

Tonight's the big night! Wow, we're proud to be part of The Mayor’s Evening for the Arts produced by the Toronto Arts Foundation, Tuesday, December 8, 2020. We're proud to part of this spectacular line-up, co-hosted by Peter Mansbridge and Cynthia Dale, with performances by Jully Black, Molly Johnson, Sarah Slean, Jesse Cook, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and of course, Red Sky!... The proceeds from the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts go to supporting Toronto Arts Foundation’s Arts in the Parks and COVID-19 Artist Response Initiatives. We can't wait for tonight! Click here to learn more about purchasing a ticket, table, or sponsorship. https://torontoartsfoundation.org/mayors-evening-for-the-ar

It's a Special Day - Today is Giving Tuesday. Be part of making an impact. Only on December 1st, CanadaHelps will add $2 to every one-time donation of $20 or more to encourage individuals to give to registered charities such as ours. Like you, we believe that art transforms lives.... Make 2021 a year to transform the lives of Indigenous artists, leaders, and culture keepers and help to bring light into the world. Despite the darkness of the pandemic, we are extending our work beyond into the digital realm. We have created the prescient Wisdom Keepers Series and REDTalks podcast to share invaluable conversations with Indigenous change-makers, and to ensure these profound insights are accessible to communities everywhere. We will also transform Mistatim into a multi-faceted digital experience for children and students in schools since live programming is not available at this time. I urge you to make a donation to help support our work to create meaningful change. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/11855 Your valued contribution will directly support artists and culture keepers, educate and inspire the lives of children and youth, and empower the next generation of Indigenous creative leaders. Now more than ever, your gift of $25, $50, $200, or $500 will transform lives. All contributions will receive a charitable receipt.

We're wrapping up our studio time this week due to the restrictions in Toronto, Ontario. As a company-in-residence at Canadian Stage, we're sharing an excerpt of a dynamic duet-in-progress performed (without contact) by Samantha Sutherland and Jarrett Siddall, choreographed by Yosmell Calderon and music by Pepe Galivondo. Enjoy!

We're proud to be part of The Mayor’s Evening for the Arts produced by the Toronto Arts Foundation. It's going virtual on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. Red Sky Performance is proud to to join forces with exciting artists, colleagues and partners such as Peter Mansbridge, Cynthia Dale, with performances by Jully Black, Molly Johnson, Sarah Slean, Jesse Cook, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Steven Page, Kaeja d'Dance, Tapestry Opera, Karl Skene, Larnell Lewis, Beau Dixon, and of cours...e, Mayor John Tory The proceeds from the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts go to supporting Toronto Arts Foundation’s Arts in the Parks and COVID-19 Artist Response Initiatives. Click here to learn more about purchasing a ticket, table, or sponsorship. https://torontoartsfoundation.org/mayors-evening-for-the-ar We are looking forward to this significant event with Mayor John Tory in support of our creative and vibrant city. So happy to be a part of TO!

Wisdom Keepers Series: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants with Robin Wall Kimmerer WHEN: December 3, 2020, at 3:00 PM EST... Botanist and writer Robin Wall Kimmerer joins host Sandra Laronde as part of our Wisdom Keepers Series that will illuminate our collective need for interdependence and connection at a time of crisis and injustice. Her best-selling book, Braiding Sweetgrass, deftly argues that the regenerative capacity of Mother Earth and makes a poignant case for cultures of ‘regenerative reciprocity’. As a global pandemic intensifies, her wisdom is more timely and relevant than ever. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, professor, and Citizen of the Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of the best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses which won the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing. She has a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Wisconsin and is a distinguished professor in environmental biology at the State University of New York. Sandra Laronde is an arts leader, creator, Executive Director & Artistic Director of Red Sky Performance, and host of REDTalks and the Wisdom Keepers Series. It’s Free. Register here: https://bit.ly/3fcKYmO Co-Presented with Canadian Stage. Red Sky gratefully acknowledges Canadian Heritage and Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada for their generous support.

As the world grapples with the effects of COVID-19, we are seeing more and more people looking to the arts for hope and inspiration, said Hopkinson. Artists like Sandra are leading the pack as their work celebrates not only the life that we still have in our everyday but also the lives that we look forward to in the future following the pandemic. This award is about inspiration and celebration two things that the artists of Toronto hold at their very core. - Claire Hopkinson, Director & CEO of the TorontoArtsCouncil. Thank you for the shout out the Dance Current! Thank you Anne Dion!

Looking for an original gift? Now's your chance to be a part of our Movement! Rock a Red Sky Performance jacket, cotton tee, or fleece-lined hoodie. Sport one of our signature mugs, water bottle, or totes. Or purchase one of our powerful original soundtracks. To purchase your merchandise visit: http://my-site-redsky.square.site... http://www.redskyperformance.com/index.php/red-sky-shop/

We just had to share that our Artistic Director Sandra Laronde is up on big billboards at Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto. She recently won the 2020 Celebration of Cultural Life Award from the Toronto Arts Foundation. Thank you for honouring the artists and leaders! Toronto Arts Council #TOArtsAwards #thesix

It stirs the spirit to move when you see the colours of autumn in its full glory - reds, oranges, yellows - the colour of fire. Performer: Kristin DeAmorim Photographer: Itzel Avila

The University of Winnipeg Alumni Association is proud to recognize Tina Keeper as the recipient of its highest honour, the Distinguished Alumni Award. Big congrats Tina!!

Good to see Lorne Cardinal win this award! Big congrats on winning the sixth annual August Schellenberg Award of Excellence.

Congratulations to Alanis Obomsawin! Obomsawin has directed more than 50 films over her half-century career at the National Film Board, including landmark documentaries Incident at Restigouche, and Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance.

ASSOCIATE ARTIST: A member of the Ktunaxa Nation in British Columbia, Samantha Sutherland is a new Associate Artist and dancer with Toronto-based Indigenous contemporary dance company Red Sky Performance. Sutherland made her Red Sky Performance debut in the company’s new work, FLOW, as part of the 6th edition of Toronto’s premier international dance festival, Fall for Dance North Festival (FFDN), which runs until Oct. 18. Buy tix here: https://www.ffdnorth.com/program/2020-s...ignature-program Read more about Samantha here: https://feomagazine.com/2020//13/fall-for-dance-north-2020/