Friday Creeations and Native Earth Performing Arts are proud to present Firewater Thunderbird Rising, a stunning multi-disciplinary, land-based contemporary dance show featuring a new documentary piece created by Christine Friday, from February 16-19, 2023 at Aki Studio in Toronto.

Firewater Thunderbird Rising is the transformative spirit of dance travelling through dimensional realms of existence - ancestors, dreams, blood memory and the land directly connected to Anishinaabek way of living, awakening the healing of the Nation's future. Firewater Thunderbird Rising will open with Path Without End, a 10-minute documentary dance film that witnesses Christine Friday’s family taking back their power from Shingwauk residential school and speaking their truth on their traditional tribal family hunting territory.

Firewater Thunderbird Rising was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Individual and for Outstanding Original Choreography at the 2022 Dora Mavor Moore Awards.

Temagami First Nation-Anishinaabe Kwe Christine Friday is a proficient resilient Indigenous storyteller, and the recipient of the 2018 K.M. Hunter Award for Dance. She began her career with In the Land of Spirits in 1992 and has maintained a professional dance career for over 30 years, choreographing, solo work, commissioned work, films, youth creations and full -scale productions. She is deeply connected to the cultural wellness of her people and works hard to maintain cultural traditions and gifts of her Anishinaabek community.

Christine Friday’s company Friday Creeations, based on Bear Island Lake Temagami, is a First Nations professional arts and community platform that encourages creative entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency that connects to land, power and truth. She is in the process of launching her dream of a dance studio lodge with an outfitters company, inspiring and activating land based with professional performance and traditional art practices to awaken storytelling rooted in land and individual creativity, connection and healing.

Native Earth Performing Arts is Canada’s oldest professional Indigenous theatre company. Currently in its 40th year, Native Earth is dedicated to creating, developing and producing professional artistic expressions of the Indigenous experience in Canada. Through stage productions (theatre, dance and multi-disciplinary art), script development, apprenticeships and internships, Native Earth seeks to fulfill a community of artistic visions. www.nativeearth.ca

Firewater Thunderbird Rising

February 16 - 19, 2023, at 7:30 PM

OPENING NIGHT: Thursday, February 16, 2023

Thursday – Saturday @ 7:30 PM

Sunday @ 2 PM

Talkbacks to follow every performance

Aki Studio, Daniels Spectrum

585 Dundas Street East, Toronto

Pay-What-You-Can Tickets: $10, $20, $30

Available online at www.nativeearth.ca or by phone at 416.531.1402

Image: Firewater Thunderbird Rising. © 2023 Chief Lady Bird