Hello my name is BYRON McKIM. I am the Producer and Director of this unique six-part television series we created for Bravo!. This original aboriginal dance series is an eloquent union of First Nation storytelling, beautiful, haunting, stylized, hip-hop, traditional drum and singing music, modern and traditional dance styles interpreting age old stories connecting to the rite of passage of the soul and creation. These six different dance pieces were created and filmed in the locations of their origin. The bands include Inuit, Ojibwa, Cree, and Iroquois.

EPISODE # 1 - "The Hunter's Journey" - Story & choreographed by SYLVIA CLOUTIER

Sylvia is the Artistic Director & Owner of "Aqsarniit", an Inuit performing group whose members explore their own history and culture, creating new music and dances inspired by the northern aboriginal traditions of throat singing and drum dancing.

My first conversations with Sylvia about the series was back in July 2005. I told her I was developing a native dance series for Bravo! and I had received her name from a mutual friend we both knew. I asked if she would be interested in participating in the series. She was definitely interested in creating a modern dance piece that would be performed on the ice. A story about the old ways of Inuit life and how the traditional values of the past can still be valid on how we live our lives today.

That story became the basis for the dance piece titled "The Hunter's Journey" commissioned and created especially for the series. The story explores an Inuit hunter's journey to find food for his loving family. A great hunter who follows his instincts and the traditional ways in hunting the artic animals. He travels for days in search but with no success. As the days continue to pass his love and memories of his family waiting for his return drive him to madness. In the end his spirit still roams the vast artic searching for food for his family.

"The Hunter's Journey" was shot in Iqaluit, Nunavut in mid-April in minus 17C weather and 30km winds.

DANCERS:                                   KAKKI PETER & LAAKKULUK JESSEN WILLIAMSON

DIRECTED BY:                             BYRON McKIM

DIRECTOR of PHOTOGRAPHY:     JAMES SAINTHILL

MUSIC BY:                                  GERONIMO  INUTIQ

EDITED BY:                                 TOM STRNAD

EPISODE # 2 - " MANITOWAPAN " - Story & choreographed by  GAETAN GINGRAS

I had also obtained Gaetan's name from the same mutual friend we share with Sylvia. When I first approached Gaetan about filming 'Manitowapan' for the series he was a little reluctant. Okay, maybe a lot! He had a very bad experience with someone else who shot 'Manitowapan' in a church in one day - "...it was horrible!" It took several telephone conversations starting back in August 2005 and not until we finally met in Toronto a year later that I believe he realized I was serious in my intentions and I would take great respect and passion in guiding his creation through a visual journey that he would be proud of and the audience would love.

Gaetan is Iroquois - Mohawk who grew up in Drummondville, Quebec. He studied dance at Concordia University in Montreal and at the Toronto Dance Theatre. He quickly became known for his strong interpretation skills and athletic presence and became a soloist in John Kim Bell's 1993 production of "In the Land of the Spirit" which toured across Canada. Since that time Gaetan has created dozens of work and in 1998 was recognized by the Clifford E. Lee Foundation for his outstanding creations and contributions to the culture of Aboriginal people.

"Manitowapan" is rooted in the traditions of the First Nations People. The two essential elements of many native cultures is dance and storytelling. The idea of Manitowapan is not to portray the importance of storytelling or dance in native cultures but to focus on making visible the relationship between the spirit and the matter, the word and the movement, the mind and the body. For native people of the past, simple rituals as dance and storytelling served as great healing rituals for individuals and whole communities. The goal of a story or a dance was to recognize and to revere the presence of spirits in all worldly affairs, and through that simple act, to restore balance and unity.

"Manitowapan" was shot in and around Montreal in mid-June in 30C heat.

DANCERS:                                   SOPHIE LAVIGNE & GAETAN GINGRAS

DIRECTED BY:                             BYRON McKIM

DIRECTOR of PHOTOGRAPHY:     JAMES SAINTHILL

MUSIC BY:                                  FRANCOIS BEAUSOLEIL

EDITED BY:                                 TOM STRNAD

EPISODE # 3 - " PASKWAWIYNOWAK " - Dancers of the Great Plains - Story by BYRON McKIM

"Paskwawiynowak" is Cree for "Dancers of the Great Plains". This was the most difficult episode for me. Because there was no original stage production or contemporary dancers or story. Tyrone Tootoosis Sr. is the Group Leader of the Great Plains Indian Dance Troupe. The troupe is a group of 40 traditional powwow dancers. Many are second and third generation dancers and singers. I first made contact with Tyrone in September 2005 by email. It wouldn't be until June 2007 that we would meet for the first.

When I arrived in Saskatoon on a cold, wet and windy morning Ty was at the airport to meet me. I had asked if he could show me around Saskatoon to scout out locations. Ty had always suggested we shooting in Wanuskewin Heritage Park. And when we visited it on that day he was right! It had fields of 'blowing grass', very high hills overlooking the South Saskatoon River, a meandering creek in the valley, it had everything in one location. We next discussed dancers. How many dancers, what kind of dancers, what do we do about music? We came to the decision to use Men's Traditional, the Chicken Dance, Boy's Traditional, the Grass Dance and Women's Jingle Dance. Music was a tough one. Who's music could we use? We need 5 different songs. It was Ty who suggested using the songs of Juno Nominated singers 'Northern Cree' from their album'" Stay Red".  As he put it, the Rolling Stones of the aboriginal community. With the support of Robert Doyle of Canyon Records we were given the permission to use 5 songs from Northern Cree's "Stay Red" album.

The next question was "How do we take 5 traditional dances, combined with 5 popular First Nation singers music and tell a story. Taking the native tradition of storytelling and applying it to the visual elements of storytelling I decided that we would create a story of how dance is an important way of native culture. How dance was as old as the people's history. That dance is buried in the ground from their past waiting to be released, to tell their stories. The only way to set them free was to dance! I think you'll enjoy the results!

"Paskwawiynowak" - Dancers of the Great Plains was shot at Wanuskewin Heritage Park in Saskatoon in mid-July in 30C heat - but it was a dry heat!

DANCERS:                                   GREAT PLAINS INDIAN DANCE TROUPE - Tyrone Tootoosis Sr.

DIRECTED BY:                             BYRON McKIM

DIRECTOR of PHOTOGRAPHY:     JAMES SAINTHILL

MUSIC BY:                                  NORTHERN CREE - STAY RED ALBUM

EDITED BY:                                 TOM STRNAD

EPISODE # 4 - " PASSAGE " - Story & choreographed by CHRISTINE FRIDAY- O'LEARY

Christine Friday - O'Leary began her professional career in 1992 with John Kim Bell's production of "In the Land of Spirits" (does this production sound familiar to anyone?). This lead to a three year contract with Desrosiers Dance Theatre, touring across Canada, Aruba and New York City.

I met Christine for the first time at Weesageechak Begins to Dance in January 2007. I had original gone to meet Gaetan Gingras and see a new dance piece he had choreographed titled "My Father Told Me", a great piece by the way, when I watched Christine perform her new dance work - "Passage". I was blown away by her presence, her passion and her performance. Afterwards in the green room I asked her if she would consider having "Passage" in the series, she accepted my offer - "Thank you!"

"Passage" is a journey of discovering and defining ones true self.

DANCERS:                                   CHRISTINE FRIDAY - O'LEARY & JODY BECKER

DIRECTED BY:                             BYRON McKIM

DIRECTOR of PHOTOGRAPHY:     JAMES SAINTHILL

MUSIC BY:                                  EDGARDO MONRENO

EDITED BY:                                 TOM STRNAD

EPISODE # 5 - " HERE on EARTH " - Story & choreographed by SANTEE SMITH

I was fortunate be able to shoot "Here on Earth" for the series because of Santee's busy work schedule. She is constantly on the go between touring, performing, and creating. Good for you, Santee - You go Girl!

Santee is a member of the Mohawk Nation, Turtle Clan from Six Nations of the Grand, Ontario. Santee works as a choreographer, dancer and potty designer. She is committed to sharing traditional and contemporary stories of her indigenous culture. It is her interest in her culture and the cycles of the natural world that are the inspiration and focus of her creative direction. Santee attended the National Ballet school of Canada from 1982 - 1988 and holds a Masters Degree in Dance from York University.

"Here on Earth" is an exploration of spiritual connection to the land, Earth as living organism, Earth as Mother, Earth as sacred. Four primal Beings Journey from the Sky to touch the Earth. Each takes a path that leads them through an incredible journey of discovery and transformation. Time stands still as the dancers becomes shamans transforming from humans to animals. Moving through shape and form the dancers unite in ritual expression inhabiting the land of spirits, animal, plant and human. The dance is drawn from the Iroquoian Creation Story with the existence of the Sky world and the Water World/Turtle Island. The work embraces the belief that humans were originally Sky Dwellers who dream their existence on earth. 

It was weird weather. Cool and rainy to hot and humid, but I must thank Steve Drew @ Nelson Aggregate in Burlington, Ontario for all his help!

DANCERS:                                   SANTEE SMITH, EMILY LAW, ALEX MERAZ & BRIAN SOLOMON

DIRECTED BY:                              BYRON McKIM

DIRECTOR of PHOTOGRAPHY:      BRAD SMITH

MUSIC COMPOSED BY:                  DONALD QUAN with David Maracle & Rick Lazar

EDITED BY:                                 TOM STRNAD

EPISODE # 6 - " TRIPTYCH " - Story & choreographed by MICHAEL GREYEYES

Michael is a member of Muskeg Lake First Nation. Most people recognize Michael as a film and television actor, but what a lot people may not know is that Michael graduated from the National Ballet School in Toronto and in 1984 he went on to apprentice with the National Ballet of Canada before he joined the company as a full Corps de Ballet member. He performed in all the major classics, including Swan Lake, Giselle and Romeo and Juliet. In 1990 he left the National Ballet to join famed choreographer Eliot Feld in New York City. While in The Big Apple, Michael danced in many performances as a soloist, and as a featured dancer in many roles.