Bronitsky and Associates Blog

The end of the old year, the start of the new year, both approaching fast! 2009 was quite a year. I initiated and produced an international Indigenous theater festival in London in May–ORIGINS™ (www.originsfestival.com), something I’ve been dreaming about since 1998. What an incredible experience! And I toured Sami playwright Harriet Nordlund from Sweden to the US and Apache playwright David Velarde from New Mexico to Sweden.

2010 promises to be even larger, bolder, and more exciting:

• touring Mariachi Imperial de America to Albania and Macedonia under the auspices of the US embassies there, and meeting with Albanians about coproducing an Albanian performing arts festival to bring the best Albanian performers to the world
• touring Sami rights pioneer Magne Ove Varsi from Norway to the US in April–including Hawaii! University of Minnesota is also one of the stops, so it will be interesting figuring out what to pack for tropical Hawaii and, shall I say, less than tropical Minneapolis
• speaking of cold weather, the Chinle Valley Singers have been invited to perform in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada in May, pending funding, and I’ll be accompanying them to speak to people there about creating a Nunavut performing arts event. I’ll definitely have to take a sweater!
• funding permitting, though, I’ll be able to warm up in June, going with the Chinle Valley Singers to the San Juan Fiesta in Lima, Peru, and meeting with Ashaninka and Yanesha performers and artists
• there may even be another tropical jaunt, with Mariachi Imperial de America in July to the Dominican Republic, as they’ve been invited to perform at a formal reception at the home of the US ambassador there
• maybe I’ll even produce an event in Santa Fe, as Bruce Bernstein, the director of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA), has invited me to produce a throatsinging concert in Santa Fe during Indian market with Lois Suluk and Maria Illungiayok from Nunavut and a throatsinger from Mongolia. I’ve toured Lois and Maria to Ireland and Mexico and enjoyed working with them–but I haven’t met them yet. This could be my big chance!

There will be more coming in the year ahead, but that should give some idea of what’s going on.

And now that I’ve turned 60 and been doing this for 15 years, I’ve been thinking about where I want to go next–not geographically, but professionally. But you’ll have to wait til my next blog entry!

Amsterdam was a delight, as always.  I stayed with an old friend–we first met on an archeological dig in New Mexico in 1968!  We’ve shared many of each other’s ups and downs over the years so it was a pleasure to share some down time after the rather frantic pace of my visit to London.

I met with the Director of the National Dance Theater of the Netherlands–a fascinating man whose background is in traditional music, dance and costume.  As a result, we had much to talk about,  since I’m trained as an anthropologist and archeologist with focus on North American Indians, and the first group I toured (and still tour) was the Chinle Valley Singers, traditional Navajo music and dance.  He liked the modern dance fest idea–stay tuned!

All too soon, time to head off to Amsterdam.  I regret that I didn’t have the opportunity to see Salvage or Windmill Baby.  I had had the pleasure of meeting David Milroy, the author of Windmill Baby and founder of the Yirra Yaakin Noongar Theater, at the ORIGINS™ launch in 2007.  And then we took a 20-day tour of tribal colleges and public universities and tribal schools in the US Midwest–what a great experience that was!

I also had the pleasure of meeting Diane Glancy, the author of Salvage, during that memorable road trip as well, with much enjoyable and interesting conversation over dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas.  I was delighted that her play Salvage was the first US play at ORIGINS™.

And then on to Amsterdam to visit an old friend and relax and kick back for a while.  I’ve been to Amsterdam several times and it is a city I always enjoy.

Only one meeting scheduled here–with the Director of the National Dance Theater of the Netherlands.  Among other things, I want to propose an international Indigenous modern dance festival–why not?!!  Imagine a single event where you could see Santee Smith and Kompani Nomad and Black Swan and Rosalie Jones and . . . and . . . and . . .   Once again, there will be plenty of talent to choose from!

I also took the opportunity of being in London, theater capital of the world, to see a musical.  What a pleasant dilemma–so many excellent choices!  We finally narrowed it down to The Lion King, and were delighted.  The Tony award-winning masks and costumes, the choreography, the use of every part of the theater–the aisles, the balconies, actors floating above the stage, Pride Rock and so much more.  It definitely was a most memorable event–quite a spectacular evening!  But I also thought to myself that I helped bring theater to London too, other voices with stories to be heard.

I’ve definitely been going to a lot of meetings.  But they have given me the opportunity to meet with some great people who have been receiving our e-newsletter, From All Directions, and share ideas.  With the Olympics year coming up in 2012, I think it is important for all of us, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, producers, artists, venues, audiences, to be aware of the great range of Indigenous talent and to be prepared to propose it and push for it.

Ever onward!