Back to Indigenous Arts Program 2020

Sophie Dow

Winnipeg-born Sophie Dow is an emerging dance and music artist, inspired by interdisciplinary collaboration and her Métis-Assiniboine and settler roots. As an avid adventurer, she has a passion for busking, yoga and traveling on top of holding a specialized honours degree in Dance Performance and Choreography from York University.

In 2018 and 2019, Sophie toured across Turtle Island as a dancer and music artist.  Highlights featured performing in opening ceremonies of Shambhala Music Festival (Salmo River, BC), filming with Vero Films (Vancouver, BC) and teaching dance in over 20 schools in rural and urban contexts throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

With a unique list of credits deeply impacting her creative process and vocabulary, Sophie has had the great fortune of working with some of Canada’s top dance innovators, including with companies Chimera Dance Theatre and Kaeja d’Dance.  

Currently Sophie is currently creating an album release performance with musician Laura Reznek, preparing for adelheid’s re:research project and is part of Chimera Dance Theatre and Lab.  She writes music, performs and busks regularly throughout Ontario with her band The Honeycomb Flyers and is a licensed Holistic Practitioner of Traditional Thai Massage.

Mountain Duets

Through contemporary/modern dance, music and multimedia, Mountain Duets is a ceremony.  We follow an individual that falls into a chaotic haze, losing sight of balance and stillness.  Calling upon the ancestors of the land, they journey together through traditional teachings, reminding us of our deeply rooted strength, resilience and reciprocity to each other and to Mother Earth.

Team

  • Interpreters: Shannon Flaicher, Maria Lucia Llano, Paige Sayles, Tyra Temple-Smith, Sophie Dow
  • Choreographer: Sophie Dow in collaboration with interpreters
  • Stage Manager: Connie Oreamuno
  • Projections: Connie Oreamuno
  • Sound Design: Sophie Dow
  • Costume Design: Sophie Dow & Clayton Lormand
  • Lighting Design: Theodore Belc
  • Graphic Design: Connie Oreamuno
  • Mentor: Brian Soloman

Special thanks to: Linda Rose, Vitantonio Spinelli, Malgorzata Nowacka-May, Cliff Cardinal, and Jay Northcott. Mountain Duets was developed with Kaeja d’Dance & New Blue Emerging Dance Creative Risk Residency and the Residency Program at Peggy Baker Dance Projects & Canada’s National Ballet School. Mountain Duets is supported by The National Ballet of Canada’s Open Space Programme.

Schedule

Part of the 2020 Festival