Matriarchs Uprising: Choreographic Methods with Samantha Sutherland

As part of Matriarchs Uprising, a three-day festival of contemporary Indigenous women’s dance presented by Dance Victoria in partnership with O.Dela Arts, choreographer Samantha Sutherland leads an advanced contemporary dance class that explores the reciprocity of the circle and the cycles woven through stories, memories of the land, and the imprints carried within our bodies.

Through embodied prompts and visceral imagery, participants will move and reflect in connection to the choreographic themes of Samantha's work, naⱡa. Together, the class will journey through a series of teachings naturally ingrained in our bones through the experience of living and residing as human beings on this planet.

Workshop Details
Class Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Arrival Time: Please arrive by 1:15 pm for check-in.
Location: Dance Victoria Studios, Shaw Studio —111-2750 Quadra Street (2nd floor).
Accessibility
Venue Information
Dance Victoria Studios (2750 Quadra St. #111) has level access on the top floor accessed through the upper parking lot. It has two gendered washrooms and one wheelchair accessible, gender neutral washroom.
Parking & Transit
There are two free parking lots: one in front of Dance Victoria's main entrance and one beside the side entrance in the upper parking lot. Some of the BC transit bus routes that run near Dance Victoria are: #6 along Quadra St, #4 along Hillside Ave, and others along Douglas St.

Important Note
Photos will be taken during the workshop. A photo release form will be available to sign. Consent to photos is NOT mandatory to participate. If you are under 18 years old, a parent or guardian must sign the waiver and photo release form.

About Samantha Sutherland

Samantha Sutherland is a contemporary dance artist, choreographer, and teacher based in Tkaronto. Her ancestry is Ktunaxa and Scottish. She grew up on Coast Salish territory and graduated from the Arts Umbrella Dance Diploma Program in 2018.

Samantha began choreographing dance solo works in 2021 and has presented in festivals across Turtle Island. Some include the Matriarchs Uprising Festival, Sharing the Stage with The National Ballet of Canada, Dance Made in Canada, SummerWorks, and Weesageechak Begins to Dance. Samantha premiered her first ensemble dance work naⱡa at Citadel Spring Mix in Toronto, and later presented the work in Vancouver at the Matriarchs Uprising Festival.

She has performed in dance works by Raven Spirit Dance, Santee Smith, Olivia C. Davies, Alejandro Ronceria, and Jera Wolfe. She is currently on faculty at The Centre for Indigenous Theatre, and an Artistic Associate with O.Dela Arts.

Dance Victoria’s presentation of Matriarchs Uprising is generously funded by TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment.
Consider making a charitable donation. Your gift ensures that we can continue to offer meaningful support to independent dance artists, including community workshops. Donate here.

Photo Credit: Samantha Sutherland by Drew Berry