At the January premiere of Unikkaaqtuat at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, we were welcomed by the NAC’s Indigenous Theatre artistic director Kevin Loring. He pointed out that we could expect to be puzzled: “Confusion is part of any cultural exchange, so please embrace it.” Embracing this ambitious collaboration between Igloolik’s social circus collective Artcirq, Quebec’s
The Havana-based Malpaso Dance Company gave an evocative performance of four distinct pieces at the National Arts Centre on January 19. This spectacular Ottawa debut of Cuba’s first independent dance company, established in 2012, stood out in its equal showcasing of male and female choreographers. The first piece, Indomitable Waltz (2016) by Alberta-born Aszure Barton,