The Berkley Street Theatre is currently home to Red Sky Performance and their production of Miigis: Underwater Panther. A beautiful combination of live music and impressive choreography, Miigis: Underwater Panther is an intriguing exploration of Indigenous culture and heritage. Taking us from the birth of humanity to present day, this story of hope triumphing over adversity is one you absolutely should see.

            Before the performance, director and choreographer Sandra Laronde spoke about how Red Sky Performance, along with its partners like Canadian Stage, are working to elevate the Indigenous Cannon of theatre; with myriad unrecorded stories from time immemorial, the more Indigenous works we can see live on stage, the more that cannon establishes itself and grows. I’ve been so thankful to bear witness to this throughout the past year and I look forward to companies like Red Sky Performance continue this extremely important work.

            Miigis: Underwater Panther is performed by six artists: Daniela Carmona, Kristin DeAmorim, Eddie Elliott, Moira Human-Blaise, Jason Martin, and Mio Sakamoto. Their grace and athleticism are awe-inspiring; the way they’re able to move their bodies, particularly totally in sync, is mesmerizing. They are everything from birds to undersea creatures, to a Totem Pole. Watching them jump, tumble, and dance across the stage makes this sixty-minute performance pass by in the blink of an eye. Accompanying them with live music and singing are Ora Barlow-Tukaki, Marie Gaudet, Rick Sacks, and Ian De Souza. Using a combination of ancient and modern instruments, the music for Miigis: Underwater Panther is a unique, beautiful experience. They make every sound from the rushing of the water to the roar of the panther; each moment brings unique and moving sound to compliment the movement of the dancing performers.

            Miigis: Underwater Panther is an essential piece of live performance happening in Toronto right now and I urge you to go and see it. The beauty of these performers is bar none, and the story is part of our necessary understanding of Anishinaabe legend and culture. For more information and tickets, visit: Miigis: Underwater Panther (canadianstage.com)

---

Photo by John Lauener