emerge

“Shedding superficial layers that shield her from the cold, Janvier resigns to a snowy wood bisected by a dark creek. Her rigidity thaws into a fluid ritual, bathing in the icy air insulated only by her underthings and her resolve. In a vulnerable moment, this human finds primal solidarity with water (in all its states) as a generator of life. Though the work feels technically primitive, the narrative Janvier gently weaves is direct and honest.” (review: Sarah Jo Kirsch-The Uniter)

E|Merge is the name of the residency I attended at Earthdance, MA. While I was there, most of my work time was spent outdoors either in collaboration with others or alone in the woods. I came across this spot along the creek which a friend had named the womb centre. In a space of healing my own wounds, I sat down and was thinking of transformation of the snow to water, especially as we held a New Moon gathering where we melted snow, carried it to a tiny cabin in the woods, whispered our thoughts/prayers/wishes to the water before meditating in silence. As women we are influenced by the waters in and around us with our cycles. The blanket as remembrance to those who have gone before us and a reminder to keep our circles strong. 

*after previewing the video at the end of the residency, I shared a story of a burn I experienced on my lower stomach and how I wished I could meditate the scars to magically disappear. Just like how I wished the snow we melted and whispered to (which turned brown) would magically be clear after we meditated together. From there I place the vessel of water on my stomach where I did a dance with it with musicians improvising live music. 

Screened at the following festivals:
Asinabka Festival (Ottawa)- August 2018
Skylines Dance and Film Festival (Winnipeg)- August 2018
Mile Zero’s Reeling (Edmonton)- September 2018
WNDX Festival of Moving Images (Winnipeg)- September 2018
VideoSkin Contemporary Dance Video Works (Yukon)- November 2018

Dancing Light Through Birch Bark

Archeological Photographer Hilary McDonald, Dancer/Choreographer Kristy Janvier and Composer/Musician Mark Kolt will take you on a live tribute with music and dance of Birch Bark Biting of Pat Bruderer.

Contemporary dance by Kristy Janvier; harmonica by Doug McGregor; birch bark biting inspired from the works of Half Moon Woman, Pat Bruderer; concept, video and audio recording by Hilary McDonald.

blueberry jam

My first attempt at beadwork and these little blues were a success! Taking orders, just send a message in contact on About page. 

 

ObScene

Sarasvati

"ob"- toward, against, across, down, over, for the sake of...

obedience
obey
object
obligation
obligatory
oblique
oblivion
observe
obsess
obsidian
obstacles
obstetrical
obstruct
obtrusive
obvious

 

ObScene: By holding onto our beliefs or judgements, how can we create connection? A performance art piece that explores healthy sensuality as a means of release.
Performed at Sarasvati's International Women's Week Cabaret of Monologues: I AM UNSTOPPABLE

Forest Floor

Indian Tales

Fact or Fiction?
"Nobody does Native Americana better than" these authors. 

put up

Forest Floor- Weesageechak 30

Native Earth

A work in progress showing at Weesageechak Begins to Dance presented by Native Earth.
Video to come soon. 

photo credit: Kaytee Dalton

Re:

re-

prefix1.

indicating return to a previous condition,restoration, withdrawal, etc: rebuild, renew,retrace, reunite

2.

indicating repetition of an action: recopy, remarry

Returning to Canada one year ago (July 1, 2016) I reflect on my notes from a conversation and presentation I attended while in Winnipeg, MB.  It's hard to imagine to return to the person or state I was before.  I've lived away from Canada for so long and  have been watching the resurgence of First Nations people from afar.  At times the process seems slow but never had I felt more reverence for the people who are rising above and returning to the heart of this land. 

George&George

          

Hello... It's only occurring to me now that you should be the ones I write to. I have known your absence all my life, yet it never occurred that I should reach out to you, your spirit.  Maybe its because you were both outdoorsmen and you have left behind your presence in the lakes, the sight of the Eagle or Northern Lights.

What I know of you is mostly stories from my parents.  I feel as though they know the importance of keeping your memory alive.  The others, they don't speak of you as often, or at least not around me.

I've always had a fondness for grandpas, whether its in passing, while I'm at work those who belong to friends.  I never had that experience of the care from a grandpa.  When my sister speaks of you (Corky) she talks about about a smell, a smell that my senses do not know.

It's strange to think about how can one miss another they've never known.  Do I even miss you?  How would my life been different if you had stayed longer on this Earth in physical form?

But returning to your presence in nature, the bush or Up North, you are alive.  Your wisdom of the land and how to do things exists so how can it be that one ever leaves?  Because we are part of everything, I feel as though I can believe you are here.  I was spared the experience of direct loss when you left your body as I was too young.  I know know where I was at the time.  I don't remember the sadness of my parents of family.  There is a photo of us the burial-all in our red checkered jackets.  One of the few moments in time we gathered together. 

If you were alive, I would've loved to hear stories from you.  Your perspective on growing up in the bush.  The hard work.  Or did you even see it as work or just a way of life?  Even if you didn't share stories verbally, the chance to sit with you would be enough as stories live in the bodies of those who have lived them.

I will sign off for now.  As you know, things are okay down here.  Maybe someday I see your spirit again, in passing.  Until then... Much Love. 

Healing and Action Through Live Performance

We gathered together for six days at Canada Stage in Toronto to work with Kiki Katese, the founding director of Rwanda Professional Dreamers and Ingoma Nshya ("New Era")-Women Initiatives.  She spoke of her work around loss with survivors and perpetrators of the genocide in Rwanda.  The forgiveness required in order to move forward is almost unimaginable.  We were then asked to write personal letters of loss to serve as material to work with for our public showing.  It was an intense time... each story of loss had connections to others yet we each stood alone in our own process.  With trust our stories weaved together through moments of listening, vulnerability and song (from China, Mi'kmag, Rwanda).  

My deepest thank-you to Theatre of Upheaval-Native Earth Performing Arts, Woodlands Cultural Centre and Volcano Theatre to help bring me here. 

¡Walang Hiya!

Shameless or Immoral

Balance. Beauty. Belonging. Body Image. Bonding. Bounding. Collaboration. Consent. Habits. Identity. Judgements. Norms. Objectification. Oppression. Physical. Power. Privilege. Questions. Relate. Relationships. Sharing Weight. Social. Taboos. Values. 

Facilitated by: Daniel Mang (Sweden), Ea Torrado (Philippines) and Sze-Wei Chan (Singapore)                  With support of: Daloy Dance Company, Metro Manila, Philippines

Down by the River

Rachel Brown Theatre

The piece began before I knew why I was standing in the middle of a bridge filming the water below. I was considering the rivers of the country and how they were the past highways of how our ancestors arrived to where they settled. My focus again shifted when the opportunity to be supported by Young Lungs Dance Exchange in Winnipeg-the centre point of Canada, home of the Red River. The original piece had four self identified Indigenous women together on the stage. Our discussion would centre around bloodlines with our movement around healing. Can we heal not only the fluids in our bodies but the water collected from the Red River on stage with us, representing lost sisters as well as the spirits that brought us here.
Chi Miigwetch to my co-collaborators- Emily Solstice Barker, Lise McMillan, and Rayanna Seymour. 

photo credit: Leif Norman, last four photos are from the artist

Inner Dance

Letting Go and Shaping

I know: there are lines of communication linking me to others.

I know: not all the connections will be made.

I know: the road is not always smooth.

I know: the connection can go two ways.

I know: I am at the centre. A smooth seed that is kept warm by what surrounds it.

I know: I know.

Letting go and shaping is just one of the many workshop titles I have taken with Expressive Arts Pioneer, Markus Scott Alexander, while in Hong Kong 2015&16.  "Be excited about your abilities and the showing to other of their abilities. That element of Surprise".