Official site of the Astoria & Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce

Publications | Transportation | Area Maps | Area Facts | Email Newsletter | Facebook | Chamber Membership | Contact

Home » Events

Children of the Raven

Native American tradition meets classical ballet in Eugene Ballet Company’s Children of the Raven The production of Children Of The Raven is based on the legends of four Northwest tribes: Haida, Tsimshian, Tlingit, and Kwakiutl. Each of the legends is recorded in the Bureau of American Ethnology from tribal sources in the 1800s and has been approved for performance by the tribal councils. The ballet tells the tale of how each tribe adopted a crest and concludes with the raising of the totem pole bearing these crests at a potlatch.

Children Of The Raven does not copy Native American dance or music. It is an impressionistic approach to the culture using ballet and modern dance techniques to tell the stories. Each of the legends is narrated by Native American storyteller Ed Edmo, emphasizing the importance of both dance and storytelling to the culture of the Northwest peoples. Three years of research into the project, masks and dance styles typical of the tribes in the region are evident in the care with which the choreographer Toni Pimble has constructed the ballet.

Also on the program are the Pas De Deuxs from Common Ground and Divertimento. The other full ballet on the program is Without the Cover. A new ballet by Venezuelan dancer and choreographer Gillmer Duran, Without the Cover is a metaphorical exploration of how society constrains people and what happens when they reveal themselves. Set to Spontaneous Compositions on Themes of J.S. Bach, recorded by Venezuelan Gabriela Montero, the ballet is a multi-layered work presented in a simple way. Like unwrapping a gift or undressing, Without the Cover is an act of strength and vulnerability.

Event Information