It starts with the reinvention of the body, a lone dancer becoming both horse and rider. Barefoot and strong bodied, she is the epitome of beauty and grace as the herd welcomes her. The sun rises on the prairie plane revealing this story of birth and re-birth, a celebration of culture, and the cycles of the seasons. Quietly, the Mongolian throat singing begins, echoing across this seemingly vast landscape. You don’t know where you are, but it’s fucking beautiful.

Sure, it sounds all too picturesque and maybe even strangely cheesy, but from the moment the lights went down in the Fleck Dance Theatre, TONO’s epic, cinematic story captured the hearts of every lucky Luminato attendee.

 

This latest creation from Red Sky Performances, celebrates the indigenous cultures of three separate nations. Through dance, music, and costume TONO explores the surprisingly common parallels between native Canadian, Chinese (Inner Mongolia), and Mongolian cultures. The title of the piece is derived from a universal trait in these indigenous cultures- a tono is the circular opening at the top of a gee, a tent-like structure integral to the nomadic lifestyle. This opening was said to be a link between the physical and spiritual realm, a way of connecting with the past and the potential future, much like the dance piece itself, which combines thousands of years of tradition and history with contemporary dance and a modern perspective.

Co-choreographed by artistic director Sandra Laronde and Roger Sinha, Red Sky Performances developed a piece with a six dancers; Caihong, Morigen and Wei Jie (all of whom are Mongolian), Julie Choquette, Carlos Rivera and Raul Talamante (who are all Canadians), and four international musicians. The musicians performed live on stage, with a variety of instruments (from all countries involved) and a unique style of lyrical work, expertly composed by Rick Sack. This, combined with a pre-recorded soundscape transported us across the world, from Alberta into the heart of Mongolia. Although rather repetitive, this cycle of sounds perfectly illustrated the circular intertwining of cultures.

The ending was abrupt, a jolt of silence and sudden darkness. Perhaps it was purposeful, but it was rather unsatisfying for a typical Canadian audience. Still, the performers and devisers came out to a ruckus of well-deserved applause.

I had the chance to chat with Julia Tribe, the artistically gifted set and costume designer for this piece. She let me in on some of the details behind the creative process, talking the show through from conception to world tour.

“The importance is in the journey,” she says, referring to both the piece as a whole and her experience as an artist. “You have to remember it all started with a blank slate.” She begins reminiscing on the summer she spent in Banff. The artists got together, and started with nothing but a vague idea and a pile of research. She explains it as a marriage of cultural and design elements, as she and the rest of the artistic team delved into a history that wasn’t necessarily their own, but opened many interesting doors and design opportunities.

As the international artists came together for the first time in Banff, it was obvious they were creating something revolutionary. The first day the musicians joined the company stands out in Julia’s mind. There is something about seeing your work come together and mesh with other artists that is wholly satisfying.

Visual elements from the amalgamated cultures show themselves in different aspects of Julia’s work. The fringe adorning the costumes are obviously taken from the traditional garb of Canadian plainsmen, but their position on the clothing and their movement hint at Mongolian style outfits. This design comes together to highlight the intricate movement of the dancers.

I ask Julia what her favorite element of the design was, and she surprises me by saying simple, “the floor”. The grey dance floor, a concept developed with the help of the original choreographer, seems bland at first, almost too simple. After seeing the show, it was easy to understand why this simple element is so appealing. Not only does grey go with every colour palette, but with the help of some lighting (expertly designed by Kimberly Purtell) it allows for the sky and land to meld into each other, like the plains that stretch on for days. A sea of grass that flows on and somehow becomes the horizon, then the sky, which disappears into itself. This graceful scenic movement helps emphasize and move the nonlinear story. Julia’s design constantly hinted at this idea of movement and cycles.

The circle motif constantly reappeared throughout the performance, from the physical image of the tono hanging above the dancers and the patterns it cast on the floor, to the cyclical interpretation of the seasons. Ironically, this cyclical idea is even seen in the geography of the show’s international tour.

Having been featured in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, TONO is coming full circle and is headed to the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. This lucky circumstance is reflective of just how important shows like this have become to the global community. Encompassing cultures from our homeland as well as Asian countries, this piece is the epitome of “multicultural”, and in times of continuing global conflict, finding the ties that bind us together is an increasingly important task. As director/choreographer Laronde says, “Despite our many differences, at the root of each society lies the shared experiences of its First Peoples.” In the true spirit of Luminato, this performance is about bringing people together.