“At its very depth, Confluence is about community.”
Part of Kia Mau Festival 2025
A Collection of Works from Raven Spirit Dance
As part of Kia Mau Festival’s He Ngaru Nui programme, the collection Braiding the Land traces the connections between vast ancestral landscapes with our bodies.
Unearthed through movement are the deep connections to expansive mountain ranges from North and South America in Spine of the Mother, the stillness of a winter boreal forest in Frost Exploding Trees Moon and the journey of a rushing river in Confluence.
This repertoire is a testament to the work that has been created within the arms of Raven Spirit Dance for the past twenty years.
Grounded, expressive, and always in honour of the land that holds us.
A Premiere Season in Aotearoa, Braiding The Land journeys to us from Vancouver, Turtle Island, from the unceded ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-waututh) First Nations.
He Ngaru Nui is more than just a collection of performances—it is a bold statement about the value and significance of Indigenous narratives. These shows take stories that sometimes feel small, intimate, or unheard, and amplify them on the grand stages they deserve. This programming strand honours the storytelling traditions of Māori, Pasifika and global indigenous cultures, while pushing the boundaries of contemporary performance. It’s about taking stories from our communities and sharing them with the world in a way that is both respectful and revolutionary.
“At its very depth, Confluence is about community.”
