≈ 70 minutes · No intermission
Last updated: February 29, 2024
A Note from the Artistic Director, NAC Indigenous Theatre & the Executive Producer, NAC Dance
hOOlmah! Kwey Kwey! Welcome! Bienvenue!
It is a real honour and a rare opportunity to welcome Elle Sofe Sara to the National Arts Centre. NAC Dance and Indigenous Theatre have joined forces to present Vástádus eana/ The answer is land/ La réponse est la terre, an essential piece offering audiences a deeply meaningful experience.
Elle Sofe is the voice of the Sami people, expressing their efforts to battle injustice and to retain and celebrate their culture, mirroring the experience of many of the world's indigenous peoples, including here in Canada. We join the procession of the seven women in the show, marching in unity as they invite us into an evening of polyphonic Yoiking and powerful movement.
A Note from Elle Sofe Sara
The Answer is Land is a poem that I came across a few years ago.
The poem is part of an artwork called Kiss From the Border by Jenni Laiti, Niillas Holmberg and Outi Piesku, where eight lines of poetry were placed along the Deanu river valley, on the border between Finland and Norway. The Kiss From the Border project caught my attention because it is political and activist art that is driven by love rather than anger.
Love and connection to nature, our surroundings and people are important to me, as I live in a Sámi village and society. I had an urge to create a dance and joik experience where connection to the place (the land, nature) and togetherness are the main themes. That’s the starting point of this project.
The joiks (Sámi traditional songs) are mountain joiks and joiks relating to nature. Some are from archives, some composed by Frode Fjellheim, one of the joiks performer Sara Marielle and I have learned from an elder, and one of the joiks is composed by me. It feels truly extraordinary that these joiks, that come from all over Sápmi, are joiked, heard and get a space in the public each time we meet an audience.
Often people ask me how they should define or look at my work: is it dance, is it a performance concert, theatre or what? In my opinion there is no need to define. Vástadus eana/ The answer is land is its own.
Let yourself be carried away, feel and experience it!
Vástádus eana / The answer is land
Community and kinship between people and nature, are the main themes of this performance. The choreography is inspired by demonstrations, Sami spiritual practices and formation dance. The polyphonic yoik is composed by Frode Fjellheim and works as a supportive pillar throughout the work.
Elle Sofe Sara Company
Elle Sofe Company was established in 2022 as a continuation of the work of choreographer, director and film-maker Elle Sofe Sara who has been a full-time artist since 2007.
While the company’s base is Sámi culture the artistic work touches upon human aspects and global themes such as belonging, togetherness, nature and ancestral knowledge. The company aims to create unique experiences of dance, yoik (Sámi traditional song) and music that make lasting impressions and give new perspectives for the audience.
In 2021 Sara premiered the performance Vástádus eana – The answer is land which has toured extensively worldwide since and received the Norwegian Critics Award for dance in 2022 with numerous excellent critics. In 2023 she choreographed BIRGET; ways to deal, ways to heal for Carte Blanche dance company. This performance also received the Critics Award and is currently touring. Currently Sara is developing her first feature film ÁRRU, which is a yoik musical about abuse. In the years to come new danceworks will premiere. From 2024 the company offers Summer intensive and work in progress showings.
Elle Sofe Company wishes to expand and develop further, we wish to reach people beyond borders and encounter meetings with a diversity of people, cultures and lifestyles. We strive to be innovative, kindhearted and unifying.
Joik lyrics
Asking for permission
Asking for permission with humbleness
Asking this place permission to be here
Giving a promise to this place and land
To leave it as I found it
Composer: Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska
Text: Elle Sofe Sara, Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska
The answer is land
Land is the question, the answer is land
Only take what’s needed
Scoop the water along the stream,
cut the branches along the grain
Let the river be the bridge
Clean water, the sacred song
Composer: Frode Fjellheim
Text: Jenni Laiti, Niillas Holmberg, Outi Pieski
The Lukin mountain
The Lukin Mountain was like a church
an aspen tree was like a priest
The Isle Mountains were like an alter
the cones of spruce were like candles
Traditional leudd taught by Anfisa Ivanova Gerasimova.
Arrangement: Frode Fjellheim
The Great Northern Mountain
The Great Northern Mountain
Lush is the grass
The female reindeers and the calves grazes
This is the yoik of The Great Northern Mountain
Traditional vuelie as taught by Gaebpien-Njaita Charlotta.
Arrangement: Frode Fjellheim
Farewell Beahcan-tundra
Farewell Beahcán tundras,
farewell Beahcán tundras
Now we have to leave you
No home, no home where we arrived
Everyhing was unknown
and strange where we arrived
She stood on the stairs
and yoiked the yoik
When she had to leave,
had to leave behind
Farewell dear tundras
Traditional yoik as taught by Nils I. Porsanger.
Artists
Elle Sofe Sara is described as one of the most interesting and important choreographers in her generation in Norway. She grew up in and lives in Guovdageaidnu Finnmark. In addition to working as a choreographer, she has also made several award-winning short films and documentaries. She is currently working on a feature film, which will be the first feature film musical in Sámi language.
Sara’s work expands upon seemingly mundane, often overlooked areas of Sámi physicality—unspoken rituals that have escaped the vice grip of colonialism. Sara uncovers a space in which the past and the present coincide.
While her choreography is known for its playful approach, she also delves into taboo subjects such as trauma, abuse, and suicide. As an Indigenous artist, Sara seeks to create work that resonates as strongly for her community as it does for the art world.
Internationally, Sara has created work with Liu Chi (China), Wimme (Finland), and Lana Hansen (Greenland) among others. She is also the co-founder of DÁIDDADÁLLU, a Sámi indiginous contemporary art collective.
Often people ask me how they should define or look at my work: is it dance, is it a performance concert, theatre or what? In my opinion there is no need to define. Vástadus eana / The answer is land is its own.
Let yourself be carried away, feel and experience it!
Sara Marielle Gaup is a traditional and modern north-Sámi juoigi (yoiker) who also works with duodji (Sámi crafts). She is a mother and an activist and has a decolonizing agenda with everything she does. She wears gákti (traditional clothes) every day, and she yoiks/sings daily.
Sara Marielle has been a full-time musician the last 20 years and is one of the most known sámi yoik-artists. She is most known for being the vocalist and composer in the music groups Adjágas and Arvvas. Because of the colonization and christening of Sápmi that led to a severe decrease and almost disappearance of the sámi culture, Sara Marielle`s longstanding project has always been to learn and teach traditional sámi luohti (yoik) in order to keep this endangered tradition alive.
Emma Elliane Oskal Valkeapää is a Sàmi artist and actress from Guovdageaidnu. Growing up with traditional Sámi music and yoik, Oskal Valkeapää creates contemporary music where she combines her own yoiks and songs with modern elements.
Oskal Valkeapää collaborates with Sara as a yoiker. Their collaboration started in 2023 when she became a yoiker in Vástádu eana – The answer is land.
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Grete Daling works as a senior lecturer at Nord University and is a freelance singer, singing coach, teacher and conductor. She has extensive experience in classical singing, Cuban music and joik, and works mostly on the use of voice, especially in relation to ensembles such as vocal groups and choirs.
Darling collaborates with Sara as a singer and vocally as a co-creator. Their collaboration started in 2021 during the production of Vástádus eana / The answer is land.
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Olga-Lise Holmen is a freelance musician/artist. She is a sea-sámi and has taken back her indigenous roots during the last years.
Holmen collaborates with Sara as a singer, yoiker and as a co-creator vocally. Their collaboration started in 2021 during the production of Vástádus eana / The answer is land.
Nora Sveninng is a contemporary dancer with a background in classical ballet. She has worked with choreographers/companies such as Panta Rei Dance Theater, Sølvi Edvardsen, Astrid Serine Hoel, Frikar, and has toured nationally and internationally.
Svenning works with Sara as a dancer and with generating movement material. Their collaboration started in 2017 during the production of Jielemen Aavoe.
Vilja Tjemsland Kwaśny is a Norwegian/Polish dancer. She has worked as a freelance dancer with choreographers such as Roza Moshtaghi, Simone Grøtte, Karen Eide Bøen, Tormod Midtbø, Hege Haagenrud and Shi Pratt. Vilja has worked with the dance company Nagelhus Schia Productions since 2019 and was employed as a dancer in Carte Blanche – The Norwegian National Company for Contemporary Dance in 2021.
Tjemsland Kwaśny collaborates with Sara as a dancer and with generating movement material. She also serves as a project manager for Birra. Their collaboration started in 2022 when she became a dancer in Vástádus eana / The answer is land.
Julie Moviken is a performer and creator. She has worked with choreographers such as Kristin Helgebostad, Ingri Fiksdal and Janne-Camilla Lyster.
Moviken collaborates with Sara as a dancer and with generating movement material. Their collaboration started in 2021 during the production of Vástádu eanas / The answer is land.
Credits
Elle Sofe Sara
Artistic Leader, Choreographer
Elle Sofe Sara
Composer
Frode Fjellheim
Co-Choreographer
Alexandra Wingate
Costumes
Line Maher
Costume sewing
Caroline Bratt
Johanna Sutinen
Line Maher
Set Design
Elin Melberg
Lighting Design
Øystein Heitmann
Dramaturge
Thomas Schaupp
Lighting Technician
Anniell Olsen
Sound Technician
Eivind Steinholm
Hat sewing
Zoja Galkina
Unni Fjellheim
Sara Inga Utsi Bongo
Karen Inga Buljo Oskal
Jorunn Løkvold
Hilly Sarre
Njalfahtta design and sewing
Ann Majbritt Eriksen
Dressmakers
Karen Inga Buljo Oskal, Ann Mari Sara
Origin of the title of the show RÁJÁCUMMÁ / KISS FROM THE BORDER by
Niillas Holmberg, Outi Pieski Jenni Laiti
Producers
Maiken Garder, Nordberg Movement, Siri Børs-Lind
Tour leader, producer
Ingvild Kristin Kirkvik
Production Partners
Davvi Centre For Performing Arts, The Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš
Co-Producers
Arctic Arts Festival, Norrlandsopraen, Tanz Im August
Production funded by
Sámediggi, Norsk Kulturråd, Nordisk Kulturkontakt, Troms Og Finnmark Fylkeskommune, Fond For Lyd Og Bilde, Dáiddafoanda, Sámiráđđi, Spenn
Production Team - Babs Asper Theatre
Head Carpenter
Charles Martin
Head Electrician
Éric Tessier
Assistant Electrician
Martin Racette
Property Master
Michel Sanscartier
Head Sound Engineer
Doug Millar
NAC Dance Team
Executive Producer
Caroline Ohrt
Senior Producer
Tina Legari
Special Projects Coordinator and Assistant to the Executive Producer
Mireille Nicholas
Company Manager
Sophie Anka
Education Associate and Teaching Artist
Siôned Watkins
Technical Director
Brian Britton
Communications Strategist
Alexandra Campeau
Marketing Strategist
Marie-Chantale Labbé-Jacques
NAC Indigenous Theatre
Artistic Director
Kevin Loring
Managing Director
Lori Marchand
Producer
Michelle Yagi
Associate Producer
Brittany Johnston
Indigenous Cultural Resident
Mairi Brascoupé
Education Coordinator
Kerry Corbiere
Production Manager, Theatre Department
Spike Lyne
Communications Strategist
Ian Hobson
Marketing Strategist
Marie-Pierre Chaumont
Senior Marketing Manager
Bridget Mooney
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Official Hotel Partner
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With the support of
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees