Melika Dez | Festival Quartiers Danses 2025
Wolastoq and Quebecoise Choreographer, performer, and curator, Ivanie Aubin-Malo received the Prix de la danse de Montréal in the Révélation category in 2023. In November 2024 at Agora de la danse, she presented the interdisciplinary show Wahsipekuk: Au-delà des montagnes, a retelling of a tale invoking the Wabanakiyik giants. In 2020, she founded and now coordinates the MAQAHATINE collective, a series of events that bring together Indigenous movement artists to facilitate knowledge sharing. Based in L’Islet in the Wolastokuk, she is involved in a Wolastoqey cultural centre project, Wolastoqiyik Atonikek, which allows members to reconnect with their community through artistic and cultural events. Thanks to EKOTE: Lumières sur les scènes autochtones, a program supporting Indigenous artistic production in Quebec, she is currently working with seven performers from the Wabanaki Confederacy on a production scheduled to tour in 2026.
JURY NOTES
In Wahsipekuk: Au-delà des montagnes, Ivanie Aubin-Malo presents a powerful piece with a clearly defined theme. The production stands out for its spiritual, cultural, visual, and poetic dimensions. With decolonialism at the heart of discussions in the current context, the play takes on a particular resonance by addressing crucial issues such as cultural integrity and the importance of matriarchal values. Enhanced by magnificent lighting by Tristan-Olivier Breiding and the presence of live musician Julian Rice on stage, the profound spiritual connection created by the play is deeply moving, and the final audience engagement faithfully reflects Indigenous ways. The work also establishes a strong connection between tradition and contemporary life.
Work presented in Montreal in 2024-2025: Wahsipekuk: Au-delà des montagnes, Agora de la danse, November 2024
Maria Vartanova
