shalan joudry is a L'nu/Mi’kmaw mother and narrative artist working in many mediums. She is a poet, playwright, podcast producer, storyteller and actor, as well as a cultural interpreter. Having worked as a professional oral storyteller for well over a decade, her first full-length play, Elapultiek, was commissioned and then produced by Two Planks and a Passion Theatre which toured in 2018 and 2019. Her one-woman theatrical show, Koqm, debuted at King’s Theatre, Annapolis Royal, in 2021 then toured the province in 2022. Since her training at the Native Theatre School and Banff Contemporary Aboriginal Dance programs, shalan has been weaving music and dance into her theatrical work. shalan started Nestuita'si Storytelling in 2021 out of a need to produce and facilitate L'nu-led performance and other arts work. shalan lives in her home territory of Kespukwitk (southwest Nova Scotia) with her family in their community of L’sitkuk (Bear River First Nation) where she is researching and working on reclaiming her L’nu language.

Photo credit: Dan Froese

     Wisunn na Sarah Prosper (she/they/nekm), Mikmaw/L’nu e’pite’s of the Eskasoni Mi’kmaq First Nation. Amalkewinu (dancer) holds a BSc Therapeutic Recreation, is a MA in Leisure Studies student, and a proclaimed community artist of the Wabanaki East Coast. Her first work created as an artistic director and choreographer is the Merritt Award winning show SAMQWAN in 2021-2023 at Highland Arts, Neptune, Stratford Festival and 2023 Canada Games. Dancing with Mocean Dance, Kinetic Studios, House of Eights, Painted Dance Co, Nestuita'si, and community focused initiatives, Prosper's community work varies between wellness and healing focused methods specific to community needs, and shares a curated dance workshop “Moving in Mi’kma’ki.” Prosper collaborates, creates, and moves with ms+t no’kmaq, all her relations, in a fluid identity uplifting pursuit. An award winner of the 2022 Nova Scotia Indigenous Artist Recognition Award, she performs and creates on National stages in collaboration with world renowned artists. Prosper's practice encompasses an Indigenous/Mi’kmaq lens that deepens the threads of respect and reciprocity to dance, movement, social sciences, social justice, mental health & the land. Her work intends to connect, rebuild, and unite.

Photo credit: Sherri Photography

Chris Sanipass is a Mikmaq man from Indian Island, New Brunswick. He is a men's traditional champion dancer and storyteller. He travels across north America competing and sharing his culture with others. He is known as a knowledge keeper in the Mi'kmaq territory and a beadwork artist. Chris is a husband to his wife Rebecca of 36 years and and a grandfather of 6.

Photo credit: Damien Dauphin

Possesom’ [Ba-zaz-um] is a Wolastoqiyik multi-disciplinary artist, curator, director and cultural educator. Possesom is a major contributor and resource to the Indigenous artistic community leading a new generation into a significant period of growth, development and opportunity across the entire Atlantic region. He is a member of the Wabanaki Grass Dance Society, and a keeper of traditional knowledge. As a champion dancer, accomplished director and actor, educator & choreographer — he has toured throughout turtle island, sharing knowledge, engaging audiences and community in critical thought towards understanding of their own origins, and the first peoples of the world.

Meagan Musseau is a L’nu woman, artist, and dancer from Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk territory (Bay of Islands, Newfoundland). She nourishes an interdisciplinary arts practice by working with customary art forms and new media, such as basketry, beadwork, land-based performance, video and installation.

Photograph by Candace Kennedy

Nestuita'si is a small L’nu company based out of L’sitkuk that aims to share stories that re-imagine and present L’nu (Mi’kmaw) culture, ecological practice, and social complexities through a broad mosaic of contemporary methodologies as well as deeply-rooted L’nu narratives.

Based in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia Mocean Dance is an award-winning contemporary dance company. Led by Co-Artistic Directors Susanne Chui and Sara Coffin, Mocean provides fertile ground for artistic endeavours and potential in the field of dance. We share perspectives of our region and create opportunities to engage the local ecology and connect to the national performing arts community. Through our work, we aim to support Halifax as a hotspot for creation, research, experimentation, collaboration, and performance. Recognized nationally as a leading dance company from the Atlantic Region, the company was honoured with The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Art Award in 2016 for Canvas 5 x 5, which was the first time this esteemed provincial award was given to a Nova Scotia dance work. Founded in 2001 by Carolle Crooks Fernando, Sarah Rozee, Sara Harrigan, Alicia Orr MacDonald, and Lisa Phinney Langley, Mocean has been a proud resident company of Halifax Dance since 2002.. www.moceandance.com

Mawi’Art: Wabanaki Artist Collective is the only pan-Atlantic, Indigenous led organization that supports Indigenous artists in the region. Established in 2013, we organize and host events for and with our member artists; provide training and mentorship opportunities, and access to physical and digital markets; serve as a hub for communication and network building; and are increasingly recognized regionally and nationally as a solid organizational model for promoting Indigenous art and artists.

The artistic vision of Raven Spirit Dance Society is to share stories from an Indigenous worldview. Our medium is contemporary dance; and, we incorporate other expressions such as traditional dance, theatre, puppetry and multi-media to tell these stories.
By sharing this work on local, national and international stages, Raven Spirit Dance reaffirms the vital importance of dance to the expression of human experience and to cultural reclamation. Raven Spirit Dance aims to explore how professional artistic work is responsive and responsible to the community it is a part of and to continue to redefine dance’s place in diverse community settings. Raven Spirit is Vancouver-based yet indelibly tied to the Yukon through its projects and inspirations, as our Co-Artistic Director, Michelle Olson is from the Tr’ondek Hwech’in First Nation.