So here for survival and resilience for generations have a lot to draw on right now. 8. Pier Carlo: It sounds like youve had to learn some important lessons about how you want to lead Weve received generous support from farmers offering locally grown produce, kind neighbors offering spare beds, studio space discounts, and other services. company if there was a managing director who is paid much more or I hired a development Movies. carriers, lectures by native elders who have been the founders of the native contemporary a decade of building relationships. now, really starting to shift to reflect that community thats really actually global DANCE MAGIC DANCE Artist + Ethereal Spirit, Rulan Tangen is a part of an inclusive movement that works tore-Indigenize + Decolonize performance at every level Video + Images captured by Olga Nazarova In watching Rulan move I was deeply struck by the way she communicates with her body - that force and connection. Inter-tribal and International Indigenous collaborating community and artists, as well as recent emerging female leaders include: Anne Pesata (Abaachi), BA in Environmental Policy with a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies, who subsequently worked as a Community Health Representative with the Jicarilla Community Health & Fitness Center, andspearheading a variety of different programs to serve her community. They were my collaborators. Im curious to hear specifically from you how you experienced the year 2020. Im holding in my hand is not inanimate. I dont know, its a wonderful exercise, right? We have a full Biography, Photos, Theatre Credits, and more! many groups that still wanted someone to come and teach online twice a week. Its all brown. color, was never right beforehand. And suddenly I was without human People would be like, Gosh, your version of being quiet is other peoples version either propelled by the artist or demonstrated by artists? After years of teaching dance workshops to youth across the continent including Native reservations, she strove to create hope and opportunity for aspiring performers, theater artists and technicians, who also become culture carriers, art educators, and leaders. opportunities coming from Dancing Earth. harrowing experience, she shifted her goals and committed herself to getting a brand-new Rulan's international dance career of getting tired of that word but to make creative pathways, pave pathways for others. So many folks came forward: Lift up, prop it back up, heres what you should Rulan comes from a strong dance lineage, starting as a teenager as a very rare dance student of color in the Marin Ballet. With a vision for inclusion, she cultivates a new generation ofculturaldancers, through creative practices that explore collaboration as an expression of functional diversity. like rocks.. figure things out. Dancing Earth is respectfully based in Ogaa Po Ogeh occupied Tewa territory known as Santa Fe, NM and Yelamu occupied Ohlone territory known as San Francisco, CA. When outside research into her genealogy in 2018 raised questions about having Mtis personally, professionally, financially, every different way. As Founding Artistic Director/Choreographer I think that thats a certain type of equity and justice that I havent been able There were different I think Searching to find out more about Rulan Tangen? Well, for a long time there wasnt an admin; until the last few years there really if I looked at it, it was a pyramid structure where the people on the bottom were Rulan Tangen is an internationally accomplished dance artist, choreographer, and director with over three decades of experience in multiple movement genres. I get irritated by the wind, and then of course farmers tell with or without funding for years, their strategies are what other people are turning comes to me with an opportunity, Ive always been like, Oh, can I try to bring others To live is to dance ; to dance is to live .. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, First Nation and indigenous people's Actors/Actresses. Pier Carlo: What lessons from that experience are you planning to continue now that were returning being an older artist, to be able to take relationships and opportunities to create, because we constantly have a lot of community members to serve, and perhaps this is things find a million ways to survive in the desert. Certainly the dance piece that I realized that to see a way around. hive working together that both of those moments occurred during moments of health Latest posts by 500 Nations . Over 20 years he developed scores of new works for the theater What would you like to see fundamentally change in the world of dance? Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (for Walking on the Edge of Water). people going but even more so to keep their creative lives going, to keep them fulfilling Class Descriptions. It was March, Her choreography has been commissioned by venues including the Heard Museum AZ, Society for Dance Historians conferences in Canada and USA, Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics NY, Teatro Nunes in Brasil, Centro Cultural of Buenos Aires Argentina, in New Mexico for Santa Fe Art Institute, Native Roots and Rhythms Festival, Santa Fe Dance Festival, Native Cinema Showcase at the Center for Contemporary Arts, in California for the Idyllwild Arts Program, Festival, Aqua Caliente Cultural Museum CA; in Canada for the International Aboriginal Choreographers Workshop, McMichaels Gallery, Peterborough Art Gallery, Living Rituals World Indigenous Dance Festival, Toronto Harbourfront's Roots Remix, and Planet IndigenUs Festival; and including films Apocalypto (director Mel Gibson) and The New World (director Terrence Malick). opportunities to create, like I said, that dandelion to make creative pathways, I also am very clear that no matter what we envision or discuss or plan with a little She is recipient of Kennedy Centers 2018-19 Citizen Artist fellowship, for Service, Justice, Freedom, Courage, and Gratitude . The views and opinions expressed by speakers and presenters in connection with Art View Rulan Tangen's record in Santa Fe, NM including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. We don't have a biography for Rulan Tangen. have to engage with people whether they like it or not, but certainly in the art that I take that role to heart, I dont like dance, I dont know what dance is, Im not a dancer. But it gets down it can also be beautiful and something of essence. From that like, Oh, look, look what this person is doing now! Where theyre becoming not only that comes from creativity, that creativity requires. Theyre dried down to their essence. or are in wheelchairs. She has recruited and nurtured a new generation of Indigenous contemporary dancers and holds the belief that "to dance is to live, to live is to dance". Accompanists' Bio. dancers is centered on her intention to visibilize and strengthen vibrant, diverse, contemporary Native and Indigenous peoples, to facilitate creative opportunities for them and for the land, and to support and strengthen Native and Indigenous communities. Ive been told so many times that we would have a more stable company if there was Photo by Kate Russell . the people Ill say, I have; Ive been always putting them in front. Rulan Tangen is 54 years old and was born on 01/05/1967. / right now, and theyre still here. I think what she found with the bones, She has historically contributed much of her freelance fees to support Dancing Earth with the exception of prioritizing higher rates of hourly honoraria for cultural elders participating in the opening of performances. Rulans dance career includes opera and circus performance, educational programming, and international engagements in Canada with Karen Jamieson Dance, which was a site specific project The River. Rulan: I did. Dance is its own language of movement, rhythm, gesture, breath. Artistic Director Rulan Tangen is an Indigenous I found that to be quite inhumane. Classic - larry price photogra. And She has recruited and nurtured subsequent generations of global Indigenous contemporary dancers and holds the belief that "to dance is to live, to live is to dance". seeing how people who come from marginalized, under-resourced backgrounds are standing Then at a certain point lets call it the we were, were planting all the seeds. the people of color, although our entire organization is BIPOC. I dont know, I feel like it can also diminish the pain and 8 relationship toward each other. Im actually seeing that those small companies of hardy, resilient folks who managed Im She is the director and choreographer of the internationally acclaimed Dancing Earth Indigenous Contemporary Dance Creations (www.dancingearth.org). We had just done a premiere of a new production, and we were behind of humans, of animals. For Native Americans, Health Care Is A Long, Hard Road Away - April 13, 2016; Family, friends hold vigil for Navajo woman killed by police - April 4, 2016; . Winston-Salem, NC enough for this conversation, I think. Tangenwho identifies as mixed culturally, including Native, Polynesian, and European heritagesfounded and directs Dancing Earth: Indigenous Contemporary Dance . Check out the latest pictures, photos and images of Rulan Tangen. Rulans work supports inter-tribal and inter-cultural collaboration and grows community-led dance works as platforms for Indigenous worldviews and First Nations experiences. The right of each cultural community to self-determine kinship terms, self-determinations that are diverse and can change over time, and that this is not appropriate for external monitoring. Its not pretty. her, for the dreaming and doing of Dancing Earth: moving the world into renewal. and see, Oh its all dead. their purpose on this planet and to serve our communities. Thats something Im company, Dancing Earth Creations, off the ground, and 17 years later she remains its She creates discourse on how climate change is a symptom of injustice and people not respecting all forms of life. The Hunka relationship may be difficult to understand outside of Lakota culture, yet it binds each to Hunka ties of fidelity stronger than friendship, sisterhood, or family, and a relationship with spirit that cannot be undone. The funders were given new of documentation that directly conflicted with the previous understanding of Rulan, and Burdeau and Mumford, of Rulans heritage. 4. Rulan: Well, what was considered normal wasnt balanced or equitable. 108,661 views Oct 2, 2018 71 Dislike Share Save The Kennedy Center 576K subscribers Rulan Tangen of Dancing Earth explores her personal path to embrace and embody the healing power of dance, and. of Dancing Earth, she has passionately cultivated successive generations of global These intentions are driven by her life experiences- not centered on her stories/personal narratives but commitments to the communities in which s she is deeply embedded. people might find it to be poetic or metaphor, but I actually found it to be very We are reclaiming spaces beyond what we could have imagined." have been in March. In 2019, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Leadership funding allowed Dancing Earth to retain a part time management cohort (still paid at same rate as artists), and to secure and expand multi-disciplinary cultural arts education and training programs. As project leader, and as requested, Rulan provided a letter affirming community relationship instead of blood/tribal affiliation (which she does not have). trying again. Photos migrated from Classic Myspace on 2/25/2014 6:16:39 PM. wasnt that much admin support. Dancing Earth is distinctive in its financial structure as it operates from a place of equity. Her approach is: 1) To contact the funding agencies directly and ask for details of their definition of cultural eligibility (these might include: Enrolled/not enrolled, US States both mainland and island, US territories beyond US continental borders, Canada, Americas, mixed heritage, people living on original homelands, global Indigenous peoples), to understand if any or all of the below criteria would allow Rulan or Dancing Earth to be considered. that a cocoon is actually decay; its decomposition. That didnt seem right to me. and we have big dusty winds which I always get kind of irritated by. This has often led to community members reciprocating with attestations of cultural connections and relations. Rulan Tangen lives in San Francisco, CA; previous cities include Boston MA and Guerneville CA. my arms right now, theyre making this twisted shape, and if I was to pantomime branch This content is based on data from multiple web sources. Even though I think the sort of Pier Carlo: When did you make this commitment to pay equity? While there, Rulan became involved with Northern Traditional powwow dancing and helped start the Maka Chante childrens powwow dance group. hard way again. At that time, I had to ask for help. The work includes programs designed to meet the specific community needs, and advocacy for diverse local and global Indigenous perspectives in forums, art performances, universities, and more.13 To date, over 10014 Indigenous intergenerational and interdisciplinary artists, and community members from over 28 First Nations have co-created with Dancing Earth. that was recalibrating what we want to be in the world or looking at our systems, connection with all relations human and beyond. share with you, not necessarily what I learned but where I learned them from. Rulan S Tangen are some of the alias or nicknames that Rulan has used. in 2004. Pier Carlo: So your message is metaphorical, but these are actual physical bones that were in She is recipient of a 2018-19 Kennedy Center Citizen Artist award for Using those as templates. With Rulans support in project conceptualization for proposals, the company continues to offer dignified arts work with ongoing applications for foundation, grant, and fundraising support to supplement earned income. Founding & Artistic Director, Rulan Tangen, 2022 Tour, Between Underground & Skyworld, STATEMENT OF GLOBAL INDIGENOUS IDENTITY AND SOLIDARITY, Lectures, Master Classes & Workshops AVAILABLE. 12. Other Works Rulan: Oh, from the beginning. Dancer/choreographer Rulan Tangen was thriving in an international career as a performer Rulans positioning in the arts world is to provide creative-cultural-contemporary experiences for Native youth, and to make opportunities for Indigenous dancers (and all aspects of production) through paid professional activities such as workshops, touring and performance making. I think theres a metaphor in there about continuance. These are designed to certify whether these opportunities are intended exclusively for Native American peoples, or are open more broadly. down ants come together, and they work to harvest that. I had said to myself over and over [laughing], I dont want to have to learn that up, becoming the leaders of the new movement across the board arts and otherwise. we had been doing meant that there were a lot of groups that were reaching out to afoot, that all of this decomposition time is leading to something different, and Rulan has maintained long ties to Canada (cited as birthplace of her paternal grandmother), and is where she continues to facilitate collaborative projects as a choreographer. they were beautiful as is, but this application of gold reminded me of the performance After seeing how much the children in it looked up to Rulan, Geraldine requested tribal elder Garfield and wife Bertha Grassrope as well as Floyd Hand, to give the Lakota ceremony through which two persons adopt the Hunka seeds : ReGeneration built upon a four-year consultation process with Native leaders and direct involvement of community members, leading towards collaborative dance rituals respondent to community concerns through the embodiment of Native worldviews. ASU Campus Map. She is the Founding Artistic Director and Choreographer of Dancing Earth, noted in Dance Magazine as "One of the Top 25 To Watch", and winner of the National Dance Project Production and Touring Grant, as well as the National Museum of American Indian's Expressive Arts award. Some Indigenous contemporary dance is our way to connect, heal, learn, discuss, grow and engage, and to create and redistribute power in the wake of a devastating history. right to me. Rulans cultural lifeways expanded after being invited to South Dakota in the late 1980s to be mentored by elder Geraldine Ziegler, originally from Crow Creek (Ka Wakp Oyke) (whose lineage includes Laura Spotted Hawk and Lucy One-In-Center) but who spent her adult married life as part of the Kul Wicasa Oyate (Sicangu)Lakota. I took a walk outside, and I connected with the beyond-human-beings, who have always Through her Dancing Earth company, Tangen collaborates with tribal leaders and dancers across the Four Corners region. Highest Rated: 59% Woman Walks Ahead (2017) Lowest Rated: 59% Woman Walks Ahead (2017) Birthday: Not Available . Her dance feels so expressive anD lyrical. like, Keep this going! I honestly was like, Is dance still needed? thats coming forward to say, Dance is still important, Dancing Earth is still important, So even though we werent actively producing programs, we were learning Other grants for travel support have allowed Dancing Earth to accept some of their many invitations for International Indigenous cultural exchange. Pier Carlo: Where were you? and community partners. also. Dancing Earth has been committed to working with Native American, global, and mixed Indigenous artists to support, nurture, and highlight diverse Indigenous embodied values and ways of being through creative artistic practice. strategic plan and a little organizational mapping, because the priority for me is that appropriation of Native identity has enacted - Rulan Tangen. Her interest in creating welcoming spaces, fostering inclusivity, and building global Indigenous relationships stems from the multiple ways of being in relation. Thered be people coming in part-time, a single person classes online. I think all performers They dont need much to survive on. to. It is used intentionally, as the term Native American or American Indian signifies original peoples of the United States and can involve specific treaty rights and Sovereign Nation status. Everything I chose on stage was with the incredible multi-artist After its founding in 2004, the Dancing Earth company worked for six years on a shoestring budget from basic earned income, then with project-based support including: During times when theres been a lack of grant and income, Dancing Earth has been powered by in-kind support from a loving community. with you. ", TEDxABQ, Rulan Tangen & DANCING EARTH. relation building, rooted in inclusion of diverse cosmologies from her own experience What I do when I feel things are not fair, I move into double-, triple-timing. But Id say that pause, like you said, because On parts of them she did a light see. So for Dancing Earth, I think that took the form of appearing inactive for a Rulan continues to fulfill Hunka ( meaning adopted) Grandma Geraldines cultural directives including to: Use her gifts to inspire subsequent generations with culture and creativity; Remember cultural histories, stories, lifeways and teachings as passed down by elders; Maintain principles embedded within a symbolic object she was gifted; and, Uphold Lakota Read Full Summary That became me, and like a weed In this interview with Pier Carlo Talenti, Rulan describes how she and her company Dancing Earth serves Indigenous communities by co-creating dance productions of environmental, social or cultural themes, and under the guidance of Native and Indigenous elders. Rulan's decades of credit as a dance artist include ballet and modern dance companies in New York (Michael Mao Dance, Peridance, New York Grand Opera), Vancouver (Karen Jamieson Dance), Santa Fe (Moving People, Dancing One Soul) and California (Marin Ballet and Redwood Empire Ballet), and appearances with the One Railroad Circus, as well as extensive yoga training, and powwow trail experiences as a Northern Plains Traditional Women's dancer as learned through adopted family. More recently, through an acting role, Lakota language involvement in a film as coached and approved by the films Lakota cultural advisors Ben Black Bear and Yvonne Russo. That to remove kinship citations would be to devalue the cultural honor that was the ceremonial purpose of being named, or the kinship connection of being welcomed as family by community members. In Fall 2009, Rulan's choreography was appointed as Visiting Distinguished Scholar at Washington University. Tangen takes as inspiration aboriginal origin stories from all sides of the globe. Pier Carlo: Let me ask you a very broad question, which is what would you like to see fundamentally our stories and what is the story that we want to tell together, to me, thats all, commissioning programs. - Lumhe Micco Sampson, Mvskoke/Seneca. In fact, the research at the time didnt even indicate that Zoom was That said [laughing], Im already life quickly, and theyre very resilient. I think of that as something really healthy, when you see people that you mentor or we were in emergence. Through discussion of their family lines, George and Rulan came to understand themselves to have a shared name that connected them to Blackfeet heritage (relating them as Blackfeet whose ancestors inherited a French voyager name). led to the founding of Dancing Earth in 2004. look at those rocks, you realize that your sense of time and your sense of action ecosystem thats very diverse because to survive in the desert a million living Artist portrait Daniel Quat Photography for Dancing Earth. 4 right? of being busy! But I think I find it very difficult to say no when people are reaching 5. 25 July 2021. Some students are selected to dance professionally with the company, crediting the work to have empowered their explorations of identity, the role of creativity in advocacy for messages, and their scope of artistic aspiration. Rulan Tangen is a choreographer and Founder and Artistic Director of Dancing Earth. Talavai Denipah Cook (Hopi, Dine, and Okay Owingeh Pueblo) who holdsa degree in Environmental and Organismic Biology, and who is currently obtaining a Master's Degree in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. It feels necessary at this time to bring to light details that I had previously preferred to discuss in person. nice little worm squirming around and then beautiful butterfly. Interview with Rulan Tangen (Dancing Earth) and Leland Chapin (Los Colores Studio), conducted by Jennifer Cayer as a part of the 6th Encuentro of the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics, celebrated in June of 2007 in Buenos Aires, Argentina under the title CORPOLTICAS en las Amricas: Formaciones de Raza, Clase y Gnero / Body Politics in the Americas: Formations of Race . Dancing Earth has led workshops in many Native . Rulan Tangen. Through careful consultation, the artists are advised about the most appropriate themes for widespread sharing, including diversity as well as sacred land and water for the health and wellness of all people and the planet. Ohlone territory of Yelamu, now known as San Francisco; and in New Mexico, occupied, that water shape. Rulan Tangen is known as an Actor and Choreographer. Rulan Tangen is the Founding Artistic Director of DANCING EARTH. was right before Dancing Earth was founded, which was with my battle with cancer. Ive been told so many times that we would have a more stable Rulan Tangen uma artista que sempre dedicou-se dana e vive em Santa F, Novo Mxico, Estados Unidos. When you Theres a constant cultivation of the light Given that issues of kinship are complex and different with each First Nation, the response to challenges of identity are best addressed by not investing energy in that direction but rather by making a clear choice not to respond to critique, and instead continuing to show with ones life actions and how one is part of community. Her ABOG Fellowship supported Dancing Earths seeds : ReGeneration, which convened a series of community collaborative visioning sessions and interdisciplinary movement workshops to center Indigenous artistic and ecological knowledge, and culminated in a transformative performance ritual in the fall harvest season of 2016. Her professional experience spans international ballet, modern dance, opera, circus, film andtelevision production including includes NYCs Michael Mao Dance, and Peridance Ensemble; Canadas Karen Jamieson Dance and Banff Aboriginal Arts under direction of Marrie Mumford; Littleglobes Memorylines Opera; and Wise Fool NewMexicos One Solstice Circus; Marin Ballet, Catskill Ballet Theater, Redwood Empire Ballet and New York Grand Opera, Bones Aboriginal Dance Opera, TRIBE with Director Raoul Trujillo and Choreographer Alejandro Ronceria , and Northern Plains traditional powwow dancing through her adopted Lakota family.. Official Sites. 2006: Apocalypto Choreographer: Acting. Artistic & Founding Director, Rulan Tangen Dancing Earth Creations To dance is to live To live is to dance Rulan Tangen TEDxABQ The Human Journey: Rulan Tangen of Dancing Earth By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. and antlers. Since childhood, she had minimal contact with her father (who struggled with mental health) or with the patrilineal side of her family except for some letters. This last instruction has manifested through several projects highlighting language, including evolving teaching methodologies and mentorships for educators and families; and the production of mainstream film projects the first of which allowed for reconstruction of Powhatan language to be returned to Powhatan people. Im not so much on social media, but when I am, Im year and not really being able to stand strong in my vision or creativity because theyd been before, finding evermore inventive ways to engage with their audiences Service, Justice, Freedom, Courage, and Gratitude and is grateful for all that roots - Natalie Benally, Din. If you see any errors, please contact us.contact us. Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over 25. life quickly, and theyre very resilient. you are still important. And thats why Im still on this call, I guess, speaking concurrent universes of ancient futurities in the moment of now, expressing energetic Surviving cancer to discover her leadership purpose, Tangen continues to teach extensively across the Americas, including community centers, cultural gatherings, institutes of higher learning. your dance piece? I want to learn and grow, which involves the pain of change but also trying, failing, funding resources to support Native and Indigenous artists, culture carriers, and communities to compensate them for their creative time. That did come forward again in the winter of this year up until I was called to make with the bones did feel like that to me. rocks and dried flower. Over 20 years ago Rulan met George Burdeau (Blackfeet); George's last name -- Burdeau With these community kinship ties, I and others have inaccurately associated my identity as North American Native. Later, in Canada, Rulan met others who carried relationship to the Burdeau name, such as Olivia Tailfeathers, who also cited oral networks connecting the Burdeau family to extended families of Blackfoot, Blood, and Kainai, and who encouraged Rulan to own her name and be proud of this lineage. Devoted towards developing the innovative field of global Indigenous contemporary dance, Rulan has taught extensively in Native communities throughout the hemisphere, including youth and community projects under the auspices of the Native Wellness Institute and the National Dance Institute. She has also been formally (ceremonially), and informally, adopted or claimed by specific Native families within North America. Dancing Earth is respectfully based in the Ogha Pooge occupied and unceded Tewa territory known as Santa Fe, NM and Yelamu occupied Ohlone territory known as San Francisco, CA. reservations, and to date the company has included artists from 28 First Nations as When Rulan contacted Mr. Burdeau about this, he responded by affirming he sees Rulan as a relative not based on bloodline or documentation but out of respect for her, writing to her: Youre still my relative where it counts the most! She actually is the Founding Creative Movie director and Choreographer of Dance Earth, mentioned in Dance Journal as "Among the Best 25 TO VIEW", and champion of the Country wide Dance Project Creation and Touring Offer, aswell as the Country wide Museum of American Indian's Expressive Arts award. know in my gut. 7 with or without funding for years, their strategies are what other people are turning This, however, excludes Rulans compensation as she often donates her time withextended work hours, exceeding40-70 hours over the years. Restart are their own, and not an endorsement by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for As we mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, NAISDA was honoured to have the opportunity to speak with a highly influential figure of North American dance, Rulan Tangen. change in the world of dance? Her own heritage is mixed, including . Rulan: I think one thing that has been very different about Dancing Earth is that we I will say that theres a caveat and its that maybe the other time where "As a Din artist, my family, my community and my people were heavily impacted by the pandemic. He is currently a resident of Hillsborough, NC, where he is pursuing his own creative and dancer when in 2004 she survived a bout with Stage 4 cancer. art pieces or they were remade into art pieces by a friend which I was dancing Select from premium Rulan Tangen of the highest quality. MCW: Rulan Tangen and I have collaborated over the years because of a shared vision and passion for the earth, the creative process, and a deep trust. Rulan Tangen is an internationally accomplished dance artist and choreographer. Popular; Airing Today; On TV; . Adjudicators' Bio. at least in this country to a semblance of normalcy? As Rulan has consistently reached out to those who had adopted or claimed her, as well as to Native American/First Nations/global Indiegnous cultural mentors, elders, and associates for advice regarding matters, their advice consistently has covered these three main points: The work Rulan produces and co-creates with Dancing Earth Currently, she is creating a piece on renewable energy from different perspectives such as cultural and practical. You know when you can feel it in your body? Rulan's work values movement as integral as functional ritual for transformation , and as expression of energetic connection with all forms of life on earth. Explore books by Rulan Tangen with our selection at Waterstones.com. In Fall 2009, Rulan's choreography was appointed as Visiting Distinguished Scholar at Washington University. Choose a question below to begin exploring the interview: Pier Carlo Talenti: Im curious to hear specifically from you how you experienced the year 2020. This appropriation has enacted violence against Native peoples, including in the monetary gains that non-Native imposters sometimes make; the resources, jobs, leadership roles, and authority impostors can take up; and the inaccurate, stereotypical, and static images of Native people they often perpetuate, which perpetuate discursive violence by legitimating colonizations ongoing attempts to erase vibrant, diverse and contemporary Native peoples. contemporary dance Choreographer/Director who founded Dancing Earth Indigenous Contemporary Dance Creations human that many folks have not been able to have access to. Emerging from the Rulan Tangen's dance journey centers around the founding of DANCING EARTH CREATIONS (DE) in 2004. named Marion Claire Wasserman. gosh, I think artists can be weed sometimes. 1533 South Main St. Publicity Listings projects. It is my intention, and that of my mentors and chosen kin/adopted families, to generate good relations rather than provoke assumptions, triggers, or commit fraud. 12 Comment Share. The common business knowledge that I was actually given I felt like I had fallen down and so many folks came out towards me and they were the art-making and the artists . necessarily what it would be. Crew. That didnt seem We can talk about whatever we want, but until were Artistic Director Rulan Tangen is an Indigenous 1 contemporary dance Choreographer/Director who founded Dancing Earth Indigenous Contemporary Dance Creations 2 in 2004. During this time of hardship, Dancing Earth not only employed my work as a creator. Upcoming, new, and past Rulan Tangen movies, TV shows, TV movies, appearances, specials, and more -- plus, a biography, news, awards, and nominations. coating of gold, and I actually am thinking about . 13. and Im going to actually bring this conversation to where I had to go. frantic making and then the pausing. A lot of folks have been taking on their Though Geraldine Ziegler has since passed, Rulan has continued to honor and acknowledge her Hunka Lakota family relations, and the Lakota lifeway teaching of Mitakuye Oyasin (we are all related). Her work explores movement as an evolving language of global Indigenous and inter-cultural I certainly became one. To serve the required criteria, the letter of community involvement and kinship from Mtis-Chippewa Cree-Anishinaabeg community member and Aboriginal Arts leader Marrie Mumford supporting the application resulted in the listing of Rulan Tangen (Metis) in a public announcement of this fellowship, which was for a proposal of project that supported 28 First Nations artists to collaborate. New Mexico An Interview with Rulan Tangen - Dancing Earth Creations This is just one of the 14 segments that make up our . theres a heightened sensibility, theres a heightened refinement of intention that in? So theres a service thats there. the Arts and the UNC School of the Arts. perhaps years but certainly in the last few months, where they started to take on Id love to just acknowledge those as the Bay Area being stolen, occupied In this Episode we hear how Artist Rulan Tangen holds a deep and thorough understanding of dance as a cultural, artistic, educational and commercial medium that can renew culture, cross-pollinate other art forms, express diversity, inspire social, personal, environmental healing, strengthen communities, integrate language and can have a positive effect . I mean certainly any person or community or culture whos gone through But for me its about first just being fully human in our bodies. comes dance. to what that is because like I said I want it to evolve from our time together. Dancing Earth is a mixed-heritage company that creates contemporary dance deeply rooted also lead to other patterns that arent healthy. Bio; Latest Posts; 500 Nations. So were You When presented with this evidence, both Mr. Burdeau and Ms. Mumford decided to proactively assert kinship versus bloodline, with Mumford asking for her words to be shared with the funder. Food Trucks During Lunch. yucca pods, these dried horsetail. one might say, the dancers, the performers, and teachers, who were also definitely gosh, I think artists can be weed sometimes. Dancing Earth has shared workshops and performances in eighteen states and nine countries, and continues to perform in a variety of venues, spanning gymnasiums on reservations, riverbeds in canyons, college dance studios, opera houses, and now online platforms. As Founding Artistic Director/Choreographer of DANCING EARTH, she has passionately cultivated successive generations of Indigenous contemporary performing artists, and bodies Her belief in dance as purposeful center of continuance of life. Find Rulan Tangen stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Classic - THE NAMING solo, fot. Rulan: Yes, for sure. In that reflection time I think youll be hearing from a lot of artists, especially things out. Even when they dry down, its still be doing. A lot of people coming forward to say, How can I help?. She is the Founding Artistic Director and Choreographer of DANCING EARTH, noted in Dance Magazine as "One of the Top 25 To Watch," and winner of the National Dance Project Production and Touring Grant, as well as the National Museum of American Indian's Expressive Arts award. are continually evolving, looking at what seems to be done, over, dead, dried up, and researched in the communities in which it works. 5. Rulan: When something in the arroyo falls lets say Im eating something and a crumb falls The first part that I learned was from the wind. salon/playwriting group, the Writers Workshop, counts among its alumni/ae extraordinary I do not claim bloodline, enrolled membership, or citizenship to any North American tribal nations or First Nations. are constantly being creative in challenging and changing circumstances. suffering if youre like, Oh well, from the struggle you learn, and then things get I learned from the wind. An example: A fellowship was awarded to Rulan after the above questions/responses about eligibility were put forward before submitting an application, based on yes for one of the criteria mentioned above. Dancing Earth explores and links themes of ecological and social health and wellness, William "Bill" Evans. people, to be able to get a performance, isnt normal for people who are immune-compromised . you could equate to a lining of gold that catches the light. I feel thats part of being an older artist, to be able to take relationships and It might be something thats everyday reality, but theres a heightened attention, me, Oh well, thats how pollination happens. As that came through, I felt this pollination. She is a recipient of the Costo Medal for Education, Research and Service by UC Riversides Chair of Native Affairs, and an honoree of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation for their first dance Fellowship for Artistic Innovation. We use cookies to provide you with a great experience and to help our website run effectively. Yes. 2. The CONNECTION to other amazing beings and having space to be heard and hear each other was HUMANIZING We were all able to assure each other that we still have each other and that we are stronger together not only as collaborators, but as community, as FAMILY." Im saying that as were just at the verge of returning to some of our programs. Cultural Identity: Rulan Tangen Confronting ecological collapse, choreographer Rulan Tangen creates seeds : ReGeneration. This Lakota ancient ceremony means that Rulan carries the honor and responsibility to be recognized as a Hunka Lakota relative to Geraldines family, with the understanding that this does not confer membership status in the Lakota Nation. She believes in this form of dance as continuing the link of culture - from ancient to futuristic - and culminates in her vision for Dancing Earth -Indigenous Contemporary Dance Creations.Devoted towards developing the innovative field of Indigenous contemporary dance, Rulan has taught extensively in Native communities throughout the hemisphere, including youth and community projects under the auspices of the Native Wellness Institute and the National Dance Institute. Those bones common mundane part of this story is that we all were completely out of work, I think Rulan Tangen's company, Dancing Earth, performed the culmination of a six-year project called SEEDS: RE GENERATION in Santa Fe this April. I have a lot of energy I look at the smooth river rock, rulan tangen choreographed the piece, performed by anne pesata, which is inspired by pesata's lived experiences as a jicarilla apache woman and fth generation basket weaver.2 tangenwho identies as mixed culturally, including native, polynesian, and european heritagesfounded and directs dancing earth: indigenous contemporary dance feel myself to be lonely. Anti-Racism; COVID-19; Residency. during different seasons to the desert and the dried riverbed, which many look at All of these existential questions that probably every arts leader finds themselves last a real, real long time. What I did with some of those bones, I remade them into Rulan Tangen choreographed the piece, performed by Anne Pesata, which is inspired by Pesata's lived experiences as a Jicarilla Apache woman and fifth generation basket weaver. In 2010, she was invited by Stanford University's Institute of Diversity in the Arts to lead a semester project titled "Race And Environment. it in my gut. I feel it in my body that there is a change coming or there is a change Rulan: Good question. These are not sacred traditional dances, though she is influenced by the forms and movement language of traditional Native dance. for indigenous LGBTQ+ associates, another panel for Afro Indigenous artists and culture lead me to maybe the eighth lesson except for me because as a founder you put in The ReGeneration project began with recording a weekend spent at Ghost Ranch with the Grand Canyon Trust gathering of elders and activists working to conceive and develop Rulan's choreography . 1 Rulan: Thats still emergent, yeah. Artist + Ethereal Spirit, Rulan Tangen is a part of an inclusive movement that works to re-Indigenize + Decolonize performance at every level Video + Images captured by Olga Nazarova I n watching Rulan move I was deeply struck by the way she communicates with her body - that force and connection. Later continuing to New York working professionally in ballet and eventually in modern dance through Peridance (with choreographer/mentor Miguel Valdez Mor) and then her extended career as a soloist with Michael Mao Dance, with whom she toured Norway and France (origin lands of surnames on her fathers side). How that plays out now, even though there is some DANCING EARTH CREATIONS dynamically activates our mission, to create contemporary dance and related arts through global-indigenous and intercultural relationships centered in ecological and cultural diversity for creativity, health, and wellness. life into creating this work. from all the work that weve done for 17 years. Here are protocols used by Dancing Earth and Rulan when considering applying for any funding opportunities. founding artistic director. Rulan Tangen is seen in a post on social media advertising a recent virtual class titled "Movement As Medicine: Walking In Balance." The bulk of this letter is intentionally misleading. Rulans role in many of these endeavors has been as a creative conduit for Native and Indigenous diasporic community members, and as a bridge across divides bysupporting their desires to tell their stories. to adapt and adjust to, but I had time on many days to take a walk outside, even though Im actually seeing that those small companies of hardy, resilient folks who managed She is the Founding Artistic Director and Choreographer of DANCING EARTH, noted in Dance Magazine as One of the Top 25 To Watch, and winner of the National Dance Project Production and Touring Grant, as well as the National Museum of American Indians Expressive Arts award. And I thought of times when so happy about. to you or heres the dance of branch, youd see this twisted shape. Updated: April 25, 2018 Rulan Tangen's work explores movement as an evolving language of global Indigenous relation building, rooted in inclusion of diverse cosmologies from her own experience and those of the artists with whom she Creates. Rulan Tangen. is very like you just have a little slice of it. into life a few days ago. Rulan Tangen is a lifelong dance artist living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. only one who was receiving inequity was me, and Im looking at that because that could Then to have a full programming online of online dance classes, panels There is a long history in the U.S. of cultural fraud in relation to Native identity. Rulans Indigenous connection has origins through her own genetics and bloodline -- by way of her lineage of peoples of the Pacific archipelago known as Philippines, which was occupied and colonized for hundreds of years by Spain and the U.S. She continues to grow through ongoing relationship building, accepted responsibility, and earned respect. so not only are the artists onstage but it could be farmers or elders, or culture Dancing Earth Founder and Artistic Director Rulan Tangens mixed ancestral heritage is Kampampangan and Pangasinan from Luzon Island, known colonially as part of Pacific archipelago of the Philippines, and Norweigian/Irish lineage, while she lives in the partition of Turtle Island which is often referred to as the U.S. For over four decades, Tangen has been invited into, and extended invitations for, collaborative work with global Indigenous artists and intergenerational community members locally and globally. FULL STATEMENT. the deeper question is the role of artists in society, especially when the whole thing Pier Carlo: Did you seek and accept help in a way you hadnt before? | She had taken these pieces from the desert, these dried Dancing Earth is respectfully based in Ogaa Po Ogeh occupied Tewa territory known as Santa Fe, NM and Yelamu occupied Ohlone territory known as San Francisco, CA. [She laughs.] 7. Next to a rock youll often see a branch, and thats my next teacher, the fourth teacher. Ela a diretora e coregrafa do internacionalmente aclamado Dancing Earth Indigenous Contemporary Dance Creations (www.dancingearth.org). and clarity. It's expecting a mostly non-Native audience to be paralyzed by the mysterious rules of Native American spirituality and kinship customs. that twisted shape is actually the shape of water. Pier Carlo: Since were using the term weeds, the scrappy weeds are the ones that survive. 9. After years of teaching dance workshops to reservation youth starting in the 1980s, and having survived stage 4 cancer in the early 2000s, Rulan emerged back into life with newly clarified purpose: She strove to create hope and opportunity for aspiring Indigenous performers, theater artists and technicians, who also serve as culture carriers, art educators, and leaders. At 15, Tangen moved to New York City from San Francisco with 40 bucks in her pocket and the poise to hone her classical skills with ballet master David Howard. things out. So I say, OK, I hear that Ive been driving everyone to beyond capacity This is reflective in how staff, tech, and artists are paid at equal rates. Its all dried. But theres an incredible I feel thats part of She also participated in the Northern Plains Womens Traditional, on the powwow circuit, with the Maka Chante group, and later assisting with the Aboriginal Dance Program at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Dancing Earth has thus inspired subsequent generations of cultural artists to expressecological themesin vital contemporary and experimental forms. People are like, Oh, 9 Through third party media or in descriptive writing, the term Indigenous or Native have been used interchangeably, this clarifies the preferred term and intention. In 2010, she was invited by Stanford University to lead an inter-departmental semester project titled "Race And Environment." Tangen is a director and choreographer at San Francisco-based Dancing Earth, which can be described as an "inspirational array of Indigenous contemporary dance artists who work as a collaborative ensemble to embody the unique essence of indigenous identity and perspective by creation and renewal of artistic and cultural rituals." social change. Because you live both in the Bay Area and in New Mexico, right? Jan 29, 2023, UNCSA Jazz Ensemble Jan 31, 2023, A.J. Photo: Randi Lynn Beach. support, even for a moment, when they become even better leaders than they were before. Rulan Tangen is an internationally accomplished dance artist and choreographer. With a community relation letter from Marrie Mumford (Mtis), which highlighted Rulansservice, time, and community connection. As a result, Rulan was given approval to apply on behalf of the project, and also as the project leader. Im near but good at least in this country to a semblance of normalcy? Rulan Tangen. a managing director who is paid much more and I havent been able to shift to -- or any Native association -- being listed alongside her name, Rulan contacted all funders, presenters, and educational invitations, including the funder, to address the concerns and invite dialogue about appropriate mutual action tons of unpaid time, which when you balance that out, it becomes inequity. moving into flowering or the wind pushing pollination, I decided to invent a whole Also in the dried riverbed that is now my big teacher youd see the footprints left get paid the same rate, whether thats the director, the grant writer, the dancer.. To dance is to live To live is to dance. dance movement, really, in an effort to just not only give a little funding to keep What lessons from that experience are you planning to continue now that were returning to being in your body, being fully human. 3 She is the Founding Artistic Director and Choreographer of Dancing Earth, noted in Dance Magazine as "One of the Top 25 To Watch", and winner of the National Dance Project Production and Touring Grant, as well as the National Museum of American Indian's Expressive Arts award. And that was happening on many different fronts, going into the darkness Were asking. FESTIVAL San Francisco The Mission Jen Chien She has been a contributor to All Things Considered, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, BBC/PRI's The World, Making Contact, SF Public Press, East Bay Express, New America Media, and KPFA in Berkeley, where she took part in the First Voice . putting in my 10th hour today because I do have a lot of energy. 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