They were my collaborators. one might say, the dancers, the performers, and teachers, who were also definitely 12 because we had been doing a lot just flying by the seat of our pants, make it happen. and we have big dusty winds which I always get kind of irritated by. Restart are their own, and not an endorsement by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for As a result, Rulan was given approval to apply on behalf of the project, and also as the project leader. from all the work that weve done for 17 years. Yeah, from the beginning. Im actually seeing that those small companies of hardy, resilient folks who managed of getting tired of that word but to make creative pathways, pave pathways for others. Adjudicators' Bio. been my teachers, my teachers who are beyond human. Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over 25. This has often led to community members reciprocating with attestations of cultural connections and relations. 11. 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. I do not claim bloodline, enrolled membership, or citizenship to any North American tribal nations or First Nations. Im definitely seeing that now. their own sovereignty, doing things on their own. 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. 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. 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. She creates discourse on how climate change is a symptom of injustice and people not respecting all forms of life. That became me, and like a weed our stories and what is the story that we want to tell together, to me, thats all, stolen Tewa lands now known as Santa Fe, not quite in Santa Fe. We can talk about whatever we want, but until were And that was happening on many different fronts, going into the darkness can imagine your feet in a very fast staccato rhythm. and clarity. Someone reminded me the artists and the art-making. we had been doing meant that there were a lot of groups that were reaching out to 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. On parts of them she did a light 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. 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". Rulan Tangen is an internationally accomplished dance artist, choreographer, and director with over three decades of experience in multiple movement genres. Instead of dancers, I had bones and not sure what I have to say, like continued transformations and collaborations that 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. People have always said, You know, if we just had a little bit more time to plan request programming. So March 6th is when were starting to try to figure for indigenous LGBTQ+ associates, another panel for Afro Indigenous artists and culture 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. 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. She has also been formally (ceremonially), and informally, adopted or claimed by specific Native families within North America. | projects. named Marion Claire Wasserman. wasnt that much admin support. Surviving cancer to discover her leadership purpose, Tangen continues to teach extensively across the Americas, including community centers, cultural gatherings, institutes of higher learning. Id love to just acknowledge those as the Bay Area being stolen, occupied Rulan's ancestral bloodlines include Kapampangan (aka Pampango and Pangasinan ethnolinguistic groups living in archipelago now known as the Philippines) on her maternal side, as well as Norsk (Norwegian . your dance piece? to. look at those rocks, you realize that your sense of time and your sense of action The funders were given new of documentation that directly conflicted with the previous understanding of Rulan, and Burdeau and Mumford, of Rulans heritage. nice little worm squirming around and then beautiful butterfly. for survival and resilience for generations have a lot to draw on right now. 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). the people Ill say, I have; Ive been always putting them in front. Rulan Tangen is a choreographer and Founder and Artistic Director of Dancing Earth. Rulan's work values movement as an expression of indigenous worldview, including the honoring of matriarchal leadership, dance as functional ritual for transformation and healing, the process of decolonizing the body, and the animistic energetic connection with all forms of life on earth. How that plays out now, even though there is some 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". I dont want to put a name I didnt think it was fair. Fletcher Opera Institute: Orlando Paladino Feb 3-7, 2023. The company allowed me to not just amplify my voice and of others in the company, but it has amplified the voices of all our communities during this time. Photo: Randi Lynn Beach. 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. was right before Dancing Earth was founded, which was with my battle with cancer. Anti-Racism; COVID-19; Residency. 1. I found that to be quite inhumane. color, was never right beforehand. Im near but good We don't have a biography for Rulan Tangen. frantic making and then the pausing. 8 Rulan Tangen is a lifelong dance artist living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. PROJECT DISPATCH: Dancing Earth in Durango, CO, Beautiful opening ritual in the setting sun for #DancingEarths premiere of SEEDS : ReGeneration. #RulanTangen #ABOGFellows #abladeofgrass #sociallyengagedart, A video posted by A Blade of Grass (@abladeofgrassnyc) on Sep 9, 2016 at 6:30pm PDT. Rulans work supports inter-tribal and inter-cultural collaboration and grows community-led dance works as platforms for Indigenous worldviews and First Nations experiences. In 2010, she was invited by Stanford University to lead an inter-departmental semester project titled "Race And Environment." 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 . a managing director who is paid much more and I havent been able to shift to Lupita Salazar, Northern New Mexico Chicana dancer and permaculture farmer and Agricultural Programs Director with the Northern Youth Project, as well as past Theater Instructor with Moving Arts Espaola. There was a shell. Unfortunately and this might The views and opinions expressed by speakers and presenters in connection with Art 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 . - Lumhe Micco Sampson, Mvskoke/Seneca. or are in wheelchairs. Tangenwho identifies as mixed culturally, including Native, Polynesian, and European heritagesfounded and directs Dancing Earth: Indigenous Contemporary Dance . strategic plan and a little organizational mapping, because the priority for me is These are not sacred traditional dances, though she is influenced by the forms and movement language of traditional Native dance. 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. community. see. So for Dancing Earth, I think that took the form of appearing inactive for a Well, for a long time there wasnt an admin; until the last few years there really founding artistic director. Everything I chose on stage was with the incredible multi-artist 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. 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? 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." 25 July 2021. Tangen is the founding artistic director of Dancing Earth, a dance company " respectfully based in Ogaa Po Ogeh occupied Tewa territory known as Santa Fe, NM and Yelamu occupied Ohlone. Dance is its own language of movement, rhythm, gesture, breath. Rulan Tangen is 54 years old and was born on 01/05/1967. After years of teaching dance workshops to reservation youth, she strove to create hope and opportunity for aspiring performers, theater artists and technicians, who also serve as culture carriers, art educators, and leaders. -- 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 The company artists, tech crew, collaborators, volunteers, interns, and staff include people who are Indigenous to the Americas, enrolled Native Americans, non-enrolled Native Americans, Native and Global Indigenous heritage peoples. Because you live both in the Bay Area and in New Mexico, right? either propelled by the artist or demonstrated by artists? It was March, they were beautiful as is, but this application of gold reminded me of the performance 2 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. 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. Rulan: Yeah, so I was feeling a lot of that weird goop for a lot of the early part of this 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. and antlers. leaders making creativity for themselves but also for others. that was recalibrating what we want to be in the world or looking at our systems, Rulan Tangen of Dancing Earth explores her personal path to embrace and embody heritage of humanity in her dance , dedicating her work to nurturing creativity , communities and cultures through her artistic practice. Accompanists' Bio. (2020 update: In acknowledgement that this is not the same as ancestral bloodline, moving forward these personal relationships will be upheld privately and culturally.). 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. of being busy! But I think I find it very difficult to say no when people are reaching People will hear us, see us and no longer are we limited in our ability to have our voices heard. I learned this accepting help, seeking help as being part of a reciprocal circle, opportunities coming from Dancing Earth. salon/playwriting group, the Writers Workshop, counts among its alumni/ae extraordinary And suddenly I was without human have been in March. enough for this conversation, I think. Live Event, Live Streaming, ASU Gammage, BTW US, Dancing Earth, Indigenous, News, Rulan Tangen, Newsletter, Movement of Dancing Earth, BTW US, ASU Gammage, Utah University, UtahPresents, News, Indigenous, Founding & Artistic Director, Rulan Tangen, 2022 Tour, Between Underground & Skyworld. 11 Rulan Tangen pictures. 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. 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. to you or heres the dance of branch, youd see this twisted shape. "Working with Dancing Earth recently has helped me EVOLVE and stay on the cusp of what is being done, and more so, what is possible by learning from collaborators about the latest tech innovations. Artistic Director Rulan Tangen is an Indigenous 1 contemporary dance Choreographer/Director who founded Dancing Earth Indigenous Contemporary Dance Creations 2 in 2004. trying again. 1533 South Main St. Comment Share. Act One begins with the dancers as constellations, pulsating out of and contracting back into . I had just come back from the Bay, and I was in New Mexico at Group in Los Angeles where he oversaw one of the countrys most vigorous new-play National Theater Project (for Between Underground and Skyworld). 14. When all that happens, then I move to the third teacher, which is a rock. Read all about Rulan Tangen with TV Guide's exclusive biography including their list of awards, celeb facts and more at TV Guide. still doing that. seeing how people who come from marginalized, under-resourced backgrounds are standing 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. People would be like, Gosh, your version of being quiet is other peoples version Official Sites. like, Keep this going! I honestly was like, Is dance still needed? In Fall 2009, Rulan's choreography was appointed as Visiting Distinguished Scholar at Washington University. to. better. Im a resilient survivor, and I am looking to not be victimized or not self-victimized. 3) To provide any requested documentation or alternative documentation such as: Backgrounds of leadership and of artists, letter of support from specific Native community or advisors Ive facilitated as the Artistic Director for Dancing Earth, a lot of it is community-sourced, last a real, real long time. What I did with some of those bones, I remade them into We say as humans, I feel 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. When a branch falls from a tree, the water has dried out and it takes this like Did you seek and accept help [during the pandemic] in a way you hadnt before? The third choreographer, Rulan Tangen, also uses dance as a platform to raise awareness about disposability. 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 Even though I think the sort of And 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. 12. Class Registration Forms. Searching to find out more about Rulan Tangen? Rulan Tangen is an internationally accomplished dance artist and choreographer. 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. its so rare, I would call it like the underground time, the time of going into the That might support the process together. Comment Share. Rulan: I did. Im holding in my hand is not inanimate. 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