New Atlantic Ballet Indigenous director says collaboration, not tokenism, key to new role

Atlantic Ballet will bring Indigenous-themed ballet to Fredericton Playhouse

Hannah Rudderham · CBC · Posted: Aug 15, 2022 5:46 PM AT | Last Updated: August 15

The Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada named a new director of Indigenous programming — a position borne of a collaboration that lasted over eight years.

Nipahtuwet Naka Wespahtuwet Possesom from Sitansisk, or St. Mary's First Nation, has worked with the Atlantic Ballet on numerous projects over that time, including a ballet debuting in May.

He is the first person to hold this position at the ballet.

"It was a natural fit as things kind of progressed that we develop more programs together and this is how it came to be," said Possesom. 

WATCH |Possesom, on his new role: 'In  order for us to actually bridge a gap, we need to work together.'

After collaborating with the company for eight years, Nipahtuwet Naka Wespahtuwet Possesom was appointed to the new position.

He said artists perceive the world and communicate it to the audience from another perspective, and his work strives to do that in an unexpected way. 

Possesom said collaboration, not tokenism, is the key to his new role with the Atlantic Ballet.

He said that is also key to Canada's relationship with Indigenous people in general. 

"We really have to forefront this partnership as a model for other districts, because this isn't the first and this won't be the only Indigenous direction that's brought into this type of leadership," said Possesom.

He said the Atlantic Ballet felt it was better to have an Indigenous person there, discussing the future together, rather than bringing that person in to do their work and then leave.

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Possesom, Atlantic Ballet artistic director and choreographer Igor Dobrovolskiy and composer Jeremy Dutcher are collaborating on a production telling Indigenous stories that will debut in May at the Fredericton Playhouse called Pisuwin.

Possesom said he is excited that the Atlantic Ballet already brought on two new Indigenous artists to join in the creative process.

Susan Chalmers-Gauvin, CEO and co-founder of Atlantic Ballet, said she met Possesom when he was emceeing a  powwow at the University of New Brunswick. She said he explained that he was a dancer and they ended up incorporating him into a piece.

She said he then started coming in more regularly as an interactive dance exchange artist, which included educational pieces on residential schools for students. 

Chalmers-Gauvin said it's also been an opportunity for Dobrovolskiy, who is from Ukraine, to learn about Possesom's culture. 

"Everyone is open and honest about where they are [and] what they think," she said. "That kind of a space is so important, where you respect each other and you understand each other. And even if you disagree, you find a way forward in that creative process."

Chalmers-Gauvin hopes the Atlantic Ballet can set an example for other ballet companies about what can happen when Indigenous artists are put into directorial roles. 

She said Possesom was a natural fit within the company. 

"If we are going to have programs that are Indigenous — impacting or collaborating with Indigenous people — they must be Indigenous-led, and Possesom is filling that role," said Chalmers-Gauvin. 

Possesom said he hopes that everyone will start pushing toward real Indigenous leadership. He said if people want to "walk the walk" when it comes to reconciliation, they need to recognize that Indigenous people were left out of many discussions and leadership roles. 

"In order for us to actually bridge a gap, we need to work together."