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No Woman’s Land

No Woman’s land is a dance theatre work directed and choreographed by the Spanish born- UK based choreographer Avatâra Ayuso, based on her encounter with the Inuk elder craft artist Naulaq LeDrew, from Nunavut (Canadian Arctic) for whom this is her first performative experience.
Two women, two generations, two cultures, two lands. In this duet, dance artist Avatâra Ayuso and Inuk elder craft artist Naulaq LeDrew explore the migration experiences that took them away from their native lands in the Spanish Mediterranean and the Canadian Arctic, digging deep into their cultural traditions, histories, humour, prejudices and fears. They play themselves, the departing point is their own lives.

Length

35min

Premiere

19th April 2019

Direction & concept

Avatâra Ayuso

Choreography

vatâra Ayuso

Performance

Naulaq LeDrew and Avatâra Ayuso

Supporting cast

Lizzie Fitzgerald, Kitty Hart, Anna Knock, Pippa Luckett, Aimee Mitchell, Georgia Rose

Costume design

Naulaq LeDrew and Avatâra Ayuso

Dramaturgy

Ignacio Vleming

Script

Avatâra Ayuso, Naulaq LeDrew and Ignacio Vleming

Lighting design

Falk Dittrich

Sound design

Daniel Williams and Avatâra Ayuso

Sound

Beatte Oxenfart

Props

Ralph Schuhholz (wind mill), Javier Medina (mask), David Sokark (drum), Randal LeDrew (kayak), The Icebox (ice block)

Production Assistant

Amy Hull (role supported by Tungasuvvingat Inuit)

Commissioned by

European Centre for the Arts Hellerau-Dresden and produced by AVA DANCE COMPANY

With the support of

Arts Council England, Origins Festival, British Council, Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Inuit Association, Office for Cultural and Scientific Affairs at the Embassy of Spain, Embassy of Canada in Germany, Embajada de España en Alemania, Embajada de España en Canadá and Canada House in London.

Special thanks to

Michael Walling, The Creative Academy, Qaggiavuut Nunavut Performing Arts,Sope Owoaje (City of Iqaluit, Nunavut) London-Sheffield Radiology Group, Natashia Allakariallak and Siobhan Arnatsiaq-Murphy and AVA DANCE COMPANY Donors’ Circle (Qoda Photographic and anonymous donors)

© Images by Foteini Christofilopoulou

Read the Article on British Council on Avatâra’s research in the Arctic: “Collaboration, not Appropriation”

A beautiful exploration of imperialism, environmentalism & personal history! The amazing Avatâra Ayuso took us on a cathartic journey which marvellously juxtaposed the indigenous people’s culture with European expansionism

George Kirkham (Artistic Director Creative Academy)

A powerful and questioning cross-cultural and cross-generational collaboration between her and the Inuk artist-activist Naulaq LeDrew, is unlike anything else she has yet attempted

Donald Hutera (Run-Riot Magazine)

A strange and absorbing encounter between two cultures & two women, worlds apart who meet in No Woman’s Land; yet another reason to see Avatâra Ayuso as one of the most creative thinkers in modern dance today

Graham Watts (Dance tabs)

Inuit have a cultural bond with landscape and waterscape. Our family is land and water, just as parents and cousins and siblings are. This familial relationship has briefly been disrupted by colonization. Dance, collaborative creativity, the movement between generations, the coming together of two different cultures is a beautiful way of exploring relationship. Naulaq is our ambassador and Avatâra is our ally.

Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory (Artistic Director Qaggiavuut, Nunavut Performing Arts Center)

It means a lot to me to spread my cultural existence and my heritage to people of another country, and help Inuit culture to be recognised throughout the world. I’m very grateful to Avatâra for facilitating this cultural exchange. I’m looking forward to our research and time together in Iqaluit and Dresden and I hope we can bring it back to the Canadian audiences

Naulaq LeDrew

No Woman’s Land is an encounter, a myth, a home, a hunt, an island, a playground, a deep blue, a road to nowhere (and everywhere). These have been some of the stages of our creative journey: the place where our lands, our cultures and our worlds have come together; the place where any woman can find a hint of herself, were every human can find a hint of the other

Avatâra Ayuso

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