Bottineau Jig: Untold Tales of Early Minnesota

Bottineau Jig : Untold Tales of Early Minnesota
a dance theater production by Dance Revels Moving History

When: Friday April 1, 7:30 pm
Saturday April 2,  7:30 pm. Book now- only two shows and small theater!
Where: Intermedia Arts Theater
2822 Lyndale Ave. South
Mpls. MN
Tickets: $15,  $12 children under 12
Online:  https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/156593
Phone:   24/7 Ticket Hotline: 1-800-838-3006

For more information visit:  www.janepeck.com or follow us on Facebook

Bottineau Jig:  Untold Tales of Early Minnesota
Welcome to a world of French, Ojibwe, Dakota, mixed-blood, Swedish, Yankee, and African peoples, that is pulsating with dance, music, and many languages!  Pierre Bottineau, French-Indian forefather of both Minneapolis and St. Paul, lived in a racially blended world not seen again until our own century. Witness an historic jigging and fiddle contest!  Post -show discussions on multiracial identity, past and present.

 

Stage direction and script assistance: Josette Antomarchi  (Jeune Lune, Children’s Theater)
Choreography and script: Jane Peck.
Fiddlers: Eddie ‘King’ Johnson -Turtle Mountain Reservation and Gary Schulte- St. Paul.
Singer: Linda Breitag- Minneapolis
Performers: Larry Yazzie, Kenna Cottman, Virgil Benoit, Ricky Thomas from Turtle Mt., Craig Johnson, Paulino Brener, Scott Marsalis, Jane Peck, Jamie Berg, Josette Antomarchi and M. Cochise Anderson.

CLICK HERE to see cast photos and bios

Bottineau Jig Dance Workshops
* French-Canadian Step Dance
Saturday, March 12, 1-2:30 pm
*Metis or French-Indian Step Dance
Saturday, March 26, 1-2:30 pm
Taught by Jane Peck with Live Fiddle Music!
$15 per person, $12 for Tapestry members,
$24 for both workshops, $20 for Tapestry members

At: Tapestry Folk Dance Center,  www.tapestryfolkdance.org
3748 Minnehaha Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55406
ph (612) 722-2914.

Background
Our performers come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to portray the varied characters in this production. The characters portrayed in our show were actual people known by Pierre Bottineau and his wife  in 1840’s : The first Swede Jacob Fahlstrom, Dakota leader Little Crow, African-Ojibwe Marguerite Bonga, French Sister Philomene, Henry and Sarah Sibley, the Metis oxcart men.

Director Jane Peck has researched their lives and communities and will write about both the characters and theirperformers in a twice weekly blog that can be found on www.janepeck.com/blog. Jane’s own Yankee ancestors arrived in Southern Minnesota shortly after the Indian land treaty was signed, and had many friendly encounters with the Ho-Chunk tribes.  She had the good fortune to be introduced to this era through family oral history. She recently discovered she may be living on the same land as had Red Blanket Woman, who is represented in this show. Dance Revels Moving History is grateful to our many community partners who represent modern ethnic counterparts to these characters in the Bottineau Jig project:   Swedish Institute,  Sisters of St. Joseph, MN,  African American History Museum, Mendota Mdwakanton Band of Dakota, American Indian Center,  Initiatives in French Midwest, Alliance Francaise, Pierre Bottineau French Immersion School, La Compagnie, Tapestry Folkdance Center, and Springboard for the Arts.

Comments from recent audiences:
“Bravo! Dance Revels has successfully combined dancing and acting in a unique way.”-theater teacher
“Finally, a history show that includes both native, mixed blood, and immigrant points of view.”- MCTC professor
“I saw my grandmother’s story come to life.” former educator
DANCE REVELS MOVING HISTORY is committed to performing the untold stories of our diverse ancestors through the dance, story, and live music of Europe and America’s past (1400-1920). The group has been deepening and expanding our community identity in the Upper Midwest since 1990.

Dance Revels Moving Historyis a fiscal year 2010 recipient of a Folk and Traditional Arts Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and a Community Arts Grant from Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota arts and  cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.