Red Thunder (Chadi K'azi) Native Dance Theatre

Red Thunder (Chadi K'azi) Native Dance Theatre embodies the spirit of aboriginal First Nations through dance, using both traditional forms, and adaptations of contemporary dance motifs.

They have toured the world with dances of animals, such as crows and prairie chickens, and the tales of long ago battles. Of particular interest is a feature work, 'Soldier Boy', a tribute to the native veterans of the Great Wars, Korea and Viet Nam. The piece tells the story of a young native soldier's fears as he writes home to his mother. After his death, his spirit returns to his people, to the accompaniment of an original musical score.

The touring group consists of six dancers under the direction of Lee Crowchild, and comes from the Tsuu T'ina* (Sarcee) Nation, near Calgary. The dancers are from different nations across Canada and are trained by Crowchild. Guest choreographers work with the group for some of the contemporary pieces.

* Tsuu T'ina (pronounced Soot ina)