Matriarchs Uprising 2026
O.Dela Arts, in partnership with The Dance Centre is thrilled to present the eighth annual Matriarchs Uprising, a celebration of contemporary dance by Indigenous women from Canada and Australia
Date/Time: Feb 16 2026, 8:00 am to 9:00 pm
Vancouver, Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie St, Vancouver) and Morrow (910 Richards St, Vancouver)
In Person: Live Performances, Conversations and Community Workshops at the Scotiabank Dance Centre & Morrow
Online: IndigiDance on Screen films and Virtual Talking Circle with the film artists
The festival offering six unique programs of live performance, along with artist-lad Talking Truths circle conversations, dance masterclasses, community workshops and the IndigiDance on Screen film series.
Curated by Olivia C. Davies, the 2026 festival program opens Wednesday, February 18th with the long-awaited Western Canada premiere of Wahsipekuk: Au-delà des montagnes by Wolastoq and Quebecois artist Ivanie Aubin-Malo. Ktunaxa choreographer, Samantha Sutherland, shares her latest work, ʔa·kinq̓uku in a double bill with carriers and keepers of the ancestral portals from Sophie Dow and Beany John. Sandra Lamouche brings Out of Wounds followed by Ngambaa, by Australian Indigenous choreographer Amelia O’Leary. On Saturday, February 21st, we share a studio preview of Michelle Olson’s newest work in development, where did you go, and close the festival performance program with Matriarchs from Australian Indigenous choreographer, Olivia Adams. IndigiDance on Screen returns with five short dance films by Indigenous women, available on-demand all week on the festival website. Our signature Talking Truths Circle Conversations invite audiences to witness our festival artists speaking their truth, while our Gathering Hope performance sharing at Morrow offers an invitation to witness Vancouver-based Indigenous story-keepers and dance artists in an improvised score for dance and story-weaving. We celebrate the week with a closing night reception featuring musical guests, Tsimka and Michael Red.
Curator’s Address from Olivia C. Davies
Oscillating between the edges of bold, vibrant victories and the quieter, elusive tragedies of our shared experience as women, our 2026 line-up offers a performance program from Canadian and Australian Indigenous choreographers invited to share their unique worldviews. At the centre of each performance is a woman who can be witnessed activating their capacity to pull inspiration from the deep recesses of their personal history and bridge the gap with their ancestors' dreams. Makwendaan Endaa’aanh (Remembering Home in Anishinaabemowin). Through their artistry, we are all invited to remember home, return to our roots, and recognize the truth of our nature.
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