Aqsarniit

Aqsarniit is an Inuit performing group whose members first came together several years ago to explore their own history and culture, as well as create new music and dances inspired by the northern aboriginal traditions of throat singing and drum dancing. The performers are from across Canada's Arctic: Nunavut and Nunavik. There they grew up learnin... g the basics of traditional Inuit music, song and dance. This art has always reflected the Inuit way of life - living out on the tundra, hunting, camping and celebrating life. Having spent time training artistically in the south, members of Aqsarniit have continued the Inuit traditions of their heritage, as well as incorporating new elements into their art - aspects they have developed through this modern dance and performance training. They have also instructed Inuit youth from all over the north in drum dancing, throat singing and ajaaja songs, often recruiting from their trainees to present larger ensemble performances. Aqsarniit's performances, while imbued with the richness of a professional stage performance, are not unlike the traditional Inuit performing arts that spawned them. Their songs are still expressions of individual personal experiences, their dances are still shared in celebration, and throat singing still imitates the same sounds generations have heard growing up - the sounds of nature. What makes them different today is more polished presentation, and the fact that they perform not only in their own communities, but also in the south and abroad, using the opportunity to bring the world awareness of their Inuit culture and history through music and dance.Read More