Stories of the Summer part 4 of 5

Written by Magan Carty

In a sea of artists and delegates from circumpolar regions and Indigenous nations across the north, a bouncing jellyfish brought to life by Jacob Zimmer stood out amongst the crowd and attracted the attention of 250 audience members in an artistic-fuelled version of Follow the Leader. Over the course of the evening, the puppet appeared to become an extension of Jacob, and it seemed he and the jellyfish had fused together as one. It was inspiring to witness — a true puppeteer in his element — even if it meant he’d be footing the bill of very sore arms in the weeks to come. 

This was Whitehorse’s first time hosting the Arctic Arts Summit. On Tuesday, June 28 from 7 p.m. until after midnight, Nakai Theatre was joyfully along for the ride with Nuiharuq — meaning “visible from a distance” —  a night of performances curated by Reneltta Arluk, an Inuvialuk/Gwich’in/Denesuline/Cree artistic director with ancestral roots connected to Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. 

Our summer staff and volunteers gathered in the parking lot of the KDCC to form an ensemble of puppeteers. Together, we animated multiple schools of fish, big and small, and entered the venue as participants were finishing their dinner and the Dakhká Khwáan dancers were closing off their set. The artists and audience followed the fish all night and the fish followed the jellyfish.

Lo Bill, one of our volunteers who had traveled from Toronto, said her heart was pounding when Nakai emerged from behind-the-scenes of the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre and surprised the audience.

“I didn’t know if my feet would find the rhythm, but I didn’t care. Those drummers were just so compelling, and their music moved the crowd right out of their chairs.

“I never get to hear the diversity of northern music in the south. It was such an incredible experience to hear so many sounds, voices and cultures together in one night.” 

It was a phenomenal experience that culminated in a euphoric dance party under the midnight sun. The puppets stayed to the end, dancing their hearts out through to the final note of the closing act.

JOIN IN THE FUN! Visit us at Wondercrawl, Friday September 2nd