Gathering Light follows the journey of seed to flower and the stirrings of consciousness to the full bloom embrace of transformation.  This quartet choreographed by Michelle Olson delves into the impulses rooted in our bodies that travel through us to find the light, revealing the structures that do not support our own truths to ceremonies that support our full bloom. Gathering Light is performed in the round, creating a sense of ritual space where transformation is an experience the audience intimately shares with the performers.  Gathering Light premiered at Dancing on the Edge Festival 2010 (Vancouver), with other performances at Theatre Passe Muraille as part of the Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival (Toronto) and at the Scotiabank Dance Centre Noon Series (Vancouver). It was recently presented as part of the New Works' 2010-2011Dance Allsorts season (Vancouver). 

“The moment of an impulse is the collision of inherited worldviews, traditional and urban cosmologies, and personal and collective histories. From this place, one dances and creates and it is how one arrives at an expression that is distinct." 

-Raven Spirit Dance

Raven Spirit Dance is a Vancouver based Aboriginal contemporary dance company under the direction of Artistic Director, Michelle Olson. Founded in 1999 and incorporated in 2005 Raven Spirit Dance creates, develops and produces contemporary dance that is rooted in traditional and contemporary Aboriginal worldview. The company facilitates a successful bi-ennual training intensive as well as offers ongoing classes and workshops. Over the past 3 years Raven Spirit has created 5 new works, Luk T’äga Näche, Ta’wan, Gathering Light, Frost Exploding Trees Moon and Ashes on the Water.