17.1.10

Tono: Canada, China, and Mongolia oh my!



When I was fourteen years old I had the amazing opportunity to go to China. I was a gymnast and at the gym I went to we had a few coaches that used to Coach the Chinese Olympic team so they set up a trip and a team of us young gymnasts headed on over. It was an amazing three weeks which exposed me to a new culture and to new experiences. We even got to train with the Chinese Olympic team at their headquarters.

One experience that I will never forget is when I was on The Great Wall looking over to the land that is called Mongolia. I felt such a spiritual, calming and enchanting energy that seemed to flow from the lush foliage. I wanted to come back to Asia and be able to visit Mongolia, I had decided in that moment. I wanted to experience more of that amazing energy and find out why it seemed to emit from the land there. While I haven't made my way back there just yet, there is an event next week that might bring some of that magic back.

Mongolian singers from Tono performance.

Tono is an event put on by Red Sky Performance which is inspired by the Indigenous cultures of Canada, Mongolia and China. Sandra Laronde, Artistic Director of Red Sky Performance, created the performance that was inspired by her travels to Asia. This performance in Toronto is featuring the live music from this production, focusing on the connections between Canada and Mongolia. 

On January 20 and 21st it will be in Toronto at The Music Gallery at 8 PM, and admission is $20 in advance and $25 at the door (email info@redskyperformance.com for more info). It will be my first Red Sky Performance and I am greatly looking forward to this as I have heard lots of great buzz about their work. Maybe I will get to recapture that enchantment that I felt when I, a Canadian, stood staring over at at Mongolia.
Posted by Lisa ~ Urban Native Girl at 4:32 PM
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6 comments:

  1. The performance this week at the Music Gallery only features the music. Unfortunately, you missed the chance to see the dancers at Luminato last spring. Still worth seeing!
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  2. Melody M. Well that does make sense since it is the Music Gallery but I actually had no idea. Thanks for this information. I will adjust this blog to reflect this aspect.
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  3. DJ TR-ONE/Fly Joint ProductionsJan 18, 2010 12:03 PM
    Jeez! Tried posting a comment and it never posted, oh well. The landscape of China is simply beautiful... to see it from the Wall, though? MAN! Had to be incredible!
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  4. US Urban Native GirlJan 19, 2010 07:59 AM
    I got to travel to Northern Mongolia once. The cultures of the two ethnic groups I lived with reminded me so much of Native culture : ) It was a beautiful experience. Enjoy the show.
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  5. DJ TR-ONE - It was beautiful. We got to go to Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and also see some of the countryside. What an eye-opening experience it was.

    US Urban Native Girl - that must have been amazing! Wow I would love to have an experience like that one day. Lucky you :).
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  6. DJ TR-ONE/Fly Joint ProductionsJan 19, 2010 04:27 PM
    When I was in college, back in the early 90's, one of my Native studies professors presented us evidence that Mongolians actually came from over. He had the original notes of the infamous Watson & Crick (correct names?) DNA/Genetic mapping study before the US Government shut it down. Those notes actually proved that the Mongols actually had genes descended from Native Americans... as opposed to what's taught according to the Bering Strait Theory. This is supposed to be why so many of the Mongolian and Siberian traditions are so closely regarded to the traditions of our people. I can't remember my professor's name, but damn I miss his classes/lectures... Native professor with actual phd teaching Native studies... couldn't beat it!
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