Meet the Wabanaki artists behind the costumes for a Wolastoqey story ballet

Emma Hassencahl-Perley is workingto revitalize Wolastoqey iconography and regalia and she'sbringing that knowledge to her work as the lead costume designer for an upcomingballetat the Fredericton Playhouse.

Hassencahl-Perley, who is from Neqotkuk, Tobique First Nationabout 120 kilometres west of Fredericton,spent hundreds of hours researching archival images. Shebringsthose traditional motifs,such asdouble curves and fiddleheads,into her designs.

A double curve is a Wabanaki motif that features two curvesmeeting in the middle, often symbolizing relationships and balance.

Hassencahl-Perley's costumes will take centre stage on May 12, when the ballet opens.Pisuwin,a collaboration betweendirector and choreographer Igor Dobrovolskiy, multi-disciplinary artist PossesomPauland composer Jeremy Dutcher, is a Wolastoqey storyballet put on by the Atlantic Ballet.

"Our stories are presented on stage in such a big way," she said.

"It's also exciting because it's not a small production. It's a big production with a lot of time and energy being put towards the final product."

Hassencahl-Perley startedin an Indigenous mentorship program with theballet company, andPisuwin is her firstproduction.

The balletis basedin traditional Wolastoqeystories and its costumes try toembody the four elements: earth, water, air and fire, and will alsolean heavy on the Wabanakidouble curve motif,Hassencahl-Perleysaid.

She said she was challenged to balance regalia looks with ballet costuming.

"We had a lot of conversations around that because regalia has such a specific intention for ceremonies and it's made specifically for that purpose, where this is for performance on stage," said Hassencahl-Perley.

The costuming will also featurebeadwork and Hassencahl-Perley suggested they enlist the help of Mi'kmaw beader Oakley Gray.

100 hours of beading

Gray, who isfrom Listuguj Mi'gmaqNation, was part of a team thatmadearecreation oftheO'Halloran coat,an 1840s beaded coathoused in the Canadian Museum of History.

For the ballet,Grayspent over 100 hours beading the costumes.

"Beading for the ballet kind of changed my technique that I normally would use because we'realso beading on a lot of stretch [material], so I've been kind of making it my goal to make the beadwork also stretch with the fabric, keeping it on just so it doesn't fall off because clearly you don't want it falling off as they're dancing. That would be terrifying," Gray said.

Gray worked alongside costuming expert Nancy Lachanceto ensure the costumes arefunctional.

Susan Chalmers-Gauvin, CEO of the Atlantic Ballet, said co-director Possesom Paulchallenged them to buildcapacity for Indigenous people in the ballet world and said the company will expand withother Indigenous mentorship programs.

Pisuwinwill tour in Atlantic Canada until May 27.