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Dancers of the Grass

This short film presents a stunning display of a stop-motion animation as it vividly depicts the majesty of the hoop dance, a tradition symbolizing the unity of all nations.
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  • Vistas
    Vistas
    2009 13 films
    Vistas - 13 short films on the theme of "nationhood". Produced by the National Film Board of Canada and APTN.

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Details

This short film presents a stunning display of a stop-motion animation as it vividly depicts the majesty of the hoop dance, a tradition symbolizing the unity of all nations.

Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) Dance All subjects
Indigenous Cinema
  • writer
    Melanie Jackson
  • director
    Melanie Jackson
  • producer
    Dennis Jackson
    Melanie Jackson
    Anand Ramayya
  • series producer
    Vanessa Loewen
    Joe MacDonald
  • series executive producer
    Derek Mazur
    Peter Strutt
  • animation supervisor
    Cam Lizotte
  • animator
    Andrew Doll
    Cam Lizotte
  • set construction
    Clayton Malinski
  • scenery construction
    Melanie Jackson
  • costume design
    Allison Brandt Malinski
    Melanie Jackson
  • wardrobe
    Allison Brandt Malinski
    Melanie Jackson
  • puppet fabricator
    Amber Rees
    Stacia Verigin
    Jordan Yaworski
  • director of photography
    Andrew Forbes
  • gaffer
    Craig Olson
  • key grip
    Craig Olson
  • grip
    Ryan Lalonde
  • editor
    Jennifer Prokop
  • assistant editor
    John Thronberg
  • visual effects
    Bryan MacCallum
  • light
    Andrew Gordon
  • grip equipment
    Andrew Gordon
  • production manager
    Rick Stefanowski
  • post-production supervisor
    John Thronberg
  • online editor
    Tony Wytinck
  • audio post supervisor
    Ross Nykiforuk
  • foley
    Daryl Pierce
    Randy Woods
  • sound effects
    Daryl Pierce
    Randy Woods
  • business affairs
    Linda Nemeth
  • production supervisor
    Scott Collins
  • production co-ordinator
    Rolande Petit
  • program administrator
    Cyndi Forcand
  • marketing manager
    Leslie Stafford

Education

Ages 10 to 17
School subjects
Arts Education - Visual Arts History and Citizenship Education - Culture and Currents of Thought (1500-present) Indigenous Studies - Arts Media Education - Film Animation
Discuss how the hoop dance is a rich form of storytelling and an intergenerational way to share history among First Nations people. Explore why the filmmaker chose to stop-motion animation to document hoop dancing. Show a live motion clip that deconstructs the different motions behind an actual hoop dance performance and compare this to the animated short. Have students develop a flipbook or stop action short.
Dancers of the Grass
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