Anchorage Daily News

KODIAK -- Last weekend marked the premiere of a new documentary film celebrating the Alutiiq culture through dance.

Titled "Finding Their Own Dance," the documentary shares the story of those trying to bring back the traditional art form, once threatened by Russian and American cultural imperialism, according to a press release.

The documentary was the brainchild of Ellen Van't Hof, a professor of dance at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. She recruited award-winning documentary filmmaker and University of Alaska Fairbanks professor Robert Prince to direct, and both Van't Hof and Prince were expected to be in Kodiak this weekend to mark the premiere of their film.

Van't Hof said the documentary tells an uplifting story, primarily following three groups of Alutiiq dancers. Filmmakers traveled to Kodiak, Old Harbor, Nanwalek and Anchorage over three years to film the documentary.

"It's a wonderful affirmation of who these people are," Van't Hof said.

Van't Hof said she has always been fascinated with dance and how it directly reflects culture. She did not know much about the Alutiiq culture until a trip to Anchorage when she visited the Alaska Native Heritage Center. She was told she needed to talk to certain people about the revitalization of the dance tradition, and she took it one step further.

"I found a number of wonderful people who were willing to talk about it," she said. One person she connected with was Kodiak resident Sven Haakanson, who agreed to be a consultant for the documentary.

Van't Hof said she knew she wanted to tell the story and considered the various media she could use.

"(The story) was so full of life that it needed to be in film," she said.

FOR A WIDER AUDIENCE

Van't Hof recruited Prince, who said the film was a natural fit for him.

"I've been interested in Native Americans since I was a kid, so the subject matter is inherently attractive to me," Prince said. "I think this is an important story because it shows how wonderful it can be to search out and embrace the traditions of your culture -- whatever that culture may be. It gives us a foundation in history."

Prince said he is honored to be able to share the Alutiiq Natives' passion for their culture with a wider audience.

"We are excited and anxious to see how well the Alutiiq people feel we have told their story," he said.

As is often the case with projects like this, Prince said he and others involved became good friends with the subjects in the film, a statement echoed by Van't Hof.

"We have met and made wonderful new friends and will always be grateful for their warmth and trust," she said.

BROADCAST HOPES

The project was funded through many sources, including the Alaska Humanities Forum, The CIRI Foundation, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Research Consortium, Sun'aq Tribe of Kodiak, Calvin College, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Mellema Program for Western American Studies, Van't Hof and Prince.

"Our limited budget meant we had to have a small production crew and consider our travel plans carefully," Prince said. "Eventually Ellen, the producer, and I had to put our own money into the project to get where we needed to go to tell the story."

All that was invested will be validated with the premiere and Van't Hof said they have plans as to where they would like to take the documentary after.

Van't Hof said they are applying to present the film at various film festivals. They have also contacted the Smithsonian and other educational and museum institutions. Van't Hof said she hopes to have the film broadcast on public broadcasting channels.

Van't Hof said they are also considering subtitling the film in Spanish, as it is expected to have widespread appeal.

"I hope when people see the film they will feel the same excitement about what the Alutiiq people are doing and maybe become inspired to search out their own traditions," Prince said.

"Finding Their Own Dance" was shown at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center on May 24.

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