Cultural Olympiad - Robert Lepage

Went this evening to see Robert Lepage's The Blue Dragon, at SFU Woodwards. Part of the Cultural Olympiad, the imagery and effects in the show drawing on film, photography and other media, were quite interesting.

Robert Lepage is a Quebec-based artist, and one of Canada's most reknown performing artists.

After the show, we did manage to walk along Granville Street (through the Lunar Festival) and the new large tube lights along the Great White Way (popularized by its neon signs) really works.

Can't wait now until Place Francophonie opens on Granville Island.

Olympics and the Inukshuk

Why does the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics have the Inukshuk as its symbol? Do the Inuit live in Vancouver? What does the Inukshuk mean?

The Winter Olympics features the design of an Inukshuk, a traditional stone sculpture used by Canada's Inuit, as its official logo. The Inukshuk is increasingly being seen as a Canadian national symbol, drawing on its aboriginal and Northern references.

Tonight, we are going to see Tanya Tagaq (featured pic), an Inuit throat singer from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, at the Chan Centre.

Her music is not traditional, having done projects with Icelandic singer Bjork and Vancouver artist Buck 65. Have a listen.

Aboriginal Connection

Went to the launch of the new MOA (Museum of Anthropology) today. A $55 million expansion. Very cool exhibit called Border Zones: New Art Across Cultures (where this pic is from). Marianne Nicholson`s Wanx`id: to hide, to be hidden was part of this exhibit that included contemporary ceremonial chests with archival photographs on the bottom. What a great addition. Aboriginal dance performances also. The new launch, called a Celebration of Creativity, was part of the 2010 Cultural Olympiad.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics is hosted in part by the Four Host First Nations. The Olympics are being held on the traditional territories of the Squamish, Musqueam, Lil`wat and Tsleil-Waututh.

There`s been a fair bit of media attention about aboriginal participation in the Games. Looking forward to checking out the Aboriginal Pavilion as well as some of the other cultural events taking place, like Beyond Eden, Edward Curtis Project and Tanya Tagaq: Tundra Songs (Inuit throat signing at the Chan Centre at UBC).
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Olympic Line

The new Bombardier trains are up and running connnecting the Olympic Village where the athletes are staying on False Creek to Granville Island near my place. I'm a train fan and these machines are really cool and very handy.

The track is 1.8 km long and the two Bombardier streetcars run 18 hours a day, 7 days a week between January 21 and March 21, about two months (which is how long they took to get here from Brussels, Belgium).

Olympics and the Cultural Olympiad

As excited as I am to see some of the Olympic sporting events, I'm also looking forward to some of the cultural and social activities coinciding with the Games. This Thursday, for example, I'm heading to an event at the new Woodward's building, part of the new Simon Fraser University campus downtown. The event is called The Show Must Go On, a dance performance by French choreographer Jerome Bel.

It's part of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, and one of the performers is a friend of mine so really looking forward to that.

This will also be my first time in the new Woodward's building, a highly anticipated development on Vancouver's downtown eastside. Last week, the W sign was reinstalled since coming down in 1993 (had been a Vancouver landmark since 1944).

Olympics and Corporate Sponsorship

Sunshine today and I found myself heading through downtown on my way to visit my sister and took this pic of the Bay with banners of Canadian Olympic athletes on the building.

The Hudson's Bay Company (incorporated by British Royal Charter in 1670) founded Canada so it's fitting that they're one of the main sponsors of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and the official clothing outfitter for the Canadian Olympic team.

The Company started operations in BC as early as 1827 at Fort Langley and Fort Victoria in 1843 but opened in Vancouver in 1887 on Cordova Street when the new town has less than 500 people. In 1913, the company moved to its current location at Georgia and Seymour. That building (as seen from this photo) is easily recognized by its Corinthian columns.

Olympic Snowshoeing in 2014?

So how about snowshoeing as an Olympic sport in 2014?! We signed up for a race Prep clinic at Grouse Mountain (open 24 hrs during Olympics) and I'm starting to wonder. Apparently, as part of a major initiative to place the sport of snowshoe racing in the global spotlight, Mount Seymour Resort in British Columbia will host the World Snowshoe Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 27 – one day before the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremonies in Vancouver. Cool.

Not sure how we can get ourselves invited to that but we'll definately be at the Grouse Mountain Yeti Classic March 13th! The Yeti will be there too.