Page 308 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

interpretive dance and with the transfer
Dancing Through Time dance, when Sitka passed from the Russians
to the U.S. we used swing. Each dance tells
a story and a part of Sitka’s history.” Not
only will the dances dazzle, but the costumes
showcase artistic sewing skills. “When we first
started, we thrifted a lot of our costumes,
but now many of our ensembles come from
Russia, plus we have amazing seamstresses,”
Wilcox states.
Right now, most performances take place
in conjunction with cruise ship tours at the
Harrigan Centennial Hall, located a few miles
from downtown. They also perform at Sitka
Cirque which is in the downtown district.
Both places can take walk-ins. If you are
able to attend a performance of “Russian
Saga” you will leave enchanted with a deeper
understanding of the richness and legacy of
the enduring spirit of Sitka. “I am living my
dream job,” says Wilcox. “I get to create a
show that I love so much, in a town that I love
so much.”
For more information and tickets please
visit: alaskastorytellers.com

In the rhythm of life, two women, Cynthia 1799 and brought their religion and culture
Gibson and Kristine Wilcox, struck up a and inventible clashes with the local Tlingit.
friendship in a local dance group. Meeting It is this time period that Alaska Storytellers
as kindred spirits, they shared a passion for explore in their dance performance titled
not only dance but for their town of Sitka. “The Russian Saga”. “Sitka is such a unique
Realizing the amount of visitors that arrive in area, and we wanted to show through dance
Sitka each year, their shared passion ignited a why the Russians came, what they found, what
spark that became the dance troupe “Alaska they did when they were here and why they
Storytellers” and, through dialog, movement left,” says Director Wilcox.
and music, they take visitors on an exhilarating Fifteen dancers, plus a storyteller, stage
journey of early life in this former Russian 160 performances a year. The company
town. choreographs each dance with a mesmerizing
Sitka was originally a Tlingit village and, display of grace, passion, and tradition. From
according to their oral history, the now the spirited kicks and leaps of the Cossack
dormant volcano, Mount Edgecumbe dance to the elegant swirls of traditional
brought the Tlingit to the area like a signal folk dance, to jitterbug and western swing,
fire, blazing against the night sky, cutting each movement resonates with soul-stirring
through the darkness, bringing wanderers melodies of music. “During the battle of the
to safety. The Russians arrived in the area in Russians and Tlingit we used contemporary,

306