Creating space for belonging through dance
For Sarah Prosper (she/they/nekm), movement has always been a way of being. Growing up in Eskasoni First Nation, she began dancing at age two, surrounded by fiddle music and community.
She danced for fun before moving into competitive and theatrical work as a teenager. The Highland Arts Theatre in Sydney eventually became a second home where she could explore performance in new ways.
When Sarah later moved to Halifax for university, they realized just how deeply dance was tied to their sense of self. “I felt lost without it,” Sarah says.
Joining the Dalhousie Dance Team and later Mocean Dance, she eventually discovered contemporary dance as a space where she could tell her own story. That realization led to her first major work as a choreographer and artistic director.
While working on Sable Island, Sarah wrote SAMQWAN, a full-length production exploring the sacredness of water and the challenges many First Nations communities face in accessing clean drinking water. The show premiered at the Highland Arts Theatre in 2021 and went on to stages including Neptune Theatre, the Canada Games, and the Stratford Festival.
“That was a really huge highlight—not just for me, but my community as well,” she says. “We had the opportunity to showcase our traditional forms of dance and regalia on a stage where you would not often see that.”
Sarah believes that difference is a source of strength. She wants others to know they are safe when they stay true to themselves, learn from others, and understand that, in time, being the “different” person in the room helps make space for others to belong, too.
Today, her performances bring together dancers, singers, musicians, and community members of all ages in a colourful, vibrant, and joyful environment. “You should expect a place where you see beauty, but you are also learning something new,” she says.
Like many independent artists, Sarah faces the challenge of sustaining their work. “Almost every dancer I know needs another job to survive,” they explain.
Since 2013, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation has supported arts, culture, and heritage in communities across Nova Scotia through its Support4Culture program, funded by the proceeds from designated lottery products. To date, Nova Scotians have raised almost $42 million for Support4Culture.
Sara says programs like Support4Culture help fill that gap by providing resources for artists to create, connect, and thrive.
“When people look for healing, they look to sport, culture, art, and recreation. Support4Culture provides an opportunity for people to be seen.”
As Sarah continues to create and perform, she hopes to establish an Indigenous contemporary dance company in Atlantic Canada where everyone feels seen, celebrated, and connected through movement.