(2006) Russian arts producer, Luba Kusovnikova, invited Maida to present the duet from Thresholds Crossed, with Russian dancers Konstantin Grouss and Ananstasia Oleynik, in Norilsk, Russia for the Indigenous Conference: Integrity of Cultural Space – the Notion of “Border” in Historical and Contemporary Contexts.

See information under EVENTS: https://maidadance.com/events/international-conference-norilsk-russia/

The conference was dedicated to issues shared by Sami indigenous peoples in Russia, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The annual conference featured presentations, discussions, planning, and resolution of indigenous issues.  Evenings involved social exchange, music, dancing, etc.

At that time, Norilsk was a closed city (requiring a separate/specific visas to go there) based on its military importance and industrial region for important metals.   Norilsk is located south of the western Taymyr Peninsula in the Arctic.

*Norilsk is one of the oldest and most polluted cities in Russia.  Permafrost and other environment aspects had been drastically  eroded.

• Norilsk is one of the northernmost cities in the world, located above the Arctic Circle.
• It is a major industrial center, primarily known for nickel and palladium mining.
  Known for the largest oil spill in arctic history.
• The city experiences extreme polar climate conditions, with long, harsh winters.
• Norilsk is situated approximately 90 kilometers from the Kara Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean.
• The region is home to unique wildlife and ecosystems, despite heavy industrialization. Home of Russian Arctic Military.
• Access to Norilsk is limited, with no direct road connections to the rest of Russia.

*Luba also invited MWDCCo to participate in a three-week creative arts residency in Solovky Island in the North Sea of Russia in the White Sea – a summer residency in the village of one of the earliest GULAG sites in Russia.

Ananstasia Oleynik and Konstantin Grouss
Below:  Photos, Norilsk, Russia