Tla’amin First Nation member Cameron Fraser-Monroe is celebrating a legend of his people with T’əl: The Wild Man of the Woods.
As the choreographer-in-residence with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, he braids classical, contemporary, and Indigenous dance—all of which he has done for years. The production depicts a young woman determined to rescue her sister from a sinister figure named T’əl, who abducts children at night.
In a Zoom interview with Pancouver, the articulate dance artist says that he wants to spread joy. He notes that the show includes a great amount of humour.
“It’s a story that has kept our children safe,” Fraser-Monroe emphasizes. “It was meant to bring them back.”
At the same time, he recognizes that his choreography creates space to reflect on the impact of residential and boarding schools, as well as their ongoing legacy. That includes the vastly disproportionate ratio of Indigenous children in foster care.
“Indigenous kids are 14 times more likely to be placed in foster care in Canada—and as high as 17 times more likely in certain U.S. states,” he says.
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet will present T’əl: The Wild Man of the Woods in a double bill with Carmina Burana at 7:30 p.m. on Monday (February 9) and Tuesday (February 10) at The Centre Vancouver. When Fraser-Monroe’s show premiered at the Winnipeg Centennial Concert Hall, it included 26 dancers with the full Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra providing music.
Fraser-Monroe learned from esteemed role models
Tla’amin Elder and knowledge keeper Elsie Paul narrates T’əl: The Wild Man of the Woods in English and Ayajuthem. Asa Benally, a citizen of the Navajo and Cherokee Nations, designed the costumes. The ballet also features an original score by Two-Spirit cellist and composer Cris Derksen.
“She has this incredible breadth as an artist,” Fraser-Monroe declares. “She has debuted at Carnegie Hall with 90 players from Orchestre Métropolitain [de Montréal] and also does incredible solo electronic work. You get all of that present in the work.”
The Tla’amin people’s traditional territory extends from Central Vancouver Island across the northern Gulf Islands to the upper Sunshine Coast. After reaching a final agreement with Canada and B.C. more than a decade ago, it’s a self-governing nation.
Fraser-Monroe grew up in Vernon with his mom. She introduced him to Ukrainian dance when he was just three years old. His dad is Dr. Evan Adams, an actor (Smoke Signals), TV host (The Conversation), physician, and former deputy provincial health officer.
One of Fraser-Monroe’s early role models was Nlaka’pamux playwright, actor, and director Kevin Loring.
“I did a bit of voiceover with him when I was probably a preteen,” Fraser-Monroe recalls. “It was really incredible to see him in his element.”
He trained under world champion hoop dancer Dallas Arcand and was mentored in grass dance by Elder Mollie Bono. After graduating from a ballet school in Roanoke, Virginia, Fraser-Monroe earned scholarships to study engineering in university.
Parents embrace arts and culture
His parents, however, encouraged him to pursue his passion for dance if that’s what he truly desired. They advised him that he could always return to school and adopt a second vocation later in life. But he could never launch a career as a professional ballet dancer at the age of 40.
“It was their belief in me and their willingness to allow me to forge my own path and chart my own course that gave me permission to continue as an artist,” Fraser-Monroe states. “The other thing is I was lucky that my dad also modelled this for me. He was a professional actor for 12 years and then went back to school and became a doctor.”
Their words led Fraser-Monroe to attend the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School on a scholarship.
As an actor, he played Young Dr. Tim Whallach in the Bones of Crows film and miniseries, both written and directed by Marie Clements. He appreciates how the Vancouver filmmaker injects so much tenderness and humanity in stories addressing traumatic events.
“I think what I learned from Marie Clements was a real fearlessness,” Fraser-Monroe acknowledges.
He also performed with many dance companies, including Dancers of Damelahamid. He counts the company’s executive and artistic director Margaret Grenier as an important mentor. He also admires Mohawk interdisciplinary artist Santee Smith.
“I’m lucky to have these wonderful matriarchs in dance leading the way.”
Fraser-Monroe says that he worked on early versions of Dancers of Damelahamid’s Raven Mother. It’s dedicated to Grenier’s mother, the late Elder Margaret Harris. She played a critical role in reviving Northwest Coast Indigenous dance after the government lifted a 67-year ban on potlatches in 1951.
“I didn’t meet her but I’ve heard recordings of her voice,” Fraser-Monroe reveals. “I’ve learned many of those dances and contributed to the research. As a rather interesting piece of history, my dad danced with Margaret’s mother and I’ve danced now with Margaret.”
He points out that the potlatch ban, which lasted from 1884 to 1951, made it illegal to share the tale of T’əl in his community. But thanks to Elsie Paul, this story has also survived through recordings and a book.
“It meant that this was already something I felt comfortable sharing with a wider audience,” Fraser-Monroe says. “So, that’s how I landed on T’əl.”
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet will present Carmina Burana and T’əl: The Wild Man of the Woods at 7:30 p.m. on Monday (February 9) and Tuesday (February 10) at The Centre Vancouver (777 Homer Street). For tickets and more information, visit the Royal Winnipeg Ballet website. Find Cameron Fraser-Monroe on Instagram @cameron.fm. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia and Instagram @PancouverMedia.
