.png)
Alaska Tour 2026
Nome - Anchorage
July 27th - August 1st
PRESS
KNOM Radio Mission: Unalakleet and Chicago dancers unite, blending contemporary and traditional dance
'One thing that sticks out to Haun is the difference between traditional and contemporary dance. “A lot of traditional dances are meant to be participatory,” she said. “We come from the colonizers where it’s very presentational and some people can participate and some people can’t.” “The idea is to sort of break that down,” she added. To Haun, dancers are not too different no matter the style they perform – dance is about what the individual can bring to the group. “There’s a common understanding, or a way of looking at the world, or a way of approaching the world that seems to me to be universal,” she said.'
Nome Nugget: Winifred Haun & Dancers perform with Unalakleet and Nome dancers
"Amber Cunningham is one of the cofounders of Uŋalaqłiq Iñuutchak, Inupiaq for Unalakleet Comes To Life. The dance group was founded in 2022, after more than a century without traditional dance in the community. Cunningham explained by 1915, dance and other cultural practices had been banned in Unalakleet."
BLOG
Nome Dance Project
July 27 to 30, 2026
Nome Elementary School
Featuring workshops in indigenous and contemporary dance, a new collaborative work, performances by Unalaqliq Iñuutchak (Unalakleet Comes To Life) and Winifred Haun & Dancers of Chicago. Learn new dances and perform them with family and friends.
Workshop Fee: $25 per person, includes all classes and the performance
Please register by July 24, if you can. You can also register at the first class, but registering beforehand helps us plan better.
Community Dancer Project - Kids, Ages 8 to 16
Monday thru Thursday
1:00pm to 4:30pm
Workshops in indigenous and contemporary dance plus the opportunity to create and perform a new dance as part of "Dancing with the Midnight Sun" (see below).
Register here
Community Dancer Project - Teens & Adults, Ages 16 and up
Monday thru Thursday
6:30pm to 8:00pm
Workshops in indigenous and contemporary dance plus the opportunity to create and perform a new dance as part of "Dancing with the Midnight Sun" (see below).
Register here
Dancing with the Midnight Sun: a collaborative performance for the community
Performance featuring WH&D with Unalakleet Comes Alive Dance group, and the community of Nome
Thursday, July 31 at 6:30pm
Anchorage Dance Project
Friday, July 31st - 1:30pm to 4:30pm @Alaska Classical Ballet Academy
Contemporary Dance Workshop
Saturday, August 1 - 11:00am to 4:30pm @Alaska Dance Theatre
11:00am - 12:30pm Class
12:45pm-2:45pm Composition Workshop
3:00pm-4:00pm Sharing (public is invited!)
4:00pm-4:30pm Q&A
sponsored by
Momentum Dance Collective
Unalakleet Comes To Life Member Amber Cunningham & Wini in a planning zoom meeting.
Council, Alaska
History of the Nome Dance Project
The Nome Dance Project started as an idea proposed by former Company Dancer, Assistant Artistic Director, and WH&D Company Manager, Summer Smith. Summer performed, taught, and choreographed with WH&D for 8 seasons. In August 2023, she moved to Nome to be with her Indigenous Alaskan husband, who grew up in the village of Unalakleet.
In July 2024, Wini visited Summer in Nome and together they met with several Nome area organizations, including the Nome Arts Council, Unalaqliq Iñuutchak (Unalakleet Comes To Life), and others. After listening to the interests and needs of the community, it was determined that a Dance Residency in Nome would be an exciting opportunity for the artists and community of Nome, and WH&D.
After careful planning and many meetings, a plan for the NDP was developed. The plan included: Workshops in indigenous dance forms for community members of all ages, Workshops that would include the opportunity for participating dancers to create their own works, the possible creation of a collaborative work Nome area indigenous dancers and WH&D, and a culminating performance.
In 2024, WH&D submitted a grant to the National Endowment for the Arts for NDP, and it was funded! We received notification in June 2025. Planning and organizational meetings continued among all interested partners, and a final date for the project was set for July 27 to 30, 2026.
