Episode 3: Palexelsiya (Lorelei) Williams and Julia Taffe

Episode 3: Palexelsiya (Lorelei) Williams and Julia Taffe, Choreographing Change

Ten years ago, Indigenous activist Palexelsiya (Lorelei) Williams felt a deep calling to create a dance to honour Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two Spirited people. That one-off dance sparked a partnership between Palexelsiya’s dance troupe Butterflies in Spirit and Julia Taffe’s Aeriosa Dance Society. This collaboration continues to heal and inspire — they describe their dances as more ceremonies than performances. This deeply moving episode honours all MMIWG2S, their ancestors, the power of creative collaboration, and these two remarkable dance groups. Palexelsiya’s aunt, Belinda Williams, is still missing. Her cousin Tanya Holyk was murdered in 1996.