Mana: A Long Journey

Chanti Mullen is a performance artist and healing facilitator who combines dance gestures and monologue in Mana, presented at the False Creek Gym.  While the actual meaning of the word Mana depends on the context in which it is used, Mullen defines the term as being “the substance of a soul”.  She takes us on a spiritual quest.  

Her journey begins with her introduction to Christianity as a young girl and continues with her travels as an adult where she was inspired by human guardian angels appearing when she needed them most and by nature.  She describes one locale as being “at the edge of the world dipped in heaven”.  Her path also includes survival and forgiveness.  

Her performance is very genuine, but very wordy.  Careful editing might produce a stronger piece.  Along similar lines, her dance movements didn’t really add anything to the production and paring those sequences down could be of benefit.  The setting could also be improved.  This is an example of where a performer might want to consider a site-specific venue.  The False Creek gym is a very sterile stage for this subject matter.  By contrast, a setting such as the nearby Ron Bassford Park could provide a space where the artist could use trees as props and Alder Bay as a backdrop for her monologue.