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About Sandra Laronde
Founder and Artistic Director of Red Sky, Sandra Laronde is also a producer, director, choreographer, actor and dancer. Sandra's vision for Red Sky is to create a leading international company that shapes contemporary world Indigenous performance, and to make a significant contribution to the artistic vibrancy of Canada and the world. Currently, she is also the Director of Aboriginal Arts at The Banff Centre and divides her time between Toronto, Ontario and Banff, Alberta. Sandra is from the Teme-Augama-Anishnaabe (People of the Deep Water) in Temagami, Ontario.
In 2006, Sandra was awarded the Ontario Good Citizenship Medal that pays special tribute to those Ontarians whose lives exemplify excellence and achievement in the finest order. In addition, she received the 2006 Paul D. Fleck Fellowship in the Arts from The Banff Centre. In 2004, she was one of 225 Canadians chosen to participate in the Governor-General's Canadian Leadership program, which celebrates promising leaders who are making a significant impact on Canada. In the same year, Sandra was also the recipient of Toronto City Council's 2004 Aboriginal Affairs Award for her contribution towards improving the quality of life for the Aboriginal community of Toronto. She is also listed in the Canada's Who's Who that features notable living Canadians.
Sandra has toured extensively with Red Sky, and has performed in numerous projects with other companies throughout Canada, the United States, Cuba, Mexico, Europe, Australia, China, Iceland and West Africa. Sandra was a lead actor in the mini-series Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis on CBC Television. She was recently featured in two documentaries, Feet First Onto the Earth on CHUM TV and APTN, and Women's Journeys on APTN. Other selected credits include: The Rez Sisters at Winnipeg's Prairie Theatre Exchange; as Molly Brant in Chiefs on the History Channel; as Ariel in The Tempest at the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People; as Andrea Palmer in the feature film The Poet for 9th Life Productions; and narrated Veronica Tennant's Northern Light: Vision & Dreams for CBC, Opening Night for CBC, David Suzuki's The Nature of Things; and Locked Horns for CBC's Witness. She has also performed in several productions at The Banff Centre including Miinogoowezin…The Gift, Throw Away Kids and Chinook Winds.
Sandra is a creative leader in cultivating innovative links with First Peoples, culturally diverse, world Indigenous peoples, and mainstream communities. Most recently, she was a panelist at the 11th Annual Canadian Arts Summit with The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Deepa Mehta and Alison McKay. Sandra was a panelist at the 2008 Luminato festival series event, Illuminations, which also featured Tomson Highway, Joseph Boyden and Kevin Loring. She also participated in a national forum entitled 2008 Art Matters with 30 other Canadian artists, hosted at The Banff Centre by The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada. Sandra has been a Guest Lecturer at Ryerson University, the University of Toronto, York University, the University of New Mexico, and the National Theatre School.
Sandra was one of 500 artists invited to meet HRH Prince Charles on his latest Royal Visit to Canada. She has been involved in many speaking engagements: she served as a spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee for Toronto's Olympic Bid; delivered the keynote address at the 2009 Blackfoot Arts Awards in Lethbridge, and the keynote address to the 2007 graduating class at the Temiskaming District Secondary School in New Liskeard. She was a panel member for the 2007 Portfolio Committee on Aboriginal Affairs for Canadian Heritage, and moderated a panel at the 2002 National Gathering of Aboriginal Artistic Expression for Canadian Heritage. Currently, in 2009, she sits on the Aboriginal Advisory for the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto and on the Advisory for the Canada Dance Festival in Ottawa. She was a guest presenter on Perspectives on Innovative Management Practices to the board, officers and staff at the Canada Council for the Arts in 2003. Sandra has also served on numerous arts juries including the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, The Dora Awards, and has assisted in the design of the First Peoples Dance and Music Program at Canada Council. For six consecutive years, she served on the Toronto Arts Council board.
In 1993, Sandra founded Canada's only organization for First Nations, Inuit and Metis women artists, Native Women in the Arts, and has played a significant role in fostering the careers of thousands of Aboriginal women artists. From 1993 - 2007, she helped to produce an immense ripple effect of artistic growth, confidence building and proliferation of performing arts, literary arts and publishing, visual arts, and community development projects through Native Women in the Arts.
Sandra holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Toronto, and studied Spanish Language and Literature overseas for one year at the University of Granada in Spain.
Photo: Paula Wilson
