A traditional Native American object, in Ojibwa (Chippewa) culture, a dream catcher (Ojibwe asabikeshiinh, the inanimate form of the word for “spider” or bawaajige nagwaagan meaning “dream snare”) is a handmade object based on a willow hoop, on which is woven a loose net or web. This is hung above the bed and is then used as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. Dream catchers made of willow and sinew are not meant to last forever but instead are intended to dry out and collapse over time as the child enters the age of adulthood. The Ojibwa believe that a dream catcher changes a person’s dreams. According to a legend “Good dreams pass through the center hole to the sleeping person. The bad dreams are trapped in the web, where they perish in the light of dawn.”
In the contemporary dance piece Dream Catcher, a linear presentation of a series of dream sequences is depicted.
Music credits: Michael Cashmore, Arnaldo Antunes, Clint Mansell, Yannis Kyriakides
Choreographed by Maja Drobac, Croatia in collaboration with the dancers of Rhythmotion