Alaska Storytellers
History in Motion
On a summer day in Sitka, inside a darkened theater, a voice begins, and within seconds the audience is pulled into a tale that stretches across centuries. A volcanic mountain looms. Ships appear on the horizon. A culture shifts. Then, without warning, the story stands up and starts moving.
That’s the magic of Alaska Storytellers. Part theater, part dance, part history lesson, the production compresses the arc of Sitka’s recent past into a dramatic half-hour experience. It traces the arrival of the Russians, the resilience of the Tlingit people, the transfer to the United States, and the legacy of civil rights pioneer Elizabeth Peratrovich - all through a tightly choreographed interplay of narration, visuals, and movement.
“We like to say it’s the modern history of Sitka in 30 minutes,” says co-founder Cyndy Gibson. “But it’s not just information. It’s a live, dynamic performance that helps people feel the story.”
At its core, Alaska Storytellers is built on a simple but powerful structure: narration sets the scene, and dance brings it to life. As the storyteller describes Russian ships entering Sitka Sound, dancers embody the motion of water and sails. As tensions rise, the choreography shifts - grounded, searching, then explosive. By the time the story reaches the Battle of Sitka, the stage becomes a physical expression of conflict and survival.
The script itself reflects years of research and revision, drawing from multiple sources and incorporating feedback from community members and Indigenous voices.
“It’s not just dance,” says performer and assistant dance director Nancy Neel. “Each piece is a character. We’re interpreting what the narrator has said and turning it into something you can see and feel.”
This approach creates a living illustration. Audience members aren’t just told what happened, they watch it unfold in front of them.
And it works. The arc is intentional. “You start with something beautiful and flowing,” Neel says. “Then you move into excitement, then into something deeper and more intense. It really becomes an emotional journey.”
Telling Sitka’s story comes with responsibility. The show navigates Tlingit, Russian, and American histories - often contested, often painful - while remaining accessible to a wide audience.
The team is careful about how they strike that balance. “We try to be very matter-of-fact,” Gibson explains. “We don’t over-dramatize or use loaded language. We present what happened clearly and let the audience process it.”
That includes difficult moments, like the Battle of 1804, which marked a turning point in the region’s history. Rather than simplifying the outcome, the show emphasizes both conflict and strategy, including the little known story of what led to the decision of the Tlingit people to retreat and regroup in the middle of the battle.
The script itself reflects years of research and revision, drawing from multiple sources and incorporating feedback from community members and Indigenous voices.
“We wanted to avoid a one-sided narrative,” says Kris Wilcox, co-founder and dance director. “The sources we looked at were often very polarized. Finding a balanced narrative took a lot of work.”
The result is a performance that acknowledges complexity without losing momentum, something the team sees as essential. “You don’t want people to leave feeling overwhelmed,” Gibson says. “But you also don’t want to gloss over what matters.”
“Each piece is a character. We’re interpreting what the narrator has said and turning it into something you can see and feel.”
In 2025, Alaska Storytellers made a significant shift: transitioning from a for-profit business to a nonprofit organization. The change wasn’t about altering the production. It was about expanding the impact.
“We realized this is really mission-driven work,” Gibson says. “There are so many stories in Alaska that deserve to be told, and not all of them fit into a revenue model.”
As a nonprofit, the organization can now pursue grants, partnerships, and educational programming, including performances in schools and community settings. It also opens the door to growth. “We want to become a hub for Alaska storytelling,” Gibson says. “Not just one show, but many stories, big and small.”
At the same time, the organization is building a broader foundation: a board of directors, expanded partnerships, and the long-term goal of hiring an executive director. “It’s about sustainability,” Gibson says. “So we’re not just thinking month to month.”
Part theater, part dance, part history lesson, the production compresses the arc of Sitka’s recent past into a dramatic half-hour experience.
Later in the season, the group will debut a new ending. The ambitious update is a reimagined finale centered on Elizabeth Peratrovich and Alaska’s landmark 1945 anti-discrimination law.
The sequence will feature an original composition by Shaakindustoow Ed Littlefield, a Tlingit musician and composer from Sitka. The music is paired with a striking visual effect: a live costume transformation from black-and-white to full color. “It’s about moving from a world that was divided into something more inclusive,” Gibson says. “We wanted a real ‘wow’ moment.”
The change reflects the team’s ongoing commitment to improvement. “We’re always asking, how can this be better?” says Wilcox.
The season runs from April 30 through September 30, performing in multiple venues across Sitka, including Odess Theater, Harrigan Centennial Hall, and Sitka Cirque.
Each space offers a different experience. “At the Cirque, you’re right there with the audience,” says Neel. “It’s more intimate. You can see their reactions up close.” This intimacy mirrors traditional forms of Russian folk performance, where dancers are surrounded by the audience rather than separated by a stage.
“There are so many stories in Alaska that deserve to be told, and not all of them fit into a revenue model.”
Behind the scenes, Alaska Storytellers doubles as a professional development opportunity, especially for young dancers. Unlike many productions that run for only a handful of performances, this show will run over 100 times in a season. “That kind of repetition is rare,” Gibson says. “It allows dancers to really hone their craft in a short amount of time.
The company recruits performers through a mix of word-of-mouth, social media, and outreach to dance programs. Many participants are college students or emerging professionals looking to build experience. “It’s a stepping stone,” Gibson says. “A place to grow.”
For all its choreography and production value, Alaska Storytellers is ultimately about connection - between past and present, between audience and place. “We want people to walk out and see Sitka differently,” says Wilcox. “To look at the water or the mountains and imagine what happened here.”
That shift, from passive observation to active imagination, is what gives the show its staying power. Because when history moves, it sticks. And in Sitka, it dances.
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