This week at Luminato, Signal Theatre presents the world premiere of Bearing, a brand new dance-opera created by co-directors Michael Greyeyes (Plains Cree) and Yvette Nolan (Algonquin) and librettist Spy Denommé-Welch (Anishnaabe).

Performing music by J.S. Bach, Claude Vivier, and new commissions by Dénommé-Welch and Catherine Magowan are the National Youth Orchestra, a “custom-built choir”, and First Nations Canadian mezzo-soprano Marion Newman (Kwagiulth and Stó:lo).

Bearing is a piece about the Canadian residential school system, and its last social impact on the country in the 21st century.

“My mother and father were both taken from their families and they studied at residential schools,” says co-creator Michael Greyeyes. “I grew up hearing their stories. Bearing is the first production in which I am examining what Indian Residential School means - to myself, to this company, and more importantly to this nation. This is not something that happened to a few people a long time ago; what happened then echoes and reverberates through all our lives. That’s what Bearing means - how do we carry this history? How do we come to terms with it?”

Bearing runs at the Joey Tanenbaum Opera Centre, Canadian Opera Company, 227 Front St. E., June 22-24. You can find full details and ticket information here.