Project Award 2025

Byron Nicholai will work closely with elders in his community to learn, document, and preserve at least ten traditional Yup’ik songs and their corresponding dances. He will use modern technology to record the sound and movement of these dances and will interview elders to capture the knowledge and meaning behind them. Nicholai will also involve young people in this process through workshops, dance practices and recording sessions, creating intergenerational bridges with his people.

When asked what he would like the public to know, Nicholai responded, “I want the public to know that everything I create comes from my culture and community. My work is how I honor where I come from while showing that our stories are still alive, still evolving, and still shaping the world today.”

Watch Nicholai’s 2025 Alaska to Greenland dance.

Watch Nicholai’s 2022 Qavaraurluanga (Mask Dancing) 2022 Dance. This is his first time performing with a dance mask.