Phillip Blanchett of Pamyua refers to the band's upcoming program with Alaska Dance Theatre as "harmony in motion."
"That is, we're adding our harmony and music to the dance expertise of ADT," he explained.
Choreographer Niki Maple, ADT's artistic director of production, describes the concert as "a collaboration, comparing and contrasting different styles. Pamyua will have traditional Native dance and the pop music, what they call 'tribal funk,' and we'll be bringing classical dance, jazz and contemporary dance."
It's anyone's guess what Terspichore -- the wildest of the ancient Greek muses, the inspirer of dance -- would think about this fusion. Mythologists imply that she was a fun-loving sort who took her art seriously, but liked to party.
The idea for "Winter's Dance," which will receive three performances on Feb. 12-13, came around when Maple worked with Steve Blanchett, Phillip's brother, last year in "Spirit -- 7th Fire of Alaska."
"We thought it would be a fun idea and it sort of grew from there," she said.
"The idea comes from what people do in the dark days of winter," Phillip Blanchett said. "We get together and entertain each other. 'Winter's Dance' will do the same thing, showcasing all those qualities that we share."
The Blanchett brothers and their cousin Ossie Kairaiuak created Pamyua almost 20 years ago. Their infectious blend of Alaska Native and pop/funk music, presented with charismatic showmanship, made them a hit with audiences in their home state.
It's not the first time they and ADT have shared a stage. The two have a connection going back to "Wing Beat" in 1999 and continuing through a Yup'ik "Swan Lake" in 2011. It is the first time Maple has had a lead position in organizing and choreographing a joint production by the two groups.
Maple, originally from Phoenix, Arizona, started dancing when she was 5 years old. "By the time I was 10, I'd decided I wanted to do this as a career," she said.
She described herself as "shy and introverted" as a child. "Dance is a good way to express yourself without speaking," she said.
She performed professionally with Milwaukee Ballet. "But I wanted to do more than dance. So I came to Alaska."
Maple began work as a professional dancer with Alaska Dance Theatre in 2007 and slowly added choreography and teaching duties. Last year she became the artistic director of production, responsible for just about everything required to get ADT programs on the stage at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.
She did her first choreography when she was 17. "It was a hobby," she said. Her work could be seen in the company's staging of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" last fall.
Designing a dance performance requires a different set of skills from dancing, she said, though her choreographic ideas tend to come from her own movements.
"One of the biggest differences I've found is that I'm a lot more nervous watching other dancers than I ever was when I was out there dancing myself," she said.
Both Maple and Blanchett said that "Winter's Dance" is not a narrative work like "Midsummer Night's Dream" or "Spirit."
"In a sense, it's a concert. There's no real driving narrative," said Blanchett. Instead, the hourlong program includes individual pieces performed by one or the other group or both. The one unifying factor will be the music, Blanchett said. "All of the music will be Pamyua and most of it will be live. You might think of it as a Pamyua show with a bunch of awesome dancers."
ADT will have 35 or more dancers on the stage, said Maple. She thought that Pamyua would be working with a configuration of six musicians, similar to what fans see at their music concerts.
"We want to keep a lot of the humor that we've always incorporated into Pamyua shows," said Blanchett. "It will have a quality of meaningful messages, ideas and imagery, but there'll also be some lighthearted, competitive pieces that show our range as artists."
A few excerpts were presented at a multicultural celebration at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in January, Maple said. The response was positive, assuring the creative team that they were on the right track.
"It was awesome," Blanchett said. "The place was packed. We were on a dance floor and started singing. Then, all of a sudden, 15 dancers came on the floor and danced with the music.
"Unfortunately, I was singing with my eyes closed the whole time. I missed the whole thing. But I think they're going to make a video of the concert, so I'll have a chance to see it.
"It's going to be beautiful."
WINTER'S DANCE will be presented at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, and at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, in the Sydney Laurence Theatre. Tickets are available at centertix.net.