DANCE EVENTS IN THE TWIN CITIES
(in person and/or streamed or available on demand)
SEPTEMBER 2022
ANANYA DANCE THEATRE SURROUNDED BY SALT– Friday, September 30th and Saturday, October 1st at 7:30pm at the O’Shaughnessy, “Nün Gherāo uses a 1978-79 massacre on the Marichjhapi Island in West Bengal, India, as its point of departure to explore betrayal, dispossession, and exile, and the desperate global resistance against great odds that fuels hope and survival. This work becomes activated through shared breath and rhythms, practices of mourning, overlapping time cycles, ritualized movement, dances of fire and personal connection that tag different sites of memory through meditations on dancing in salt water, where one’s tears meet the rising and warming oceans of our world.” https://oshag.stkate.edu/events/category/series/ananya-dance-theatre-surrounded-by-salt-2022/
OCTOBER 2022
She Who Lives on the Road to War by Rosy Simas–
- Saturday, Oct 1, 2 p.m. – Weisman Art Museum
- Thursday, Oct 6, 7 p.m. – All My Relations (Opening)
- Friday, Oct 7, 7p.m. – All My Relations
- Saturday, Oct 8, 2p.m. – All My Relations
- Wednesday, Oct 12, 6:30 p.m. – Weisman Art Museum
- Saturday, Nov 12, 6p.m. – All My Relations
- Sunday, Nov 13, 2p.m. – All My Relations
- Saturday, Nov 19, 6p.m. – All My Relations
- Sunday, Nov 20, 2p.m. – All My Relations
- Saturday, Dec 3, 2 p.m. – Weisman Art Museum
- Sunday, Dec 4, 2 p.m. – Weisman Art Museum
“Simas is considering rest, refuge, grieving, condoning and cultivating a deep attention to those ideas and being together. Performers participate in the process and the evolution of the project as long as the practice supports their own artistic endeavors. We are working with a model which is less about the production product and more about a supportive process in which audiences, community, other artists and scholars weave in and out of the creative process and performances.” https://rosysimasdanse.com/ontheroadtowar
Celebrating the Artistic Voices of Minnesota’s Elayna Waxse and Alexander Hille by the Minnesota Dance Theatre– Thursday, October 13th, Friday, October 14th, and Saturday, October 15th at 7:30pm at the Southern Theater, “Join us for our 60th season and our return to the beautiful Southern Theater celebrating the Minnesota Voices of Elayna Waxse and Alexander Hille.” https://southerntheater.org/shows/celebrating-the-artistic-voices-of-minnesotas-elayna-waxse-and-alexander-hille
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham–
Friday, October 14th at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop, “Visionary Choreographer and MacArthur Fellow Kyle Abraham and pioneering producer/electronic music composer Jlin have come together to create a reimagining of Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor through abstracted themes of afterlife, reincarnation, mythology, and folklore. In collaboration with costume designer Giles Deacon, and lighting and set designer Dan Scully, ten dancers from Abraham’s company—A.I.M by Kyle Abraham—take the stage to the music of Jlin, who has transformed Mozart’s score into an electronic opus that memorializes ritual and rebirth.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/aim-kyle-abraham-2022
INVITE THE MOON TO DANCE– Saturday, October 15th at 7:30pm at the O’Shaughnessy, “A Mid Autumn Moon Festival celebration in honor of CAAM Chinese Dance Theater’s 30th Anniversary season, CAAM Chinese Dance Theater presents original choreography in a collaboration with artists including Ao Liu, former soloist with Yang Liping Dance Company, Gao Hong and Carleton Chinese Instrumental Orchestra, Katha Dance, a professional Katha dance company, St. Paul Ballet, with choreography by Helen Hatch and CAAM Chinese Dance Theater dancers.” https://oshag.stkate.edu/event/invite-the-moon-to-dance/
Kyiv City Ballet– Wednesday, October 26th at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop, “Be a part of history when Kyiv City Ballet comes to Northrop on its first United States tour. ‘We are honored to share the beauty of ballet with US audiences, through Ukrainian artists,’ said Ivan Kozlov, Artistic Director. ‘Touring the States for the first time with a range of ballets makes an important global statement. It demonstrates the resilience of the Ukrainian people,’ (Broadway World). A ‘ ‘voice of resistance’ amid a greater struggle’ (National Geographic), these talented dancers continue to live out their mission—to bring joy to audiences through ballet. Step out in welcome and solidarity.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/kyiv-city-ballet-2022
Lia Rodrigues: Fúria– WARNING: nudity and simulated violence throughout. Friday, October 28th and Saturday October 29th at 8pm at McGuire Theater, Walker Art Center, “Brazilian choreographer Lia Rodrigues’s Companhia de Danças performs with visceral physicality through scenes of dominance and submission, exuberance and apathy, joy and pain. Firmly rooted and conceived in the favela of Maré in Rio de Janeiro, this intoxicating work takes a stand against racism and social segregation. The performance depicts a transformation moving from celebration to uprising, building with energy and fury into an hour-long arc of choreographic catharsis.” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2022/lia-rodrigues-furia
JAMES SEWELL BALLET – BREATHE– Saturday, October 29th at 11am and 7:30pm, and Sunday, October 30th at 2pm at the O’Shaughnessy, “As we continue to innovate in the field of dance – the art form of touch and breath – JSB shares a program with breath and exchange at its center. Take it in and let it fill you up. Special guest Xina combines her dance and music savvy to co-create a piece blending art-pop and spiritual sensibilities – no formula, just boundless creativity. Michael Walters returns with brand new choreography after astonishing and energizing audiences with his JSB New Works Project ’22 premiere. Arimee Gambill, in her fifth season as company dancer, debuts a work that combines rapture with decay. What happens at the intersection of total rhapsody and utter nihilism? Rounding out the program is a restaging of Sewell’s Grey (2018), with mesmerizing moves swirling to selections from Ukrainian world-music quartet DakhaBrakha.” https://oshag.stkate.edu/events/category/series/james-sewell-ballet-breathe-2022/
Alternative Motion Project presents ViewPoints ’22
Friday, October 28th and Saturday, October 29th at 7:30pm, and Sunday, October 30th at 2pm at the Southern Theater, “Alternative Motion Project returns to the Southern Theater for a dynamic and captivating evening of newly commissioned works performed by AMP’s talented company of movers. Each distinct world premiere explores the multi-faceted concept of identity, reflecting the unique perspectives of each artist that threads the eclectic evening together.” https://southerntheater.org/shows/viewpoints-22
Fall Forward Festival– IN PERSON AND LIVESTREAM OPTIONS AVAILABLE Saturday, October 29th at 7:30pm, Sunday, October 30th at 2pm, November 5th at 7:30pm, November 6th at 2pm, Saturday, November 12th at 7:30pm, Sunday, November 13th at 2pm, Saturday, November 19th at 7:30pm, and Sunday, November 20th at 2pm at Goodale Theater, Cowles Center, “This month-long festival of shared evening performances celebrates the incredibly talented and robust Minnesota dance community. New dance audiences will experience a sampler of genres in one sitting, while avid dance goers will see their favorite artists alongside equally stellar new-to-them artists. Each weekend features a new roster and a variety of experiences from new work commissions and Cowles stage debuts to community favorites and Cowles Center veterans.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets
NOVEMBER 2022
Semaphore Repertory Dance Company Fall Concert– Friday, November 4th at 7:30pm and Sunday, November 6th at 2pm at Weitz Theater, Carleton, “Semaphore Repertory Dance Company presents its fall concert, featuring works by Phil Chan ’06, Leslie Parker, and Daphne McCoy.” https://www.carleton.edu/theater-dance/events/calendar/?eventId=om4c8jci4sati56rhvmj5cumt0 https://www.carleton.edu/theater-dance/events/calendar/?eventId=dl2n9ecvvqtm16u54s0setllk4
Limón Dance Company– Friday, November 18th at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop, “In celebration of their 75th anniversary, Artistic Director Dante Puleio leads the company in a program that reveals aspects of José Limón’s life and honors his Mexican-American legacy. The evening includes the Northrop Centennial Commission, Migrant Mother, by Raúl Tamez; the reimagination of Limón’s first major solo and partially lost work, Danzas Mexicanas; and co-founder Doris Humphreys’ timeless Air for the G String. The Limón modern dance classic Psalm (featuring student performers from UMN’s Dance Department) will include the original score not heard by audiences in decades.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/limon-dance-company-2022
CONTEMPO DANCE– Friday, November 18th and Saturday, November 19th at 7:30pm at the O’Shaughnessy, “Contempo Physical Dance returns to The O’Shaughnessy with their 3rd international choreography residency, featuring a world premiere by the 2022 McKnight International Choreographer, Mário Nascimento.” https://oshag.stkate.edu/events/category/series/contempo-dance-2022/
Choreographers’ Evening 50th Anniversary: Curated by Judith Howard and Alanna Morris– Saturday, November 26th at 4pm and 7pm at McGuire Theater, Walker Art Center, “The Walker’s annual dance showcase celebrates a half century of works by Minnesota choreographers, offering an exciting glimpse into a vibrant and diverse community. For the 50th anniversary of Choreographers’ Evening, guest curators Alanna Morris and Judith Howard offer a program of works that honor and recognize the rich histories, vital contributions, and power of today’s movement innovators. Join us for a remarkable evening highlighting the strength and exuberance of Minnesota dance.” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2022/choreographers-evening-50th-anniversary-curated-by-judith-howard-and-alanna-morris
DECEMBER 2022
Ballet Co.Laboratory: The Snow Queen– Friday, December 2 at 7pm, Saturday, December 3 at 2pm and 7pm, and Sunday, December 4 at 2pm at Goodale Theater, Cowles Center, “A sparkling holiday production that will warm you from the inside out. Join Gerda, a little girl filled with moxie on a quest to rescue her brother whose heart has been frozen by an icy fragment from the Snow Queen’s enchanted mirror. Travel through lush gardens, encounter magical reindeer, and get entangled with the Rose Queen as Gerda learns about the power of love, inner strength, and that things are not always as they seem.” https://ci.ovationtix.com/35304/production/1124542
Rhythm Street Movement’s Who Brought the Humbug?– Friday, December 9th at 7:30pm, Saturday, December 10th at 7:30pm, Sunday, December 11th at 2pm, Friday, December 16th at 7:30pm, Saturday, December 17th at 2pm and 7:30pm, and Sunday, December 18th at 2pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center, “Ricci Milan and the artists of Rhythm Street Movement are back for the holidays! The fun, funky, hilarious show pairs live music with amazing tap dance for a unique mix of comedy, drama, and mystery that’s sure to become a memorable family evening.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/humbug12092022
Lightwire Theater presents: A Very Electric Christmas– Saturday, December 10th at 2pm and 7:30pm at Escher Auditorium, Saint Benedict, “Make the season bright with a charming new tale told in vibrant lights, artistic dance and a score filled with holiday-favorite songs. Since you first saw them on America’s Got Talent or TRU TV’S Fake Off, Lightwire Theater has been mesmerizing audiences worldwide with skill, grace and eye-catching light shows. By combining the arts of puppetry, theater and dance, this magical tale of a misguided bird named Max who ends up at the North Pole for Christmas will warm hearts and have the spirit of the season shining through. Bring the whole family for an evening of unforgettable electroluminescent artistry!” https://www.csbsju.edu/fine-arts/performances/lightwire-theater
BALLET MINNESOTA’S CLASSIC NUTCRACKER– Friday, December 16th at 7pm, Saturday, December 17th at 2pm, Sunday, December 18th at 2pm at the O’Shaughnessy, “Ballet Minnesota’s 34th annual The Classic Nutcracker, returns to the O’Shaughnessy! Come celebrate this annual family holiday tradition!” https://oshag.stkate.edu/events/category/series/ballet-minnesotas-classic-nutcracker/
INTERIM-SPRING 2023
DANCE EVENTS IN THE TWIN CITIES
JANUARY 2023
The Joffrey Ballet– Friday, January 20th and Saturday, January 21st at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop, “The Joffrey Ballet returns to Northrop with a dynamic program of three works: Serenade—the first ballet George Balanchine created in America in 1934, an electric “sneaker ballet” from Tony Award winner Justin Peck, and the Northrop Centennial Commission Of Mice and Men adapted by choreographer Cathy Marston. This new take on John Steinbeck’s tender tale of friendship, perseverance, and sacrifice features an original score by 14-time Academy Award nominee, Thomas Newman (The Shawshank Redemption, Skyfall, Finding Nemo), played live by Northrop’s ballet orchestra.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/joffrey-ballet-2023
Ashwini Ramaswamy and Kevork Mourad: Invisible Cities– Friday, January 27th and Saturday, January 28th at 7:30pm, LIVESTREAM and in-person at the Cowles Center, “Bharatanatyam choreographer and dancer Ashwini Ramaswamy (Ragamala Dance Company) deepens a choreographic methodology she began in 2019 with Let the Crows Come—named a “Best of the Year” in The Washington Post and a critic’s pick in The New York Times. This collaborative reimagining of Italo Calvino’s metaphysical novel interweaves cultural perspectives with a dynamic group of dance artists—Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy (Bharatanatyam), Berit Ahlgren (Gaga), Alanna Morris (Modern), Joseph Tran (Breaking)—and visual artist, Kevork Mourad, who creates Invisible Cities’ interactive, immersive projections in real time.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/ashwini-ramaswamy-invisible-cities-2023
FEBRUARY 2023
Versa-Style Dance Company– Saturday, February 4th at 7:30pm at Escher Auditorium, Saint Benedict, “Full of energy, inspiration and improvisation, Versa-Style celebrates the essence and power of hip-hop – showcasing popping, locking, boogaloo, house and Afro-Latin styles such as salsa, merengue, and cumbia. This performance features their newest work, FREE-Mind FREE-Style, exploring the limitless possibilities of improvisational street dance. Each infectious performance is love, positivity and knowledge shared through the medium of hip-hop dance. For over 15 years, Versa-Style has served as cultural ambassadors, traveling, teaching and spreading their love of hip-hop culture in places such as Israel, India, France, Italy and Columbia.” https://www.csbsju.edu/fine-arts/performances/versa-style
Cirque Mechanics: Zephyr– Saturday, February 18th at 7:30pm at Escher Auditorium, Saint Benedict, “Celebrate the power of the wind with this breathtaking cirque performance. With their thoughtfully engineered blend of artful storytelling, high-level acrobatics and fanciful contraptions, Cirque Mechanics defies categorization. In Zephyr, they celebrate the wind power we’ve harnessed for thousands of years and the machines we’ve used to do it. A giant windmill mounted on a turntable harnesses the power and energy of people rather than the wind as performers fly, balance, float on air and defy gravity in this exhilarating whirlwind circus performance. This is high-flying, eye-popping, heart-stopping amazement geared to blow away audiences of all ages. Their last visit here sold out quickly – so be sure to buy early!” https://www.csbsju.edu/fine-arts/performances/cirque-mechanics-2023
Ballet Hispánico: Doña Perón– Saturday, February 25th at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop, “Critically-acclaimed Doña Perón is an explosive portrait of Eva “Evita” Perón, one of the most recognizable and controversial women in Argentinian history. The illegitimate daughter of a wealthy landowner, Evita concealed this shameful past as she climbed the ranks from dancehall performer to Argentina’s First Lady. A voice for the people, or a deceitful actress? Latina choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa explores these diverging legacies while reclaiming the narrative of this iconic Latina figure in a “smashingly theatrical” (Chicago Sun-Times) evening-length work performed with exquisite live music.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/ballet-hispanico-dona-peron-2023
MARCH 2023
A Merge In March Featuring Rathaus Inc & Andy Mor– Wednesday, March 15th, Friday, March 17th, and Saturday, March 18th at 8pm at the Cowles Center Goodale Theater, “The Cowles Center’s MERGE program pairs artists from varying genres in unconventional collaborations and culminates in a premiere, evening-length performance. This year’s MERGE brings together the mesmerizing talents of RatHaus Inc’s aerialists, fire performers, cyr-wheelers, flow artists, performance painters, vocalists, and musicians with Andy Mor’s brilliant artistry of Hip Hop, African, and Jazz for a truly immersive experience full of strength and empowerment.” https://ci.ovationtix.com/35304/production/1121653
Lemi Ponifasio: Love to Death (Amor a la muerte)– WARNING: full frontal nudity. Friday, March 31-Sunday, April 2 at 8:00pm at the Walker Art Center, “The voices, language, and bodies of Chilean artists—native Mapuche singer and composer Elisa Avendaño Curaqueo, and contemporary flamenco dancer Natalia García-Huidobro—weave together in a ceremony revealing their own stories—two lives that reflect Chile’s history and the search for its future. The work was sparked by the events that were detonated after the murder of Camilo Catrillanca, a Mapuche former student activist and farmer. Touching on questions of identity and destiny, people and nature, the “female being,” and the balance of power—the work transcends conventional ideas of theater, dance, and activism. Conceived and directed by internationally renowned Samoan artist Lemi Ponifasio, a champion of both the avant-garde and indigenous people.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/lemi-ponifasio-love-death-amor-la-muerte-2023
APRIL 2023
CANTUS AND CANTUS IN CONCERT– Sunday, April 2nd at 3pm at the O’Shaughnessy, “Cantus joins forces with Cantus, the Norwegian women’s choir of the same name, for a can’t-miss concert of audience favorites! Perhaps best known to American audiences for their musical contributions to Disney’s Frozen, the Trondheim-based Cantus is an award-winning 30-member chorus under the direction of Tove Ramlo-Ystad. Continuing our popular format of collaborative concerts, both ensembles will sing separately and together, offering audience members of all ages a rich and varied concert experience that highlights the versatility of vocal music!” https://oshag.stkate.edu/event/cantus-and-cantus-in-concert/
Hatch Dance’s 5th Anniversary– IN PERSON AND LIVESTREAM, Saturday, April 1st at 7:30pm, and Sunday, April 2nd at 2pm at the Cowles Center Goodale Theater, “Hatch Dance is a contemporary dance company based in Minneapolis. Founded in 2017 by Choreographer and Dancer Helen Hatch, Hatch Dance aims to bring together artists from the Twin Cities to create contemplative, collaborative performances that reveal emotional truths, speak to human commonalities, and engage audiences by encouraging a wider sense of belonging. They perform in theaters, unconventional spaces, and online to bring their work to as many people as possible.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/hatch2023/saturday
TERRANEA: hakawati of the sea– Thursday, April 6th and Friday, April 7th at 7:30pm, and Saturday, April 8th at 7:30pm at the Red Eye Theater, “TERRANEA: hakawati of the sea is a dance performance searching for memories inside diasporic bodies to reflect on notions of home while simultaneously asking — what does the water of the Mediterranean Sea remember? In blurring researched realities and mythology-making, TERRANEA examines Palestinian experiences of occupation, refugee crisis (of land AND sea), and politics around movement and nation within this body of water; only to depart into dream. A sea spirit, Terranea, emerges as mother for those lost in waves, — welcoming souls of migrants into a fluid and mythical shared space, world-making endeavors towards imagining a collective home.” https://www.redeyetheater.org/body-watani-terranea
Pilobolus: BIG FIVE-OH!– Saturday, April 15th at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop, “For their 50th anniversary celebration, Pilobolus returns to Northrop to question its own “givens,” turn its traditions sideways, and bring its past into the future. As fresh and vibrant as ever, Pilobolus—that feisty arts organism—puts the “Oh!” in BIG FIVE-OH! as it continues to thrill its way into audiences’ hearts and minds. The celebration includes signature works from vintage classics, their trend-setting innovative work in shadow, and—in the paradoxical Pilobolus tradition of breaking with tradition—works dynamically reimagined for a never-before-seen Pilobolus experience.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/pilobolus-big-five-oh-2023
Sensory Friendly Matinee: Pilobolus Rules @ Play– Saturday, April 15th at 2:00pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop, “A sensory friendly show created by one of the world’s most creative dance companies. We usually view rules negatively, but Rules @ Play explores how rules actually provide opportunities to solve problems and overcome challenges. They spark creativity, and in this case, give Pilobolus tools to make dances. Fun, engaging and accessible with lowered sound, raised lights, and a relaxed atmosphere, the dancers perform and analyze some of the company’s pieces through movement and discussion on and off stage, showcasing the benefit of playing by the rules.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/sensory-friendly-matinee-pilobolus-rules-play-2023
Black Label Movement’s Wreck– Saturday, April 15th, Friday April 21st, and Saturday April 22nd at 7:30pm; and Sunday, April 16th and Sunday, April 23rd at 2pm in The Cowles Center’s Goodale Theater, “Black Label Movement celebrates the 15th anniversary of Carl Flink and Mary Ellen Childs’ award-winning, evening-length work Wreck, which explores how a group of 13 people trapped in the last watertight compartment of a sinking ship respond to their harrowing situation. The work features Flink and Black Label Movement’s signature driving and deeply human choreography, Childs’ glorious and mysterious original score, and a live onstage musical ensemble led by Pat O’Keefe.” https://ci.ovationtix.com/35304/production/1121695
The State Ballet of Georgia– Wednesday, April 26th at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop, “Following a pandemic-induced postponement, and their gorgeous Northrop Centennial Commissioned film, Northrop is pleased to present the much-anticipated return of The State Ballet of Georgia. The company has soared under the bold artistic direction of international ballet star Nina Ananiashvili (former prima ballerina with Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre) who leads these stunning dancers in a program that includes two works by the great Georgian-American, George Balanchine, and the company’s signature work, Sagalobeli, by Yuri Possokhov—all accompanied by a live orchestra.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/state-ballet-georgia-2023
Nacera Belaza: L’Onde– Thursday, April 27th, Friday, April 28th, and Saturday April 29th at 8pm at McGuire Theater, Walker Art Center, “Internationally revered for her powerfully abstract work, Nacera Belaza draws a path between shadow and light, seeking to glimpse the infinite. In L’Onde, the French Algerian choreographer immerses herself in the spellbinding notions of Algerian ritualistic dances. With a hypnotic sound narrative and mesmerizing movement that blends tradition and modernity, the piece features five dancers who explore the body’s capacity for transformation through rigorous and elegantly minimalist choreography.” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2023/nacera-belaza-londe
MAY 2023
THE MIXTAPE Collective presents MIXTAPE 6: Cypherspace– Saturday, May 6th at 7:30pm and Sunday, May 7th at 2pm in The Cowles Center’s Goodale Theater, “Cypherspace is a place of unlimited possibilities that allow for the reshaping of reality through various embodiments. The MIXTAPE Collective travels to the future through cyberspace to offer multiple perspectives on the next millennium. MIXTAPE’s work reveals generative strategies for sharing power and access to resources by weaving together choreography, videography, and musical compositions.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/mixtape6/saturday
Leslie Parker Dance Project’s Divination Tools: imagine home– Thursday, May 11th, Friday, May 12th, and Saturday, May 13th at 8pm at McGuire Theater, Walker Art Center, “St. Paul–based choreographer Leslie Parker continues her multiyear project and leads a powerful collective of Black visual artists, musicians and femme dance artists in a liberating world premiere performance. Through collaborative improvisation and dance experimentation, the artists explore Black pedagogy, conjuring, and activism while emphasizing remembrance to cultivate community. Reflecting on divinity and lineage, Divination Tools: imagine home draws from Blackness in music, dance, and storytelling in real time and is the latest iteration of Parker’s epic work Call to Remember.” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2023/leslie-parker-dance-projects-divination-tools-imagine-home
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