DANCE EVENTS IN THE TWIN CITIES
(in person and/or streamed or available on demand)
SEPTEMBER 2023
AKS – Acceptance, Kindness, Support by South Asian Arts & Theater House– Wednesday, September 20th at 7:30pm; Friday, September 22nd at 7:30pm; Saturday, September 23rd at 7:30pm; and Sunday, September 24th at 2:00pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “Step into a world where authenticity reigns supreme, and the mirror reveals the truth within. AKS, meaning ‘reflection’, is a show about self-discovery and resilience. This year, SAATH presents a compelling story with diverse characters and powerful dance performances to celebrate trans joy – the delight of living authentically!” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/south-asian-arts-theater-house-aks
MICHHIL AMRA | WE ARE THE PROCESSION BY ANANYA DANCE THEATRE– Friday, September 22nd at 7:30pm and Saturday, September 23rd at 2:00pm at the O’Shaughnessy. “Michhil Amra | We Are The Procession, Ananya Dance Theatre’s new, evening-length work, draws on the strategic interruptions created by the Uprising that followed the murder of George Floyd to ask: how can we create a more just world? Building on years of rigorous choreographic investigation, Ananya Chatterjea crafts a work that embodies the complex energies of disruption: rage, confusion, connection, joy, solidarity, and the strength and beauty of mutual liberation.” https://oshag.stkate.edu/events/category/series/ananya-dance-theatre-michhil-amra-we-are-the-procession/the-oshaughnessy-at-st-catherine-university/st-paul-minnesota/
Rooted by Ayodele Casel– Wednesday, September 27th; Thursday, September 28th; and Friday, September 29th at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop. “Tap artists and jazz musicians share the stage with a seated audience for an interactive performance that elevates the rich history of tap dancing. Born in The Bronx and raised in Puerto Rico, Ayodele Casel is hailed as a ‘tap dancer and choreographer of extraordinary depth’ (The New York Times). A Doris Duke Artist known for her skilled and imaginative improvisation, Casel’s projects include her concert and Bessie Award-winning film Chasing Magic, and her Drama-Desk-nominated work as tap choreographer for the Broadway revival of Funny Girl.” ONSTAGE SEATING ONLY https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/ayodele-casel-2023
OCTOBER 2023
In the Same Tongue by DIANNE McINTYRE Group– Thursday, October 5th; Friday, October 6th; and Saturday, October 7th at 8pm at the McGuire Theater, Walker Arts Center. “In the world premiere of this vibrant movement, sound, and language based-work, dance legend and choreographer Dianne McIntyre unites a vigorous company of dancers and musicians to explore how dance and music “speak” to each other. With original music by celebrated composer Diedre Murray, it reveals how language creates worlds of beauty, alienation, harmony, tension, or peace. Dynamic vignettes ignite the stage, including McIntyre’s autobiographical stories with ‘the music’—such as the musical influence of the Black Arts Movement—and feature the poetry of Obie-winning playwright Ntozake Shange.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/dianne-mcintyre-group-2023
Drumfolk and the Stono Rebellion– Wednesday, October 11th at 3:30pm, online or in person in the Best Buy Theater at Northrop. “When the Stono Rebellion cost Africans the right to use their drums, the beats found their way into the body of the people—the Drumfolk. This conversation between the founder of Step Afrika! and an expert in anti-colonial and Black political thought, moderated by acclaimed hip-hop artist and drummer Truth Maze, explores the Stono Rebellion of 1739, South Carolina’s Negro Act which followed in 1740, and the historic and artistic implications of percussion as an embodied practice in the American South.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/drumfolk-and-stono-rebellion-2023
Student Matinee: Step Afrika! Drumfolk– Thursday, October 12th and Friday, October 13th at 10:30am online or in person on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop. “In 1739, Africans enslaved in South Carolina used their drums to start a revolt—a little-known event that forever transformed African American life and culture. When the Stono Rebellion cost Africans the right to use their drums, the beats found their way into the body of the people—the Drumfolk. This led to some of our country’s most distinct traditions like the ring shout, tap, and stepping. Step Afrika!’s highly interactive and energetic performances for students are both educational and unforgettable!” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/student-matinee-step-afrika-2023
Step Afrika! By Drumfolk– Friday, October 13th at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop. “In 1739, enslaved Africans in South Carolina used their drums to start a revolt—a little-known event that forever transformed African American life and culture. When the Stono Rebellion cost Africans the right to use their drums, the beats found their way into the body of the people—the Drumfolk. This led to some of our country’s most distinct traditions like tap, hip-hop, and stepping. Journey with Step Afrika! as they recreate histories too often left in the margins with this musical and movement-filled celebration of the human spirit.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/step-afrika-2023
Los Colores de México by Minnesota International Dance Festival– Friday, October 20th at 7:30pm and Saturday, October 21st at 1:30pm and 7:30pm at the Southern Theater. “Minnesota International Dance Festival is featuring México as their 2023 Guest Country. Friday and Saturday night MNIDF presents Los Colores de México, a vibrant performance that brings together many voices of Mexican culture. Saturday matinee, join us for the closure of the MNIDF workshops with a unique performance by the workshop participants and an artist panel with featured choreographers. Celebrate the vast diversity that Mexico has to offer through all dance styles from Pre-Hispanic to Contemporary. We invite you to join us to enjoy the talented voices of local and international artists with roots in México.” https://southerntheater.org/shows/los-colores-de-mexico
NET/WORK: an archive of queer disabled making by D. Allen– Saturday, October 21st at 7:00pm at the Red Eye Theater. “Join us in celebrating the release of a new chapbook by D. Allen, documenting the first five years of their multidisciplinary project, NET/WORK, through photographs, text, and other ephemera.” https://www.redeyetheater.org/net-work
Fall Forward Festival– Saturday, October 21st at 7:00pm; Sunday, October 22nd at 2:00pm; Saturday, October 28th at 7:00pm; Sunday, October 29th at 2:00pm; Saturday, November 4th at 7:00pm; and Sunday, November 5th at 2:00pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “Talents collide onstage as our diverse dance community showcases an assortment of genres across this momentous festival. Each weekend features a new roster and a variety of experiences from percussive footwork to physical feats to modern expressions and more!” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/fall-forward-festival-2023-week-1
PROCESS DANCE PROCESS by Tiger Balm– Wednesday, October 25th at 7:00pm at the Red Eye Theater. “From dance, to dance, by dance, for dance: for the skeptics, the ambivalent, and the believers
A salve for those who are jaded by talkbacks
An irritant if you insist on a singular lens
An ongoingness, a continuous labor, an unarrival
A viewing practice of holding complexity, difference, context, impact
The pleasure of the sting, the slow burn, and, if you’re lucky: an opening.
Three short dance works in process. One running experiment in discussion, together. Because relational, because dance, because dance wants to be in conversations of dance, because dance is what wants.” https://www.redeyetheater.org/tiger-balm-oct-2023
L’Onde by Nacera Belaza– Friday, October 27th at 8:00pm and Saturday, October 28th at 8:00pm at the McGuire Theater, Walker Arts Center. “Internationally revered for her powerfully abstract work, Nacera Belaza draws a path between shadow and light, using a rigorous focus to create a bond between performance and ceremony. In L’Onde, the French Algerian choreographer immerses five dancers in a darkened theater for a mesmerizing meditation on the body’s capacity for transformation. A hypnotic soundscape pairs with spellbinding, minimalist choreography that nods to Algerian ritualistic dances while blending tradition with modernity for a captivating and encompassing piece.” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2023/nacera-belaza-londe-2
IN THE SHADOWS BY JAMES SEWELL BALLET– Saturday, October 28th at 2:00pm and 7:30pm at the O’Shaughnessy. “Frankenstein, zombies, and characters of Edgar Allen Poe come to life in this family friendly performance steeped in spooky delight and tragic majesty.” https://oshag.stkate.edu/events/category/series/james-sewell-ballet-in-the-shadows/the-oshaughnessy-at-st-catherine-university/st-paul-minnesota/
Let America Be America by Threads Dance Project– Saturday, October 28th at 7:00pm and Sunday, October 29th at 2:00pm at the Red Eye Theater. “Grounded in Langston Hughes’ 1935 poem, “Let America Be America” merges spoken word and dance. The work is inspired by chants of “Make America Great Again,” posits the premise that America has never been great…for all. Salon #2 is an intimate presentation of excerpts from the full work, in homage to the salons of the Harlem Renaissance featuring spoken word by spoken word artists Theo Langason and Jandeltha Rae; with musical score by Queen Drea. Join Threads to explore what it means and will mean for America to truly be America, and share your ideas with the creators about what you‘ve seen and how it relates to what America is to you.” https://www.redeyetheater.org/threads-dance-project-let-america-be-america
NOVEMBER 2023
Deep River by Alonzo King LINES Ballet– Thursday, November 2nd at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop. “Submerge yourself in this deeply soulful, powerful new work that fuses Black and Jewish spiritual music with stunning dance. Set to a score by jazz pianist, composer, and MacArthur Fellow Jason Moran—with vocals by Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer—the piece celebrates the 40th anniversary of this artistically innovative ballet company. Master choreographer and visionary Alonzo King reveals Deep River is a reminder ‘that love is the ocean that we rose from, swim in, and will one day return to’—that love can set us free.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/alonzo-king-lines-ballet-2023
The Köln Concert by Trajal Harrell– Tuesday, November 7th at 8:00pm and Wednesday, November 8th at 8:00pm at the McGuire Theater, Walker Arts Center. Offering one of the most emotional and critically acclaimed works of his career, dance artist Trajal Harrell returns to the Walker for a rare U.S. appearance. Draped in black, Harrell and seven dancers release their energy on stage in response to Keith Jarrett’s best-selling jazz piano recording, The Köln Concert. This personal and entrancing work set to Jarrett’s soul-baring, gospel-fused improvisations is introduced by four songs of intimate vulnerability from Joni Mitchell’s masterpiece Blue. Together, the music and dancing synthesize Harrell’s influences, ranging from voguing and post-modern dance to ancient Greek mythology and Japanese Butoh dance.” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2023/trajal-harrell-the-koln-concert
Let America Be America by Threads Dance Project– Friday, November 10th at 7:30pm; Saturday, November 11th at 7:30pm; and Sunday, November 12th at 2:00pm at the Southern Theater. “LET AMERICA BE AMERICA is an evening-length exploration of what it means and will mean for America to truly be America. Langston Hughes poem written in 1935 and chants of ‘Make America great again’ are the inspirations for the piece. Hughes’ words, along with poems from three spoken word artists and an original musical score are part of this exciting new collaborative work that seamlessly combines spoken word & dance.” https://southerntheater.org/shows/let-america-be-america
Choreographers’ Evening 2023, Curated by Darrius Strong– Saturday, November 25th at 4:00pm and 7:00pm at the McGuire Theater, Walker Arts Center. “The Walker’s annual dance showcase celebrates Minnesota’s vibrant and diverse dance community with powerful performances by a roster of local choreographers and movement artists. This year’s program is curated by dancer, choreographer, and 2021 McKnight Fellow Darrius Strong, whose own work fuses ballet, hip hop, and more to tell universal stories.” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2023/choreographers-evening-2023-curated-by-darrius-strong
DECEMBER 2023
NUTCRACKER REIMAGINED BY SPB@25– Friday, December 1st at 7:00pm and Saturday, December 2nd at 2:00pm and 7:00pm at the O’Shaughnessy. “St. Paul Ballet’s 25th anniversary performances will be a celebratory affair, featuring alumni from the past 25 years as well as special guests. To mark our legacy as a trailblazer in MN ballet training, we are thrilled to feature guest artists from our 25 years alongside our already exceptional youth performers. Make use of our Pay-As-Able ticketing to gather family, friends and relatives to experience a performance that will be talked about for years to come. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this!” https://oshag.stkate.edu/events/category/series/spb25-nutcracker-reimagined/the-oshaughnessy-at-st-catherine-university/st-paul-minnesota/
Nail Biter by Beth Gill– Friday, December 8th at 8:00pm and Saturday, December 9th at 8:00pm at the McGuire Theater, Walker Arts Center. “Explore ritual and dance through science fiction and ancient myth in acclaimed choreographer Beth Gill’s darkly beautiful new work. Emerging as representations of our collective unconscious, five dancers—including Gill herself—transform a contemporary dance performance into an enigmatic and vital space of connection and loss with a sense of magic and awe. Nail Biter embodies her signature choreographic craft, creating what Dance Magazine calls a “sense of control that doesn’t stifle but rather beckons our curiosity.”” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2023/beth-gill-nail-biter
Nutcracker in Wonderland by Ballet Co.Laboratory– Friday, December 8th at 7:00pm; Saturday, December 9th at 2:00pm and 7:00pm; and Sunday, December 10th at 2:00pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “Ballet Co.Laboratory’s enchanting twist on a holiday classic returns to the stage! Nutcracker in Wonderland weaves together the magic of two timeless stories, E.T.A. Hoffman’s The Nutcracker and Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/ballet-colaboratory-nutcracker-in-wonderland
Who Brought the Humbug? By Rhythm Street Movement– Thursday, December 14th at 7:30pm; Friday, December 15th at 7:30pm; Saturday, December 16th at 2:00pm and 7:30pm; and Sunday, December 17th at 1:00pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “Welcome to the ultimate holiday party where the guests are singers, musicians, tap dancers, and beatboxers! Join this vibrant and talented cast in an interactive, inspirational, all-age, fun, funky, feel-good celebration of the holiday season!” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/humbug-12-14-2023-an56a
BALLET MINNESOTA PRESENTS THE 35TH ANNUAL ‘THE CLASSIC NUTCRACKER’– Friday, December 15th at 7:00pm; Saturday, December 16th at 2:00pm; and Sunday, December 17th at 2:00pm at the O’Shaughnessy. “Ballet Minnesota’s 35th annual ‘The Classic Nutcracker’, returns to the O’Shaughnessy! Come celebrate this annual family holiday tradition!” https://oshag.stkate.edu/events/category/series/ballet-minnesota-presents-the-35th-annual-the-classic-nutcracker/the-oshaughnessy-at-st-catherine-university/st-paul-minnesota/
INTERIM-SPRING 2024
JANUARY 2024
A Plot/A Scandal by Ligia Lewis– Thursday, January 11th at 8:00pm; Friday, January 12th at 8:00pm; and Saturday, January 13th at 8:00pm at the McGuire Theater, Walker Arts Center. “Exploring the intersection between pleasure and distress induced by moments of scandal, Berlin-based conceptual choreographer Ligia Lewis’s new work weaves together historical, political, anecdotal, and mythical narratives. Lewis’s dance performance work draws inspiration from people and moments such as Enlightenment thinker John Locke and the 1521 revolt by enslaved people in her family’s home of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; even Lewis’s great-grandmother appears as a guide of resistance. Surprising, deeply layered, and mysterious, A Plot/A Scandal explores the seen and unseen, representation, and refusal.” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2024/ligia-lewis-a-plot-a-scandal
Student Matinee: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago– Thursday, January 25th at 10:30am online or in person on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop. “Get inside a world-class dance experience with one of the most original forces in contemporary dance! Since 1977, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) has brought artists, art, and audiences together in 19 different countries and across 44 US states. With their 46 years of history, you’ll see why ‘those dancers, the mighty Hubbard Streeters’ (The Boston Globe) are renowned for their education program that enriches, engages, educates, and changes lives through the experience of dance.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/student-matinee-hubbard-street-dance-chicago-2024
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago– Thursday, January 25th at 7:30pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop. “As The New York Times recently noted, ‘audiences haven’t seen Hubbard Street quite like this.’ After 46 years, and under the leadership of newly appointed Artistic Director Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Hubbard Street continues to be one of the most original forces in contemporary dance—reflecting today’s leading choreographic voices. Since 1977, Hubbard Street has brought artists, art, and audiences together in 19 countries and across 44 US states. Their expansive repertory program includes dances by Aszure Barton, Rena Butler, Lar Lubovitch, and Kyle Abraham.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/hubbard-street-dance-chicago-2024
FEBRUARY 2024
The Mood Room by the Big Dance Theater– Thursday, February 8th at 8:00pm; Friday, February 9th at 8:00pm; and Saturday, February 10th at 8:00pm at the McGuire Theater, Walker Arts Center. “Five sisters at a family reunion in 1970s Los Angeles set the stage for an ingenious theatrical work by Big Dance Theater’s director Annie-B Parson. Heightening perceptions of class, privilege, and the growing self-involvement of the new ‘me’ generation, The Mood Room dazzles through a blend of film, movement, music, puzzles, and dry wit. This critique of how class and wealth have changed our relationship to citizenry features text by ’70s conceptual artist Guy de Cointet and a score by pop-electronic sound artist Holly Herndon.” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2024/big-dance-theater-the-mood-room
The Conference of the Birds by Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre– Saturday, February 10th at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 11th at 2:00pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “In an enchanting performance brought to the stage, flamenco and hip hop unite to adapt the 12th century Persian poem of the same name. This dark, moving, and humorous story will bring together hip hop artist Darrius Strong along with original music performed by international flamenco composer and guitarist Juanito Pascual.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/zorongo-flamenco-dance-theatre-the-conference-of-the-birds
Dancing Beethoven by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens– Saturday, February 17th at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 18th at 2:00pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop. “Les Grands Ballets Canadiens returns to Northrop for the first time since 2006, dancing two monumental masterpieces. The iconic four-note opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony—said to represent ‘Fate knocking on Man’s door’—inspired American choreographer Garrett Smith’s Complete. The late Uwe Scholz’s choreography for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 is considered his masterwork—displaying inventiveness and exceptional musicality. As the music races along at an irrepressible pace, these gorgeous artists convey the sheer joy of dancing to one of the most perfect symphonies ever written.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/les-grands-ballets-canadiens-2024
MARCH 2024
Domino by Crash Dance Productions– Saturday, March 2nd at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 3rd at 2:00pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “Growing tension stacks onto high drama as the visceral ensemble blindly selects who among them undertakes the role of The Con. When identities collide, the 13 unique personalities clash as a story of hierarchy, vulnerability, and influence develops in real time. Anyone could be the villain. No one knows who it will be. And every performance will be different.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/crash-dance-productions-domino
NATHIONAL CHOREOGRAPHY RESIDENCY BY CONTEMPO PHYSICAL DANCE– Saturday, March 9th at 7:30pm at the O’Shaughnessy. “Contempo Physical Dance emerged from Artistic Director Marciano Silva dos Santos’ hunger to create work that is artistically exceptional, riveting to watch, highly physical and that speaks to the cultural dynamics of his Afro/Indigenous-Brazilian ancestry. Through extensive research, Contempo has created a Brazilian contemporary dance aesthetic that is constantly evolving. Contempo’s National Choreography Residency welcomes a Latinx choreographer to share exhilarating movement fusions, new movement approaches and a stunning performance with audiences in Minnesota.” https://oshag.stkate.edu/event/contempo-physical-dance-national-choreography-residency/the-oshaughnessy-at-st-catherine-university/st-paul-minnesota/
BLACK HOLE – Trilogy and Triathlon by Shamel Pitts | TRIBE– Thursday, March 21st; Friday, March 22nd; and Saturday, March 23rd at 8:00pm at the McGuire Theater, Walker Arts Center. “BLACK HOLE researches and shares an odyssey where three Black performers create a trinity of vigor, Afrofuturism, and embrace. Engulfed in an evocative soundscape of original music, sound samples, and spoken word, the dancers embark on a demanding hour-long journey in which their tenacity and grace are emphasized by cinematic video projections and stark, monochromatic lights. Mesmerizing and hauntingly magical, BLACK HOLE constitutes the final installment of Shamel Pitt’s Black Trilogy—marking the initial meeting between this choreographer and the artists of TRIBE.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/shamel-pitts-tribe-2024
Giselle by the Metropolitan Ballet– Saturday, March 23rd at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 24th at 2:00pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop. “Celebrate 25 years with Minneapolis and Saint Paul’s own Metropolitan Ballet and experience the romance and beauty of Giselle—the classical tale of a young peasant girl whose heart breaks when it is unveiled that the man she loves is a prince betrothed to marry another. A 19th-century masterpiece, Giselle defines the romantic era, featuring the iconic and passionate dance of the Wilis in Act Two. With live accompaniment by the Kenwood Symphony Orchestra.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/metropolitan-ballet-giselle-2024
MERGE In March by Mathew Janczeski’s Arena Dance & Taja Will– Saturday, March 23rd at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 24th at 2:00pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “This year’s MERGE pairs Mathew Janczewski’s high-intensity, super-charged movements with Taja Will’s nuanced, emotive, and improvisational boldness. Their collaboration will culminate in an evening of performance, which includes ARENA repertory favorite, Judged House, and the premiere of a haunting new solo by Will.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/mathew-janczeskis-arena-dance-taja-will-merge-in-march
APRIL 2024
First Chance Dance by James Sewell Ballet– Saturday, April 6th at 11:00am at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “First Chance Dance is an abridged version of our regular season program intended for attendees of any age. We leave the house lights on dim so entrances and exits can happen at any time as the need arises. Run time will be under one hour, and all selections are guaranteed family friendly. It’s a wonderful way to introduce the little ones to the joy of dance!
James Sewell Ballet leaps onto the stage with bold new works featuring the highly-anticipated choreography of former JSB dancer and current member of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Shohei Iwahama. This remarkable evening includes a remount of Doo-Be-Doo, which combines high-energy playful antics with stunning technical feats.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/james-sewell-ballet-pointed-humor-zp7ka
Pointed Humor by James Sewell Ballet– Saturday, April 6th at 7:30pm and Sunday, April 7th at 2:00pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “James Sewell Ballet leaps onto the stage with bold new works featuring the highly-anticipated choreography of former JSB dancer and current member of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Shohei Iwahama. This remarkable evening includes a remount of Doo-Be-Doo, which combines high-energy playful antics with stunning technical feats.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/james-sewell-ballet-pointed-humor
10,000 Dreams: A Celebration of Asian Choreography– Friday, April 12th at 7:30pm and Saturday, April 13th at 2:00pm on the Carlson Family Stage at the Northrop. “A blossoming initiative to recognize and elevate Asian creatives working in ballet, this program of Asian and Asian American choreography—co-curated by Final Bow for Yellowface’s Phil Chan—features The Washington Ballet, BalletMet, and Oakland Ballet Company. These performances celebrate the 75th anniversary of Singaporean choreographer Choo San Goh (1948-1987) who brought The Washington Ballet international acclaim, plus works by BalletMet’s Edwaard Liang—the first Asian Artistic Director for a major American ballet company, Phil Chan and Caili Quan for Oakland Ballet Company, and the Minnesota debut of choreographer Brett Ishida.” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/10000-dreams-celebration-of-asian-choreography-2024
THREAT BY TU DANCE– Friday, April 26th at 7:30pm and Saturday, April 27th at 7:30pm at the O’Shaughnessy. “THREAT is a concert dance theater work that aims to provoke an interrogation of the roles we play as individuals and community in hierarchies. The work posits that hierarchies have the power to control our behavior and infiltrate our thoughts, even when no authority is present to enforce the rules. Using a physical language and soundscape that fuses multicultural traditions and styles of the West and the African Diaspora, this social exploration invites audiences into a modern narrative that speaks to the universal experience of authority, obedience, and rebellion. As a performance, THREAT employs multifaceted contemporary movement and theatricality that is bathed in an eclectic and evocative original score and set design. It is a work where orchestral strings, djembe drum, and spoken word bump into soundbites of Malcolm X, Jamaica Kincaid, Donald Trump and Fidel Castro — where new and old flags hang, representing freedom and control, safety and danger.” https://oshag.stkate.edu/events/category/series/tu-dance-threat/the-oshaughnessy-at-st-catherine-university/st-paul-minnesota/
BRKFST Dance Company– Saturday, April 27th at 7:30pm and Sunday, April 28th at 2:00pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “Blazing into their 10th year as an ensemble, BRKFST continues to “show us the future of dance” (Star Tribune) with a world premiere commissioned by The Cowles Center and Northrop, set to music by company member Renée Copeland. Their unique style of breaking and storytelling shines through in their work set to Dancers, Dreamers, and Presidents by composer Daniel Bernard Roumain. With each inroad they create, BRKFST inspires us to view breaking and contemporary dance in a way that “makes you see both differently” (Minnpost).” https://www.northrop.umn.edu/events/brkfst-dance-company-2024
MAY 2024
Avimukta: Where the Seeker Meets the Sacred by Ragamala Dance Company– Saturday, May 4th at 7:30pm and Sunday, May 5th at 2:00pm at the Goodale Theater, Cowles Center. “Avimukta: Where the Seeker Meets the Sacred was developed in part during a technical residency at The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts. The creation of Avimukta was made possible in part through support from the The Bob and Kathie Goodale Legacy Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy’s 2018 Guggenheim Fellowships, Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy’s 2020 McKnight Fellowship, and the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.” https://www.thecowlescenter.org/tickets/ragamala-23/24
Radioactive Practice by Abby Z and the New Utility– Wednesday, May 15th at 8:00pm; Thursday, May 16th at 8:00pm; Friday, May 17th at 8:00pm; and Saturday, May 18th at 8:00pm at the McGuire Theater, Walker Arts Center. “Choreographer Abby Zbikowski presents a rigorous, highly physical, often ecstatic dance work in intimate, on-stage seating. This Bessie Award-winning choreographer and her company members (performers with wide-ranging movement backgrounds including post-modern dance, synchronized swimming, African forms, and martial arts, among others) collaborate with Senegalese dance artist Momar Ndiaye to develop a complex, demanding, and perplexing physicality which confronts expectations and dives into the unknown. Radioactive Practice gives the audience an up-close view of the dancers shattering assumptions about established forms while testing their physical and mental limits.” https://walkerart.org/calendar/2024/abby-z-and-the-new-utility-radioactive-practice