Archive: Performances and Events

The Cedar Tree Project presents in partnership with Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts: 1001 Arab Futures  
Created/Directed by:
Yara Boustany, Lebanese dance artist (Beirut, Lebanon)
Mette Loulou von Kohl, Lebanese/Palestinian/Danish American dance artist (New York City)
Andrea Shaker, Lebanese American visual artist (Minneapolis)
Concept, creative contributions, and performance by Sharon Mansur (Keoxa/Winona, MN)

Site-specific dance performances, online performance viewing, and visual art installation.

Site-specific Performances: Thursday, June 10-Saturday, June 12 at 7:00pm
Rain date: Sunday June 13
A live in-person solo dance performance event for a limited audience outdoors at the MinnesotaConservatory for the Arts’ home at the Valéncia Arts Center, Keoxa/Winona, Mni Sota Makoce/MN, Dakota land.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1001-arab-futures-live-dance-performance-tickets-154159572431

Online Performance Viewing:
Thursday, June 17-Saturday, June 19, with a watch party and artist Q&A on Saturday, June 19 at 2:00pm.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1001-arab-futures-virtual-performance-viewing-tickets-154595849347

Visual Art Installation by Andrea Shaker: June 1-28, 2021
Minneapolis based Lebanese American visual artist and 1001 Arab Futures co-director Andrea Shaker will transform MCA’s indoor gallery space for audience viewings.
On view in MCA’s Galleria Valéncia. Free, no tickets required.
See MCA website for viewing hours and guidelines: https://mca.smumn.edu

1001 Arab Futures was commissioned by The Cowles Center as part of their McKnight SOLO Commissioning Program, funded by the McKnight Foundation. It was commissioned on behalf of Sharon Mansur, 2018 McKnight Dancer Fellow. Sharon Mansur, in partnership with the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, is a fiscal year 2020 recipient of a Cultural Community Partnership grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature; and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support for this project is being provided by Art of the Rural.

Come celebrate the Grand Opening of the Threads Dance Nexus as we officially open our doors to the community!

Thanks to your support, we are in our new home in the Focus Arts Building and cannot wait to thank each of you for helping us make this dream possible.

We will be offering staggered tours of the space, sample dance classes, and a chance to view our custom glass Donor Wall, where capital campaign contributors can find their name.

We invite everyone who supports the work we do to come celebrate with us!

Join Cassandra and fellow dancers Anjela, Emalee, Margo Abdo O’Dell, and Theresa for a fun night of dance, pretty costumes, and good music!

Show begins on your screen at 7:00pm CT.
Only one $20 reservation per home is needed.
Payment in advance is required by 12:00pm CT the day of the show.

Mulier Dierum (Chronicles of Woman) is an epic project that mirrors the strength of cumulative generations of women. Mulier Dierum faces our fears and fulfills desires with ferocity and vulnerability, sharing generational wisdom and wildness of women and femme power. The voices of forty choral singers and the bodies of eight dancers affirm together: Women build, honor, persevere, and flourish.

Directed and choreographed by Off-Leash Area Co-Artistic Director Jennifer Ilse, Mulier Dierum is being created in collaboration with See Change Treble Choir under the direction of Allyss Haecker, singing an original score by Linda Kachelmeier, with performances by dancers Gemma Isaacson, Christine McGinnis, Parisha Rajbhandari, Julie Warder, Heather Klopchin, Rachel Lieberman, Jennifer Mack, Esther Ouray, and Jennifer Ilse; with Off-Leash Area Co-Artistic Director Paul Herwig‘s immersive live animation projection design and sound design, edited and mixed by Reid Kruger.

Mark your calendars!

The final production of Mulier Dierum will be presented live under the stars at the center of a beautiful oak grove woodland on the gorgeous outdoor stage at Caponi Art Park in Eagan, MN on June 25 and 26 at 9:00pm.

The final production will feature all the voices of  See Change Treble Choir mixed into a gorgeous sound score, a small live vocal ensemble, and eight dancers, all bathed in multi-layered projected imagery and staged on a multi-platform set emphasizing a safe and physical distanced audience. You won’t want to miss it!

Tickets available soon!

Every month from March through December 2021, Threads Dance Project will release some of Artistic Director Karen L. Charles’ top dances available pay-as-able from $1, $10, $100, or even $1,000 to view Karen’s selected works!

May’s works include Memories (2011), Mother God (2018), and Emancipation? – Part 2 (2014).

Here is what Karen says about these works:

“I am always inspired by music and Sweet Honey in the Rock has been my muse on several occasions. In Memories, this was one of the first times I used their music. I created this piece to honor the loss of my father and all of the ancestors who had sustained me to be able to do what I love every day. This 2014 version actually features Grammy-nominated group Sweet Honey in the Rock with whom we were fortunate enough to perform the piece, with them singing live.

“I created Mother God in praise and honor to our Mother, Creator God.

“Emancipation? – Part 2 is one of my favorites because much of what I am trying to say is portrayed so subtly. The dancers are separated by race, dancing the question “How much progress have we made towards eradicating the vestiges of slavery that exist in society?” The selection of denim as the fabric for the costumes and so many other things  hopefully leave the viewer questioning America and what it means to be American.”

–Karen L. Charles, Artistic Director.

Each release will be 20-30 minutes in length. Once registered, you will receive a private link and password that will allow you to view these works from May 17-May 30, 2021.

Don’t miss out on these works that started it all!

Mulier Dierum (Chronicles of Woman) is an epic project that mirrors the strength of cumulative generations of women. Mulier Dierum faces our fears and fulfills desires with ferocity and vulnerability, sharing generational wisdom and wildness of women and femme power. The voices of forty choral singers and the bodies of eight dancers affirm together: Women build, honor, persevere, and flourish.

Directed and choreographed by Off-Leash Area Co-Artistic Director Jennifer Ilse, Mulier Dierum is being created in collaboration with See Change Treble Choir under the direction of Allyss Haecker, singing an original score by Linda Kachelmeier, with performances by dancers Gemma Isaacson, Christine McGinnis, Parisha Rajbhandari, Julie Warder, Heather Klopchin, Rachel Lieberman, Jennifer Mack, Esther Ouray, and Jennifer Ilse; with Off-Leash Area Co-Artistic Director Paul Herwig‘s immersive live animation projection design and sound design, edited and mixed by Reid Kruger. Performance filming and editing by Tamara Ober.

A Work in Process performance of this project is now available online through May 30 for a suggested donation of $5-25. Link to the Work in Process performance will be emailed to you after registration is completed.

The live final performance of Mulier Dierum will be at the gorgeous outdoor stage at Caponi Art Park in Eagan, June 25-26. Tickets will be available soon!

Cassandra is your DJ and dance inspiration for this Zoom Dance Party! Grab your sparkly hip belt and join her for some at-home shimmy fun!

Party begins on your screen at 6:00pm CT on Saturday, May 22.

Only one $5 reservation per household is needed. Payment in advance is required by 12:00pm CT the day of the party.

Zenon Dance School – Zone Winter/Spring 2021 Showcase

Saturday, May 22 at 7:30pm
ZenONLINE on Zoom
Tickets are free! Registration required.

New choreographic works by artists:
Kendall Kramer, José A. Luis and Ruby Josephine Smith

Zenon Dance School’s Zone Scholarship Program will showcase the work of three local choreographers plus guest artists at its second virtual showcase on May 22. All are welcome to celebrate new screen dance works by the Zenon Zone dancers and Winter/Spring choreographers. Works have been created and rehearsed virtually during the 20-week Winter/Spring Zone Session. Join us immediately following the showcase for a brief virtual Q&A with the choreographers.

Zone offers adult dancers of all ability levels, ages, and dance styles the opportunity to challenge themselves in a session-long program. Dancers can choose from two tracks: Performance – for students with a strong intermediate or advanced level of dance technique and who are looking for opportunities to perform; or Technique – a class-focused program where dancers work on increasing skills and challenging themselves with new styles of dance. Students are selected via a digital application submission and are offered a subsidized tuition.

Zone is an incredible platform for emerging choreographers to create innovative work and hone material, and has helped launch the careers of many successful Twin Cities choreographers.

Katha Dance Theatre (KDT) has been teaching and performing Kathak, the North Indian classical dance form, for over three decades. Kathak is an elegant dance form characterized by rhythmic footwork, graceful hand gestures, pirouettes, lyrical movements, and storytelling. Since December of 2020, KDT has been producing a monthly virtual showcase series that highlighted different class levels, showcased diverse expressions of Kathak, and even celebrated holidays like Diwali.

This final showcase highlights KDT’s apprentices and Company dancers. The name of the showcase, “Tarana-Sargam,” comes from variations of Nritta, or pure Kathak dances that highlight abstract movement rather than storytelling. “Tarana-Sargam” will feature performances of these types of Nritta as well as a few words of gratitude from the KDT community.

The free event will premiere on Vimeo at midnight on May 28. It will run through May 30 before it is archived on KDT’s website.  Join us in celebration of our talented, dedicated and hard-working dance community!

Vimeo link: https://vimeo.com/548047902