Archive: Performances and Events

Hatch Dance and HoneyWorks come together for their fourth collaboration, a new dance inspired by and set to Terry Riley’s In C, performed atop the Minneapolis Club parking ramp in downtown Minneapolis.

In this new work, 17 of the Twin Cities most versatile and creative dance artists and 6 musicians led by jazz pianist Joseph Strachan navigate the world of Terry Riley’s infamous In C. The musical score, made up of 53 short cells and the simple instruction for musicians to repeat as many times as they wish before moving forward, gives full agency to the musicians and is therefore never played the same way twice. A new improvisational dance score, crafted by Berit Ahlgren and Helen Hatch, both follows and departs from the framework of the music, creating a non-hierarchical microcosm in which the consequences of complicity and dissension unfold in real time.

Friday, June 14 at 8:00pm
Saturday, June 15 at 5:30 and 8:00pm
Sunday, June 16 at 5:30 and 8:00pm

$40 General Admission. Children $10 at the door. Ten pay-as-able walk up ticket available starting one hour before each show!

In C by Terry Riley presented under license from G. Schirmer Inc. and Associated Music Publishers, copyright owners.

This activity is made possible by 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.

Katha Dance Theatre (KDT) is pleased to announce the world premiere of Ganga: A Choreographic Odyssey at E.M. Pearson Theatre!

Director/choreographer Rita Mustaphi premieres a film screening and live Kathak dance combination to create a unique cultural spectacle. The dance film, Ganga to Mississippi, was filmed in both India and Minnesota. The Minnesota section was created in collaboration with Sharon Day, an Ojibwe leader and Indigenous activist, artist and writer, and Jane Ramseyer Miller, former artistic director of One Voice Mixed Chorus. In Ganga: A Choreographic Odyssey, the brand-new live component, North Indian Kathak dance will be performed with a non-traditional South Indian Carnatic music accompaniments; the show’s composers come from South Indian Carnatic and North India Hindustani music traditions. Set to live music by these and other acclaimed guest artists, the live portion will be performed by KDT’s Company dancers and apprentices.

Ganga uses Kathak to convey the universal importance of protecting and conserving water sources. It portrays the mythological creation of the river Ganga (or Ganges), depicting Ganga as a nourishing river of life, a source of religious significance, but also one of the world’s most polluted rivers that needs saving from environmental destruction. Using the storytelling artform’s trademark rhythmic footwork, pirouettes and gestural and facial expressiveness, Ganga emphasizes how the crucial role the Ganges plays to Asian Indians is similar to the role the Mississippi plays to Minnesotans – especially to indigenous communities. Through these mythological and real-life frameworks, Ganga calls for systemic change and urges audiences to take action against pollution.

A roster of acclaimed guest musicians accompanies KDT’s Company on the live portion of the performance.

June 14 and 15 at 7:30pm
June 16 at 2:00pm – ASL-interpreted
90 minutes, plus 20 minute intermission.

Ethnic Dance Theatre (EDT) will present Golden Memories: A Celebration of 50 Years, featuring twenty dancers, the EDT Folk Orchestra, and Mila Vocal Ensemble.

Founded in 1974, by Donald LaCourse and Jonathan Frey, EDT has been dedicated to the artistic performance and preservation of world music, song, and dance. During the past 50 years, EDT has brought over 50 unique cultures and traditions to life through their performances. Golden Memories will be a celebration of this commitment.

Join EDT as they travel across the globe through 11 original choreographies from throughout the last five decades, with dances from Hungary, Germany, Egypt, Tajikistan, Mexico, and more! The production will feature live musical accompaniment by the EDT Folk Orchestra and the talents of Mila Vocal Ensemble throughout the show.

Not only will EDT’s diverse dance and musical repertoire be on display but so will their impressive costume collection. With culturally unique and accurate costumes for each number, Golden Memories will be a feast for the eyes. From the gliding steps of Ossetia to the stamping footwork of Chihuahua, Golden Memories is sure to entrance and enthrall audience members of all ages and leave them tapping their toes wanting more.

Friday, June 14 at 7:30pm
Saturday, June 15 at 2:00 and 7:30pm

Online ticket sales will end at midnight on Thursday, June 13. Tickets will be available at the box office one hour before each show.

Tuesday, June 18 at 7:00pm
Free event, advanced registration encouraged.

Join us for Wayfinding, a creative conversation and informal dance film sharing featuring short films by 2024 McKnight International Choreographer Meryl Zaytoun Murman, Winona artist Sharon Mansur and Leila Awadallah. The films will explore their shared Arab/SWANA (Southwest Asian and Northern African) heritage, gender and sexuality, and diasporic bodies, and a guided discussion will center these themes. Winona State Professor Mary Jo Kilnker will lead the discussion.

Murman was named the 2024 McKnight International Choreographer for her work as a multi-disciplinary artist whose art juxtaposes choreographic, cinematic, and live art practices to create movement pieces that emphasize interactivity and intimacy. She has taught and worked deeply in several international communities including Thessaloniki and Ukraine. Her queer films and choreographies derived from experiments at the intersection of cinema and dance disrupt popular notions of spectacle, the body, virtuosity, and gender.

This event is part of a month-long residency in Winona and the Twin Cities. There will be a variety of events that allow Murman to share her multiple artistic practices. View the full residency schedule.

This free event will be co-sponsored by Art of the Rural and will take place at the Winona Arts Center. Reservations are strongly encouraged.

Reasons for Moving is an interdisciplinary performance about the experiences of first, second, and third generation immigrants. Bringing together dance, theater, and digital media, Reasons for Moving frames performance as a site to engage community conversation about how cultures of origin inform our identities outside of their homelands. 

Performers are: Kalala Kiwanuka-Woernle, whose mother left Uganda for the UK and later came to the US on a student visa; Mai Moua Thao, born in a refugee camp in Thailand; and Skye Reddy, whose family lost their ancestral homelands in the colonial Partition of South Asia. Their families’ biographies anchor an exploration of intergenerational and social negotiations of culture, memory and imagination.

Directed by Cláudia Tatinge Nascimento with media and sound design by Eliot Gray Fisher, lighting design and technical direction by Thomas Barrett, and costume design by Lynn Farrington.

James Sewell Ballet performs as special guests with the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus.

Step into a world of inclusivity, artistry, and self-expression with This is Me, a captivating concert experience brought to you by the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus (TCGMC) with special guests. Set against the majestic backdrop of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, this event promises to be a celebration of diversity, acceptance, and the transformative power of music.

James Sewell Ballet is thrilled to be performing as special guests in Every BODY, a groundbreaking commission led by TCGMC featuring over 200 singers on stage and professional dancers, exploring the complexities of body image, identity, and self-acceptance.  From the graceful movements of a dancer to the soaring melodies of a choir in harmony, Every BODY celebrates the inherent worth and dignity of every individual. It challenges societal norms and embraces the idea that our bodies are not something to be ashamed of, but rather, gifts to be cherished and celebrated.

Friday, June 21, 7:30pm
Saturday, June 22, 7:30pm

Purchase tickets.

For more information about this inspiring collaboration, click here.

DanceCo returns to the stage this summer with a series of free, interactive, family-friendly performances. Wolf Tales is a mashup of the familiar fairy tales Peter and the Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Three Little Pigs. The story is told by the Wolf, who is not big or bad, just misunderstood — and wants to set the record straight!

The show starts with an exciting, kid-focused workshop where audience members can learn and practice interactive parts of the show. Then, the DanceCo Artists take the stage for a 45-minute performance with opportunities for the audience to join the dancers on stage! Get ready to be a part of the magic. 

Saturday, June 22, 10:00am and 11:30am
Minnehaha Falls Park Pavilion
4825 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417

Saturday, June 29, 10:00am and 11:30am
Capri Theater Paradise Hall
2027 W Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411

Saturday, July 6, 10:00am and 11:30am
Father Hennepin Bluffs Park Bandshell
420 Main St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Saturday, July 13, 10:00am and 11:30am
Lyndale Gardens Amphitheater
6400 Lyndale Ave S, Richfield, MN 55423

All shows are free!

DanceCo is a professional performance company creating original, interactive dance narratives for young people ages 3-103! Directed by Matthew and Brittany Keefe and Karla Nweje. Performed by Emily Compaan, Cassie Edlund, Matthew Keefe, Jennifer Mack, Karla Nweje, Emily Pitts, Leeah Schuhwerck, Zachary Tuazon, and Maria Vitelli. 

To learn about DanceCo and our professional artists, go to www.DanceCoMN.com. 

Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre presents REUNIÓN – Decameron, an extraordinary celebration of artistic resilience with internationally acclaimed flamenco artists. Performances will be June 28 and 29 at The O’Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University.

The cast includes dancers/choreographers Fanny Ara, Emilio Ochando, Isaac Tovar, and Susana di Palma. Renowned guitarist and composer, José Luis de la Paz, and guest flamenco singer and percussionist, Francisco “Yiyi” Orozco, will add a vibrant energy to the show. The Zorongo Ensemble will also premiere a new piece choreographed by Fanny Ara, “Les Dames en Bleu.”

Tickets are $37 for general admission and $20 for students.
Purchase through The O’Shaughnessy ticket office by calling 651-690-6700, visiting oshag.stkate.edu, or in-person.

This activity is made possible by 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.

The Summer Sound Garden returns to Silverwood Park for the first time since its premiere on the island in Silver Lake in 2018. Dancers Sarah Baumert, Suzette Gilreath, Erika Hansen, Megan Mayer, and Leslie O’Neill perform their roving site-specific scores along the shorelines, boardwalks, and amidst the majestic trees of this enchanted place. Designed and directed by composer JG Everest, the event will also feature site-specific poetry by Chavonn Shen, Teresa Ortiz, and many more, along with site-specific photography and visual art.

The Summer Sound Garden is a free, family-friendly, self-guided durational event that features a site-specific sound installation of 60+ small, wireless speakers, each playing a different part of the whole piece of music and distributed throughout the entire island, with live accompaniment by roving musicians and dancers, site-specific poetry, and a summer song by Blue Lady and the Free Range Orchestra & Choir. Each small speaker is housed in various handmade vessels – wooden birdhouses, felt sculptures – creating a dynamic, immersive experience that is described as “a concert you can move through.”

Saturday, June 29, 12:00-4:30pm
Rain date: Sunday, June 30
Event is free, but registration highly recommended in order to share weather and program updates.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Special Performance
Tuesday, July 16 at 6:00pm
Amanda Sachs and Elena Hollenhorst present Searching for Giants, a contemporary dance duet.

This free performance is part of the Northern Lakes Arts Association’s Arts in the Park at Whiteside Park in Ely, MN. This work premiered at MN Orchestra’s International Day of Music and they have since performed it at Dances at the Lake Festival and the Tek Box in Minneapolis.

Workshop
Wednesday, July 17, 6:00-8:00pm
Amanda and Elena will be teaching a dance workshop which will inform participants about the creative process, and incorporate improvisation as well as phrase work. Participants of all ability levels ages 12+ are welcome.

Amanda Sachs and Elena Hollenhorst are fiscal year 2024 recipients of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant form the Minnesota Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.