Dance Art in the St. Paul Art Crawl

Moving Line Studio, the studio of visual and performance artist Lara Hanson, will be open for the fall St. Paul Art Crawl. For almost 30 years, Lara has been drawing the human body in movement. She has drawn the work of many dance companies, including local companies like Black Label Movement and TU Dance as well as national and international companies like Merce Cunningham, Eiko and Koma, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance, and Shen Wei Dance Arts. 

Lara will have drawings of these companies, plus many more, for show and for sale during the St. Paul Art Crawl. It will be a name-your-price sale – she’s got hundreds of drawings to choose from! 

You can also talk with Lara about commissions. It’s not too early to start thinking about gifts for the holidays, and what would be more meaningful than a drawing of you or your favorite mover? 

Stop by on your St. Paul Art Crawl adventure and say hi!

Friday, October 6 from 6:30-8:00pm
Saturday, October 7 from 1:00-3:00pm and by appointment
Sunday, October 8 by appointment

TCB Presents FunQuest: Little Red Riding Hood

Join Twin Cities Ballet and Little Red Riding Hood as she travels throughout Lakeville on a quest to visit Grandma, meeting other fairy tale favorites along the way including the Little Pigs, Blind Mice and of course, the Big Bad Wolf! This fun spin on the classic tale is performed by TCB’s professional company dancers, and includes an interactive educational narrative geared toward younger audiences or those new to ballet. 

Prior to the performance there will be a fun optional clue-to-clue real life quest (starting at the Lakeville Area Arts Center) showcasing Lakeville’s landmarks and attractions and tracking Little Red’s journey to Grandma’s house—a great community event for the whole family!

Performances will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 7 and 8 at 2:00pm at the Lakeville Area Arts Center.
$12-16

Tickets on sale now at LakevilleAreaArtsCenter.com or by calling 952-985-4640.

Floorwork: Conversations and Knowledge Sharing Potluck

Every first Saturday! Floorwork was developed to hold conversations, knowledge sharing, and supportive space for dance artists and people who like to move.

The next Floorwork will be hosted at The Arena.
Saturday, October 7
12:00-2:00pm
RSVP by Friday, October 6

This October Floorwork will focus on grant funding overviews and sharing artist insights on the application process and evaluative practices – conversation assisted by Dana Kassel (Program Director of McKnight Fellowships for Choreographers and Dancers), Eleanor Savage (Jerome Foundation President), Kathy Moucheupao (Executive Director of Metro Regional Arts Council), and Annick Dall-Desbois (Outreach and Accessibility Coordinator for the Minnesota State Arts Board). Other funding organizations are welcome to join.

Conversation will be held over a communal meal – bring your own dish to share in our potluck! ARENA DANCES will supply beverages, plates, napkins, and utensils.

Public Talk with Dr. Melissa Blanco Borelli

“Vivir Sabroso: Choreographies of Living in the Colombian Pacific”

Join us Wednesday, October 11 at 4:30pm

Dr Melissa Blanco Borelli is a critical dance studies scholar, choreographer, and cultural critic. She is an Associate Professor of Theatre and the Director of the Dance Program at Northwestern University. She has been on faculty at MIT, University of Surrey (UK), Royal Holloway, University of London (UK) and the University of Maryland, College Park.

As an interdisciplinary scholar, her research interests are broad. They include Blackness in Latin America, critical dance studies, performative writing, popular dance on screen, Black performance theory, (Black) feminist (auto)ethnography, historiography, archives, and the digital humanities.

About Cowles Visiting Artists
Since 1987, through the generosity of Sage and John Cowles, University of Minnesota Dance has annually hosted four to six dance professionals of international renown in residencies ranging from one to ten weeks. The guests teach, choreograph new dance work, rehearse repertory, and lecture in the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance, and the Twin Cities community at large.

The Cowles Land Grant Chair connects nationally and internationally recognized artists and scholars with dance students, exposing them to contemporary artistry, masterwork, and new thinking in dance studies. University of Minnesota Dance is unique for its extensive use of renowned professional artists in the education and training of students.

dance cuba DREAMS OF FLIGHT Film in Cine Latino

An award-winning film featuring Carlos Acosta.

dance cuba DREAMS OF FLIGHT begins with the historic coming together of two dance companies  – one Cuban, one American – in Havana. It is the human stories orbiting around this coming together that are the heart and soul of the film.

Amid the love and conflicted passions that mark the difficult journey toward identity for individuals and nations, dance cuba tells personal stories of exile and return, loss and redemption, tradition and change.  It intertwines riveting tales that are as powerful in romance, tragedy and drama as the great ballets performed.

dance cuba DREAMS OF FLIGHT was produced and directed by Minnesota native Cynthia Newport who assembled an accomplished production team including Academy Award-winning Americans and internationally acclaimed Cubans. With remarkable access to individuals and institutions in both countries, the film is suffused with an original poignant score composed and performed by multi-Grammy winner Chucho Valdes.

Step Afrika! Drumfolk Presented by 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 distinctive traditions like tap, the ring shout, and stepping.

Journey with Step Afrika! as they share histories too often left in the margins with this movement-filled celebration of the human spirit.

Friday, October 13
7:30pm
Presented by Northrop

Sensory Friendly Lounge
A Sensory Friendly Lounge equipped with sensory supports and staffed by trained volunteers will be available to all guests who are seeking a safe and soothing atmosphere during this and other select performances. Learn more on the Accessibility Services page.

Young Dance Presents the Third Annual Fall Fling

Young Dance invites you to celebrate community at the 3rd annual Fall Fling on Saturday, October 14, from 2:00–6:00pm. This outdoor celebration is fun for the whole family! Enjoy performances and interactive demonstrations by Young Dance, The ARC Minnesota, Auntie Bec’s Boutique, CAAM Chinese Dance Theater, Element Gym, Ripple Effect Community Fitness, Smiling Drum, St. Paul Ballet, St. Paul Pilates & Fitness, Youth Performance Company, and other Fairview Business Center tenants. 

Again this year, we are including a family-friendly makers’ market with Kimmie’s Illustrations, SuperPatch, Mrs. E.’s Teacher Treats, The Munchies, and more. The first hour of the event will be a community dance party followed by games, art, performances, and—of course—more dancing! 

The event is free! Can’t make it but still feel passionate about Young Dance? Donate here! 

We will provide audio description and an ASL interpreter. Parking is wheelchair-accessible and seating will be available. Please let us know if any other accommodations are needed to participate in this event. 

The event will continue inside at each partner’s location in the event of rain. 

Schedule of Events:
3:10 – Smiling Drum
3:30 – Youth Performance Company
3:45 – CAAM Chinese Dance Theater
4:00 – St. Paul Ballet
4:15 – Ripple Effect
4:30 – St. Paul Pilates & Fitness
4:45 – TaikoArts Midwest
5:00 – Young Dance

Afoutayi Ransanble Fanmi – Let’s Celebrate Family

Afoutayi Haitian Dance, Music and Arts is a performance company and nonprofit arts organization incorporated in the state of Minnesota and fiscally sponsored by Indigenous Roots in Saint Paul, MN. Our mission is to promote Haitian and Afro-Caribbean heritage and diversify contemporary representations of Haiti through music, art, dance, and history education. We envision a world where Haitian and Afro-Caribbean cultural heritage is a fundamental part of youth education and success to enrich communities of different backgrounds.

Ransable is a monthly event hosted by Afoutayi, featuring Haitian food and drinks, social dance, and collaborative performances with special international/local guest artists, all centered around an important theme of Haitian culture.

This month’s theme is Ransanbe Fanmi, which, in Haitian Creole means “Let’s celebrate family.”
We will be joined by special guest, Salsa del Soul.
We invite you to join us for this unique cultural experience!

Saturday, October 14
6:00-9:00pm

Pre-sale tickets: $10 kids; $25 teens and adults
Tickets at the door: $15 Kids; $30 teens and adults

16 Feet: Perceptions Noted

A multi-artist collaboration of independent choreographers from around the Twin Cities, giving their voice and visions.

October 19-21
7:30pm
TekBox Theater

Featuring:
Davente Gilreath – Healing, Love
Gerry Girouard – Honest, Energetic
Alarica Hassett – Weird, Liberated
Jim Lieberthal – Mystical, Dynamic
Jennifer Mack – Creatively Resilient
Christine Maginnis – Swashbuckling-Swan
Alys Ayumi Ogura – Appropriately Inappropriate
Rebecca Tanner – Embodied, Collaborative
Julie Warder – Influenced, Supported
Mary Willmeng – Devoted, Magnetic

Get tickets:
$20 for general admission.
$15 for students, seniors, and children under 12.
Fees included in ticket pricing.

Fall Forward Festival at The Cowles Center

Celebrating nine different dance artists across three fantastic weekends!
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!

Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sundays at 2:00pm

Week One: October 21–22
Concerto Dance
‘s Ode to Opus Jazz navigates the challenges of an explosive and turbulent world through resilience, friendship, and young love utilizing vernacular and classic jazz dance with theatrical flair. Kaleena Miller Dance premieres an interplay of minimal maximalism that abstracts inherent footwork patterns in response to the intricate sonic landscape. Afoutayi Haitian Dance, Music, and Arts Company’s Ti Sonson and the Power of the Drums, extracted from the trilingual children’s book of the same name, is a bright spark, highlighting joy and resilience in Haitian culture.

Week Two: October 28–29
Ballet Folklorico Mexico Azteca’s celebration of Día de los Muertos unites the past and present by honoring the departed and the vitality of life with a hint of contemporary dance. Discover STRONGmovement’s unique dance and art philosophy through three original works spanning recent years: You Think You KnowKwôren,tēn, and a new solo, The ArtistYuki Tokuda presents a ballet based on Japanese folklore called Yuki-Onna (The Snow Woman) with Piano Sonata in B minor by Franz Liszt, played by Rie Tanaka.

Week Three: November 4–5
Katha Dance Theatre’s PRAKRITIR PRATISODH – Nature’s Revenge depicts the natural forces that are now threatened due to humanity’s choices and the hope to conquer these challenges and move forward with harmony! Shapiro & Smith Dance’s Burning Air tells of the Great Hinckley Fire of 1894. Ominous skies are again in front of our eyes as today’s fires foretell what’s to come in a world of continued inaction on climate change. In We Are Cosmic, Alternative Motion Project connects black holes, dream states, multiverses, and theta waves through stunning visuals, rigorous physicality, and sound by Dameun Strange.