Archive: Performances and Events

Amidst the fall colors and falling leaves, dancers Sarah Baumert, Suzette Gilreath, Erika Hansen, and Leslie O’Neill perform in the site-specific Fall Sound Garden performance installation along the wooded trails at Wargo Nature Center in Lino Lakes, MN; nestled along the Rice Creek chain of lakes, not far upstream from where the Fall Sound Garden first premiered in 2018 at Manomin Park.

This year’s Fall Sound Garden is part of Wargo’s annual Fall Fest, which also features a cider press, storybook trail, Dakota language scavenger hunt, and fall games.  Directed by composer JG Everest, the Fall Sound Garden will also feature embedded sculpture and poetry throughout the site, with live storytelling by poet/storyteller Lisa Yankton, and live roving musical accompaniment by members of the Free Range Orchestra and Choir.

The Fall Sound Garden event is a free, family-friendly, self-guided event that features a sound installation of 60+ small, wireless speakers distributed throughout the park, with live accompaniment by roving musicians and dancers. Each small speaker is playing a different part of the whole piece of music, creating a unique, immersive experience that is described as “a concert you can move through.”

Event is free, but registration is requested in order to send weather updates and possible program changes.

Saturday, October 21 from 1:00-4:00pm

Concerto Dance shares the stage with Afoutayi Haitian Dance, Music and Arts Company, and Kaleena Miller Dance in the Cowles Center Fall Forward Festival Weekend One!

October 21 and 22
Afoutayi Haitian Dance, Music and Arts Company promotes Haitian cultural heritage through dance, songs in Creole and French, and live drumming. Utilizing jazz and modern expressions, Concerto Dance creates vibrant dance works driven by musicality and virtuosity aiming to uplift the human spirit. Kaleena Miller Dance creates tap dance works that invite performers and viewers to participate in deep listening.

Concerto Dance will be performing our signature work Ode to Opus Jazz, inspired by Jerome Robbins’ 1958 work “NY Export: Opus Jazz”, Ode to Opus Jazz is an original jazz dance work that navigates a threatening and explosive world through resilience, friendship, young love, and the “coolness” of classic jazz.

Tickets on sale: Fall Forward Weekend One

Make fall fabulous at this pre-show reception with a photo booth, drag performers, mimosas, and brunch bites. Stay after the social for the Fall Forward Festival performance featuring Haitian, jazz, and tap dance. Join us in supporting artist opportunities and sustaining the diverse programs offered by Cowles Center. With your help, we can empower dance and performing artists at every stage of their careers, nurturing their growth and fostering a vibrant artistic community. Together, let’s make a lasting impact on the arts.

Sunday, October 22
Reception – 12:30pm
Fall Forward Festival Performance – 2:00pm
Tickets: $65, includes reception and performance

Frankenstein, zombies, and characters of Edgar Allen Poe come to life in this family-friendly performance steeped in spooky delight and tragic majesty.

Anchoring the performance is a new choral ballet titled Unfashioned Creature, featuring Twin Cities beloved artists Timothy C. Takach (composer), Penelope Freeh (choreographer), and the MPLS (imPulse) choral ensemble. The work is poetically rooted in Shelley’s Frankenstein, and explores key aspects relating to personhood: otherness, abandonment, despair, and hopeful yearning. Music includes cello, percussion, and the stellar singers of MPLS who will perform a fractured libretto comprised of Shelley’s text.

Also on the program, remounts of two Sewell fall favorites: excerpts from “Takes on Poe” (2012); and “Grave Matters” (2011), which combines undead charm and morbid wit in a playful zombie ballet.

Saturday, October 28
2:00pm and 7:30pm

Tickets: $5-34

Karim Nagi, Vanessa of Cairo, and Jawaahir Dance Company take you on a journey through Alwan Masr (The Colors of Egypt)! This fun, family-friendly show gives you a taste of a country with diverse and unique dance styles. We showcase the beauty and distinctiveness of Arab dance.

Karim Nagi is a native Egyptian immigrant and a crossover artist uniting the Arab tradition with the global contemporary world. He has 14 CDs ranging from traditional Arab music to fusion and electronica, and he has instructional videos for Arab percussive instruments and Arab dance styles. He currently resides in Chicago, IL.

Vanessa of Cairo, Artistic Director of Jawaahir, is an international performer, instructor, and award-winning choreographer who resided in Cairo for 12 years. She instructed private and group classes in all styles including many of the Egyptian folklore dances, danced in daily nightclub shows, and danced and acted in various plays through the Ministry of Culture in Egypt.

November 3, 7:30pm
November 4, 7:30pm

Cost: $20

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.

September 27, 7:30pm
September 28, 7:30pm
September 29, 7:30pm

The Neighborhood Garage Tour continues a fantastic run, with full houses (garages) all over the Twin Cities metro. This weekend is your last chance to come and see our new all-ages show: The Medicine Show of the 25th Century.

The Neighborhood Garage Tour is Off-Leash Area’s grass-roots arts access program, creating original all-ages work and bringing it directly into metro neighborhoods. This year’s tour features an all-abilities cast of dancers and movement actors, with numerous access services throughout the tour.

September 29-30 at 7:00pm; October 1 at 2:00pm
Jen and Steve Terry’s Garage!
8850 Deer Ridge Lane, Bloomington

Reserve now and pay when you come!

Come celebrate Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota’s new season and welcome its new professional company members and apprentices! Learn about the exciting performances coming up this season, meet and mingle with the Artistic Directors, board, staff, and dancers, and watch a preview performance by the company!

There will be many opportunities for you to support TCB throughout the night, including a silent auction, handmade items for sale, and information about tickets for upcoming performances.

Families, friends, supporters, and the curious are all welcome!

Saturday, September 30 at 7:30pm
Suggested donation: $10

Join us in celebrating RGK Dance Academy’s 20th Anniversary Gala production, Pursuit of Happiness!

Witness our dancers’ graceful movements and expressive storytelling through dance!

The 20th Anniversary Gala Production – A Bollywood Dance Drama Show is a captivating Bollywood dance drama that continues our tradition of giving back. Following the massive success of our previous annual benefit shows like Raftaar (speed) 2022, in which we supported breast cancer research, and Khushi (happiness) 2021 during which we aided Covid-19 relief funds; we are thrilled to contribute once again, this time benefiting Asian Women United of Minnesota (AWUM).

Saturday, September 30
4:00-8:00pm

Schedule
4:00-5:00pm: Social Hour
5:00-7:00pm: Performance
7:00-8:00pm: Dinner
At the CMS Performing Arts Center

Be part of an evening filled with the enchantment of Bollywood as our skilled dancers bring stories to life on stage! Indulge in Indian cuisine that delights the palate and warms the heart, all while supporting a noteworthy cause. Watch the trailer!

Purchase tickets
Advance Purchase: $40.
$50 at the gate.
VIP: $100
VVIP: $250

Spread the word and extend the invitation to family and friends. This exceptional show unites entertainment with meaningful impact. Let’s stand together to support AWUM and relish an unforgettable evening. Secure your tickets now!
RGK Dance Academy is Non-profit 501(c)(3).

Floorwork: a communal conversation and shared meal.

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 is being 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.