Archive: Workshops, Intensives, Master Classes, and Open Houses

Learn ballet at any age!

This 8-week Ballet Fundamentals Session will teach adult students the basic steps of ballet, how combinations in class are built and the history and roots of ballet terminology. No ballet or dance experience necessary!

Open enrollment!
Spring Session, February 8-March 28
Thursdays, 6:15-7:30pm

Threads Dance Project presents Tapestries 8.0 Master Classes, running February 5 to March 26.

What is Tapestries 8.0?
Threads Dance Project commissions 3 emerging choreographers selected by an expert panel of dance/community leaders to create new works for the company under the guidance of Artistic/Executive Director Karen L. Charles. Tapestries provides a much-needed avenue for underrepresented women and artists of color to take center stage in the world of professional choreography.

What are the Tapestries 8.0 Master Classes?
The Tapestries 8.0 Master Classes are intimate and engaging opportunities for you to learn from the masters themselves. Each of our choreographers will guide you through learning the fundamentals and will hone your skills from their wealth of knowledge. They will show you why they were chosen to be a part of Tapestries!

Averie Mitchell-Brown: Hip-Hop
February 5-20
Tuesdays: 9:00-10:30am
Thursdays: 9:00-10:00am

Da’Rius Malone: Contemporary and Ballet
March 11-26
Mondays: 9:00-10:30am – Contemporary
Tuesdays: 9:00-10:30am – Ballet

Pay as you come. No prior registration needed.
Price: $12

Join Ivan Cavallari, Artistic Director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, for a classical ballet master class, available to participants thanks to a partnership between Northrop and James Sewell Ballet. This class is for intermediate/advanced level dancers and will start with a warm-up at the barre, followed by center and jumps. This class is free for University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff. Classes will take place in beautiful Studio 2B at the Cowles Center in downtown Minneapolis.

Saturday, February 17
10:00-11:30am

Class is open to the public.
Cost: $20
Please register here.

As a choreographer, Cavallari… [brings] the company’s repertoire in a resolutely classical direction while remaining anchored in modernity.

For more information about Ivan Cavallari, visit the Les Grands Ballets Candiens website.

Please join Lisa Erickson for Sunday Open Ballet in the Sunroom of the Center for Performing Arts.

A ballet teacher with 35+ years of experience teaching all levels and ages, Lisa’s welcoming ballet classes naturally guide students in refining their alignment, balance, and technique, while also discovering the value and importance of the use of weight in their dancing. Coupled with individual attention, feedback, and humor, students experience expansion and growth in body and mind – and experience joy in the process!

Students are encouraged to expect success and mistakes! Only when we allow ourselves to take chances and risk failure can we grow to our full potential. Everyone is invited and welcome. Come play and see for yourself!

February 18, 1:30-3:00pm
February 25, 1:30-3:00pm

Drop-in: $17-20. Pay with exact cash or Venmo @Lisa-Erickson-121.

On Monday, February 19, spend your day off from school exploring new dance styles with your friends! Classes include Family Dance and Creative Movement for younger dancers. Dancers 7 years and older can explore a morning of Dance + Photography and/or afternoon Variety Camp—bring a lunch and take both offerings for a full day of dancing!

Family Dance 
Join us for a morning of dancing together. Children and caregivers will get a special start to their day, exploring movement and stories in a fun environment. Taught by Judee Shuǐ Xiān.
Ages 1-6 with caregiver
9:15-10:00am
$15

Dance a Story
Your little one can explore movement possibilities with a focus on storytelling. Using personal experience and imagination, children will spend time expressing stories in their bodies and minds. In this fun-filled class, children develop large and fine motor skills, coordination, rhythm, and listening skills as they go on their creative adventures. Taught by Denise Gagner.
Ages 4-7
10:00am-12:00pm
$25

Dance + Photography*
Experience the intersection of dance and photography! Participants will use photography to consider how bodies create shape and transform from 3-dimensional experiences to 2-dimensional images. Teaching Artist and professional photographer Blake Nellis teaches this camp. Participants will receive a link to photographs taken during the workshop by the Instructor and professional photographer, Blake Nellis.
Ages 7-18
9:30am-12:00pm
$42
*A digital device with photography capabilities is recommended but not required.

Variety Dance Camp
In Variety Camps, participants will dip their toes in different dance styles and find new ways of expressing themselves through movement. In this year’s camp, students will learn Capoeira with Guerreiro, Modern with Jennifer Ilse, and Hip Hop with Cecil Neal. At the end of the workshop, students will show off their new moves in an informal showing for their caregivers.
Ages 7-18
12:30-4:30pm
$68

Multiple class discounts apply. Register at: register.youngdance.org.

Come join us for an incredible master class series celebrating Black History! This in-person event will take place at the Center for Performing Arts in Minneapolis, MN.

Brazil Arts Twin Cities is bringing the legendary Afro contemporary dancer and choreographer Elisio Pitta from Brazil. While in Minneapolis, Elisio Pitta is offering a 3-day master class followed by a dance performance.

Master Classes
Day 1: Tuesday, February 27, 6:00-7:30pm
Day 2: Wednesday, February 28, 6:00-7:30pm
Day 3: Thursday, February 29, 6:00-7:30pm

Performance by Elisio Pitta and Brazil Arts
Friday, March 1, 7:30-8:30pm

Among many roles, Elisio is the founder of Alujá Dance Company and Bale da Mata Dance Group. Since 2000, he partially relocated to Brazil where he implemented the CARDAN, Centro de Referencia da Dança Negra, directed the International Encounter of Black Dance, and created Companhia C-Contemporary Black Dance. He has created over 50 works of dance. Lately, he has been dedicated to the creation and circulation of solo pieces and to directing the Solos Coletivo de Dança Negra Contemporânea. Get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant rhythms and movements of Brazil’s rich cultural heritage.

Em Português
Venha se juntar a nós em uma incrível série de master classes de dança celebrando a História Negra! Este evento presencial acontecerá no Center For Performing Arts em Minneapolis, MN.

A Brazil Arts Twin Cities traz do Brasil o lendário dançarino e coreógrafo afro contemporâneo Elisio Pitta. Enquanto estiver em Minneapolis, Elisio Pitta está oferecendo uma master class de dança de 3 dias, seguida de uma apresentação de dança.

Entre muitas funções, Elisio é o fundador da Companhia de Dança Alujá e do Grupo de Dança Bale da Mata. Desde 2000, mudou-se parcialmente para o Brasil onde implantou o CARDAN, Centro de Referencia da Dança Negra, dirigiu o Encontro Internacional de Dança Negra e criou a Companhia C-Dança Negra Contemporânea. Já criou mais de 50 obras de dança. Ultimamente tem se dedicado à criação e circulação de peças solo e à direção do Coletivo Solos de Dança Negra Contemporânea. Prepare-se para mergulhar nos ritmos e movimentos vibrantes da rica herança cultural do Brasil.

Women’s Pelvic Health Workshop
Wednesday, February 28, 5:30-6:30pm
Cost: $45

Learn more about women’s pelvic health at Paragon Pilates and Physical Therapy.

This workshop will cover:
• Basic anatomy and function of the pelvic floor.
• Some symptoms of a dysfunctional pelvic floor.
• Strategies to help improve pelvic health.
• What is pelvic health physical therapy.
• How pelvic health strategies can be integrated into a Pilates based practice.

The workshop will include a lecture, a short Pilates class, and a Q&A session.

Taught by Dr. Annie Chesterfield PT, DPT, OCS, CPT. Annie is a women’s pelvic health physical therapist and nationally certified Pilates teacher.

Call or email the studio for more information.

March 6-April 24, 2024
Wednesdays, 8:00-9:30am

Price: $160
Pre-registration required – no drop-ins.
Registration closes: February 25
Register here.

Contemporary Forms
The core themes of this practice will include sensory exploration, movement as meditation, and engaging with the body’s intuition. In each class, we will move through improvisation and phrase work to engage the senses and awaken the body. Movement material will have an expansive, animal-like virtuosity. Over the course of the series, we will extend phrase work, using imagery and prompts from our research to explore individual choice-making. This series is designed for intermediate/advanced movers who are interested in researching their unique movement modalities in a space based in curiosity and joy.

Sarah McCullough (she/her) is a Minneapolis-based movement artist and educator. Originally from Virginia, she attended James Madison University and earned her BA in Dance and Mathematics. Since joining Minneapolis’ dance community in 2018, she has performed the works of Carl Flink, Mathew Janczewski, Alexandra Bodnarchuk, Berit Ahlgren, Helen Hatch, Marisol Herling, and more. Alongside her performance work, Sarah is an educator in contemporary forms. While at JMU, she served as Co-Director of JMU’s Associate Dance Ensemble where she led a weekly company class and mentored 20 first-year dance majors in the early stages of their collegiate dance journey. She has led classes at the Limón Twin Cities Intensive, ARENA DANCES’ Instinct Summer Intensive, The University of Winchester (UK), North Carolina State University, as well as several high school dance programs and studios across Minnesota and Virginia.

Please join us at TU Dance Center for a six-week GYROKINESIS® workshop for adults with Wendy Anderson. No experience is necessary.

Class Description:
Starting with breathing patterns and progressing into motions that mobilize the spine through arching, curling, bending, spiraling, and waving. Connecting with the breath, the movement starts to feel like a dance. Oxygenating the circulatory system, stimulating the nervous system, and opening the body. Exercises are done on chairs/stools, in standing and lying positions.

Six Weeks, March 6-April 10
Wednesdays, 4:30-5:45pm
$85
Online registration required.

Wendy Anderson has trained as a dancer, fitness professional, Pilates trainer, and presently Gyrotonic Trainer. She is an authorized teacher and teacher trainer (Pre-Trainer) of both Gyrokinesis and Gyrotonic. Having the good fortune of working with some of the most renowned Master Trainers, including Juergen Bamberger, Juliu Horvath (creator of Gyrotonic), and Paul Horvath (physiotherapist), Wendy has also trained on all pieces of Gyrotonic equipment! She trains all levels of students from highly accomplished athletes to the very beginner who has started their adventure with Gyrokinesis or Gyrotonics later in life. “Always amazed by the beauty, depth, and sophistication of this movement modality, and how people can benefit from gyro on all levels of their being.”

A unique exploration into the vast realms of horizontal and vertical movement/stillness. The workshop aims to cultivate a deep sense of awareness through mindfulness practices rooted in Buddhism, providing participants with the opportunity to come back home to the joy of dance. This workshop is designed for individuals who currently dance, used to dance, or aspire to explore movement/stillness as an art form. It is also open to anyone seeking to enhance their artistic expression through embodied practices. Everyone is encouraged to use a gentle and exploratory approach to movement, valuing quality over quantity, and promoting a sense of connection with one’s body through movement, dialogue, and writing.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
March 8, 9, and 10
10:00-11:30am
$10 per class, $30 for the entire series.
Attendance on all three days is recommended.
We offer a sliding scale to accommodate diverse financial situations.
Register.

Kei Tsuruharatani (she/they) is a transgender dance artist and educator from Osaka, Japan. She has performed on Broadway in Jagged Little Pill, The King and I, and Miss Saigon, and has appeared on TV shows such as Good Morning America, Harlem, and the Tonight Show. She has danced at the Metropolitan Opera for 6 seasons and performed with Eastman Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui in Belgium. With a B.A. in dance and theater, Kei has dedicated herself to the art of mindfulness education. Holding a qualification as a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction facilitator, she has diligently crafted and delivered programs that weave mindfulness practices into both everyday life and the performing arts. Her personal practice is deeply rooted in the Buddhist tradition of Burma.

“One of my primary intentions is to provide a workshop environment that is not only welcoming but actively celebrates diversity. As a transgender woman myself, I understand the importance of creating queer-safe spaces where everyone feels seen, respected, and embraced.”