Archive

Off-Leash Area Presents Minotaur

Off-Leash Area presents Minotaur, in which we behead the patriarchy with dance, mask performance, live music, and live animated projection as we delve into the world of the violent and labyrinth-bound creature, half-bull half-man.

With Minotaur, OLA Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer Jennifer Ilse leads a gender diverse, multi-generational, and fiery cast to take audiences on a thoroughly interdisciplinary and utterly imaginative journey exploring the possibilities laid bare by the metaphorical beheading of the patriarchy. With this production, the artists ask: Once the patriarchy is laid asunder, and after knowing nothing other than a labyrinthine system of oppression, how do we know when we are free of a hierarchical system’s seductive power?

Dancers Nieya Amezquita, Gabby Garcia, Jennifer Ilse, Jesse Schmitz-Boyd, and Joseph Wurm will perform Minotaur with contemporary dance and mask performance. Accompanying the performers and immersing the entire audience will be a live music and sound score by Dameun Strange, and a live animated projection design by OLA Co-Artistic Director Paul Herwig. All together, Off-Leash Area will take the audience to an otherworldly space where ancient myth, dreams of a future, and our urgent present collide.

Thursday-Sunday, July 14-17, 2022
All performances 7:30pm

Tickets: Admission is $10-30, sliding scale.

COVID-19 Precautions: Masks required; N95, KN95, or other high-filtration masks encouraged. Audience will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test within 72 hours at the door.

Acknowledgements: 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.

Tango Society of Minnesota

The Tango Society of Minnesota is a member-supported, non-profit social club organized in 1999 to foster the genesis of Argentine Tango in the Twin Cities. TSoM established a monthly milonga which it still hosts today. It also encourages the invitation of bona fide, tango-teaching talent from around the world.

It exists now as an umbrella organization committed to supporting the community of teachers, event promoters, DJs, and dancers, to grow a thriving tango dance scene. TSoM is the face of Argentine Tango for tango dancers visiting the Twin Cities and interested parties from the community at large.

Wednesday, July 20
12:00pm
Northrop Plaza
Free

Live @ The Shed, Featuring “Au”

Back for the third consecutive summer, Live @ The Shed, produced by Hatch Dance and HoneyWorks, returns to the Lab Taproom, July 30-31, 2022, featuring “Au”.

Twenty-seven of the Twin Cities most vibrant dancers come together for an outdoor dance event choreographed by members of the cast along with artistic directors Berit Ahlgren (HoneyWorks) and Helen Hatch (Hatch Dance). Through analyzing each artist’s means of finding strength in the face of adversity, and considering the necessity for all forms of coping mechanisms, Ahlgren, Hatch and the ensemble contemplate how these behaviors shape who we are and how we show up for ourselves and others in trying times. A multi-talented and multi-generational cast bring their energies and experiences together in the creation of this new work. Program begins with works-in-progress presentations from members of the cast.

Featuring Berit Ahlgren, Helen Hatch, Hannah Benditt, Jeremy Bensussan, Alexandra Bodnarchuk, Nicole Brown, Morgan Cogley, Non Edwards, Elissa Fonseca, Kaitlyn Hawkins, Elena Hollenhorst, Alejandra Iannone, Gemma Isaacson, Juliana Johnson, Sarah Jordan, Kendall Kramer, Isaiah Langowski, Da’Rius Malone, Sarah McCullough, Kelli Miles, Jacob Nehrbass, Solana Temple Nelson, Sally Rousse, Tessa Russ, Hettie Stern, Darrius Strong, and Yuki Tokuda.

Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue

The Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue (“Precious Mother Earth”) is a Kalpulli (“learning community”) of Indigenous people who perform traditional Aztec and Indigenous dances from Mexico. KetzalCoatlicue pursues this spiritual, mental, and physical vocation with music from the sacred drum, conch shells, seeds, and other instruments. KetzalCoatlicue’s cultural learning center is located in South Minneapolis.

The dancers are rooted in cultural understandings of the environment weaving together the Nahuatl cosmovision and creation stories of Mexican ancestors. These presentations by Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue provide a basic understanding of the Nahuatl/Aztec representations of life through dance.

Wednesday, September 7
12:00pm
Northrop Plaza
Free

Ballet Royale Minnesota June Intensives and Workshops

Dance with Ballet Royale this June! 

Master teachers join our renowned faculty to provide incomparable summer experiences in a structured and focused setting.

June 13-30: Focused Training Program for ages 11 and older.
Audition required for dancers new to Ballet Royale. Unlike any other in Minnesota, this focused and rigorous day time training program is a great way to continue students’ progress through June! This program is for the motivated Intermediate through Advanced dancer who wishes to advance their technical and artistic progression through the month of June. It features a daily regimen of ballet technique, pointe class, variations class, Progressing Ballet Technique, stretching, and conditioning. Students will maximize improvement and accelerate their progress, which is particularly crucial for those preparing to attend summer intensive programs. This program can be taken in one, two, or three week blocks.

June 27-July 1: NEW! Student Choreographic Workshop for ages 12 and older.
This one week choreographic workshop includes both dancers seeking to learn and perform new works, and emerging student choreographers seeking to experience the creative process. All dancers and student choreographers attend daily morning ballet and pointe classes, followed by rehearsals to develop and learn new choreography. The workshop is overseen by a professional choreographer in the afternoon.

June 13-17 or June 20-24: June Intensive – Divisions I and II; for ages 8 and older.
This is a great one-week program designed for the student who wants an extra push through June. This intensive has very limited space available. Students will focus daily on classical ballet technique, pre-pointe, stretching, conditioning, and repertoire. On the last day the students will perform in an in-studio showcase. Audition required for dancers new to Ballet Royale.

June 20-24: Male Dancer Intensive for ages 10 through professional.
Unique in Minnesota, this week-long intensive program is for motivated aspiring male-identifying dancers accepted into Division II, III and Upper Division (advanced beginner through professional). Designed by former Professional Ballet Dancer Rick Vogt, this program focuses on strength, power, technique, and performance. These classes provide a rare opportunity for men and boys to gain invaluable skills and insights beyond those presented in mixed classes. Students receive individualized attention and coaching from the state’s foremost male ballet teachers. Classes include ballet technique, targeted strength training, and classical variations. Classes will be split into separate levels and limited in class size. Audition/pre-approval required.

For programs requiring audition or pre-approval, please contact the studio to schedule a private audition: (952) 898-3163 or info@balletroyalemn.org.

Fakoly African Drum & Dance Conference

After a 3-year hiatus Duniya Drum & Dance is bringing back Fakoly – an authentic, culturally immersive experience into the world of traditional West African drum and dance. This workshop offers hand drumming and dance classes for the community at any level and any age, beginner through advanced. Instruction is provided by professional master drummers and dancers from Guinea West Africa who are dedicated to sharing their knowledge of traditional percussion and movement. We have a star studded line up of Guest Artists, don’t miss this amazing opportunity!

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.

Friday, June 17
5:00pm – Youssouf Koumbassa
6:30pm – Naby Bangoura

Saturday, June 18
11:00am – Family Jam – by donation
11:00am – Beginner with Sana
12:00pm – Youssouf Koumbassa
1:30pm – Seny Bangoura
3:00pm – Baba Bangoura
7:00pm – Fakoly Performance

Sunday, June 19
11:00am – Naby Bangoura
12:30pm – Baba Bangoura
2:00pm – Seny Bangoura

$20/class

Masterclasses with Nicole Kirkland

Hothouse X Rich Gambino presents a master class series with LA-based dancer-choreographer-creative Nicole Kirkland. Nicole has choreographed for Prince, Iggy Azalea, Daddy Yankee, Nicole Scherzinger, Gwen Stefani, Neyo, NBC World of Dance, Rubi Rose, Kehlani and many more.

Saturday, June 18 at Hothouse
1:00-2:30pm: Intermediate/Advanced Hip Hop
3:00-4:30pm: Intermediate/Advanced Heels

$85 single drop-in
$150 two-class workshop

Space is limited; pre-registration is required.

Hothouse features a free lot and street parking.

Summer Intensive at Hopkins Dance Company

Hopkins Dance Company will be creating a new original piece for our Summer Intensive!

Monday through Thursday evenings, June 20–23 and June 27–30
In-studio performance on June 30!

Dancers ages 7–18 are invited to join. No audition necessary. Register at www.hopkinsdance.com.

The Arena – Moving Practice with Taja Will on Tuesday

Moving Practice is a weekly class series for professional dancers. Classes prioritize rigor, diversity of contemporary aesthetics, variety of class content, and commitment. Professional level dancers of all styles are welcome.

Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30am at The Arena
Taja Will teaches through June 21: Duo and Ensemble Improvisational Partnering. Class is a place for co-learning, collaborative training and meeting in places of creative focus, skill building and current fascination.

Drop in: $17. Buy a 10-class card and save.
Register
FREE parking on all side streets: Aldrich, Bryant, Colfax, 31st

Class culture: My pedagogy is grounded in healing justice and restorative justice at its foundations; this is to say all histories of power, privilege and oppression live in the room, when we don’t pay attention to them we maintain a status quo based on oppression. For me, giving voice and space to the practices of equity and awareness in creative/artistic spaces encourages the field to diverge from the status quo. Classes are open level,  you are invited, regardless of your experience in the dance form/style. Classes will center accessibility and inclusion for QT + BIPOC folks.

Class content: Drawing from my longtime commitment to Contact Improvisation this class will focus on duo and ensemble improvisational skills and structures. We’ll use somatic modalities to warm up awareness, and compositional instigations to encourage movement from small isolations to greater locomotion and possibly bombastic movement emergence. This is a place for us to gather and practice improvisational technique, awareness of our individual choice making alchemies, attunement to each other, and I will invite partnering that includes weight sharing and touch to your desire.

Taja Will (pronouns Taja/they/them) is a queer, Latinx (Chilean) adoptee, performer, choreographer, somatic therapist and Healing Justice practitioner based in Mni Sota Makoce, on the ancestral lands of the Dakota and Anishinaabe. Taja’s approach integrates improvisation, somatic modalities, text and vocals in contemporary performance. Their aesthetic is one of spontaneity, bold choice making, sonic and kinetic partnership and the ability to move in relationship to risk and intimacy. Will’s work explores visceral connections to current socio-cultural realities through ritual, archetypes and everyday magic.

Photo credit: Nanne Sorvold

Soften the System Feldenkrais Series with Pay as Able and Scholarships Available

An 8-week Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Series with Sarah Baumert
Soften the System
June 29-August 28
Wednesdays at 6:30pm CST and Sundays at 4:00pm CST
Livestream classes will be taught over Zoom.

Our instincts RESIDE in the BODY. 

The lessons in this series are not just exercises in relaxation, mindful awareness, or feeling good. They are ways to better know, experience, and understand your body. Most importantly they can help you develop the ability to settle your body whenever you wish.

These are not just tools that you can lean on during times of stress or anxiety. These are ways to practice what it can feel like to be settled. To get to know the sensation of a settled nervous system, so that you can return to that place when you need to.

This is an alternative view of what we can do to grow in how we relate to the world, to settle our own nervous system, to then be able to engage with the world and in relationships in a way that feels skillful, wise, and from a place of compassion.

We will approach these lessons as a call to action to recognize that in order to create change in larger systems such as our community, our country, our world, understanding our body and softening the system is an important step for that change.

See the links below to learn more about the course and/or register!

Pay as able available, as well as full and partial scholarships. Reach out to Sarah to inquire!