Zenon Dance School – Youth Hip Hop Workshop with Erin Sheppard

Erin Sheppard offers a great workshop series for new and continuing hip hop dancers who love to move. Students will learn fundamental techniques and choreography while expanding their knowledge of rhythm and movement.

This class is a great foundation for any young dancer. All levels of experience are welcome!

Classes are held on Sundays from 12:00 – 12:45pm. Class dates are:

  • March 13
  • March 20
  • March 27
  • April 3

For 7-10 year old dancers. In-person only; limited space available. Four-week workshop: $60 enrollment

Register today: https://conta.cc/3ekHNdW

The Arena in March – Moving Practice with Judith Holo Shuǐ Xiān

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
Judith Holo Shuǐ Xiān teaches throughout March!

Pre-register at https://www.arena-dances.org/the-arena/
Drop in rate is $17 with flexible pricing and free parking!

Judith Holo Shuǐ Xiān is an interdisciplinary choreographer, improviser and sound artist whose work is interested in engaging with the deconstruction and parody of dominant culture narratives and conventional performance expectations, and standing in allyship to communities going through persecution and discrimination in the days we are living in. She has presented works at venues including Fresh Oysters Performance Research (R.I.P.), Public Functionary, Bryant Lake Bowl, Tek Box, The Southern Theater, Intermedia Arts (R.I.P.), Frey Theatre (Twin Cities, MN) and 9 Herkimer Place (Brooklyn, NY). She has recently enjoyed performing for/collaborating with others including Dua Saleh, Valerie Oliviero, Leila Awadallah, Judith Howard, Rosy Simas, Sophiaaaahjkl;8901, Shayna Allen, Pramila Vasudevan, Megan Mayer, Emily Gastineau, and Erin Drummond. She is a 2017 Q-Stage: New Works and 2019 Momentum: New Dance Works recipient, and currently works with the Lightning Rod Arts Organism as a teaching artist and ensemble member. She is currently working on a piece to be premiered as part of Red Eye’s New Works 4 Weeks festival from May 26-28.

“So excited to share my practice of improvisation and collaborative decision making in the Moving Practice series! In this set of classes I will be focusing on the development and practice of improvisational scores, and what it looks like to allow them to be consistently generative practices that change with you over time as you continue living in them. You will be led through scores I’ve been working with for the past four years to warm up, and then prompted (either by direct text or conceptual/aesthetic stimuli or reflection on personal experiences as impetus, etc.) to develop your own scores in which you can continue to be in dialogue with and build skills to share and relay with those you’re in artistic conversation with. These classes will build on each other sequentially, but also be accessible to drop in for one at any point! Depending on the comfort of those in workshops there may be an element of contact improvisation/weight sharing.”

Dance Innovation for Seasoned Adults 55+ at TU Dance Center

Dance teacher Tamiko French has developed a program centered around revitalizing creativity of storytelling with the building blocks of dance creation that infuses the visual and literary arts.

The 8-week workshop is designed to be sequential for participants, with each class building on the previous class. From a first class in which participants will use poetry, prose, dramatic writing, spoken word, or other writing as a stimulus to create movement, participants will learn about modern and jazz dance techniques and choreographic practice, collaborate and share results with others, study facilitated improvisation and play in dance, and refine their work for a sharing event for family, friends, and the community.

This program is for adults 55+. Pre-registration required as in-studio space is limited!

Thursdays, 10:00am-11:30am CST | In-person only. $45 per workshop.

  • Session 1: March 17–May 5
  • Session 2: May 26–July 16

There will be a showing on last day of each workshop from 12:30-2:00pm.

Proof of vaccination and masks are required at the door for all participants.

TU Dance will offer tuition and transportation subsidy upon request. Please contact us at education@tudance.org or (651) 724-9708 to inquire.

Beginning Contact Improvisation

Have you been wanting to go to a Contact Improvisation jam, but wanted to learn some basics first?  This is the class for you!

Contact Improvisation is a form of improvised dancing that has been developing internationally since 1972.  It involves the exploration of one’s body in relationship to others by using the fundamentals of sharing weight, touch, and movement awareness.

In class, we will learn the fundamental principles of the form in a safe and supportive environment.  We will explore Contact basics on our own and with partners.  We will navigate consent, finding what our own boundaries are, practice communicating them and working with other dancers’ boundaries.  We will learn about the history, lineage, and development of Contact Improvisation.  We will work up to having our own Contact Improvisation jam in class.

This series of classes is for people who are brand new or relatively new to the form of Contact Improvisation. We request that people try to come to all four classes: this creates a consistent community and allows us to structure sessions building on previous classes.  For this reason, we are requiring everyone to pay ahead of time.

Please wear comfortable clothing you can move freely in and bring a water bottle.  You may want to have knee pads.  There will be some for purchase before class.

Class details:

  • Class will be every Sunday March 20-April 10, 4:15-5:45pm. 
  • The space will be open and available at 4pm.
  • Sliding scale of $10-15 per class

Location:
Four Seasons Dance Studio
1637 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Entrance is in the cobble stone alley.  Metered parking available, free parking on the other side of Loring Park.

To sign up, please fill out this Google form. Please pay ahead of time for all four classes via Venmo @Vittoria-Casagranda.

Covid Policy: Mask wearing is required during class, except when drinking.  Please provide proof of completed COVID-19 vaccination or may provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of class.  Please stay home if you have any COVID-19 symptoms.  You will receive a refund for that class.  If students do have symptoms or a positive Covid test, we will email everyone who attended the previous class.

If you have any questions or concerns for the facilitators, please email us at beginningcontactimprov@gmail.com.

Ananya Dance Theatre’s Upcoming Summer Intensive

Mark your calendar’s for Ananya Dance Theatre’s upcoming Summer Intensive!

Happening every day Monday, June 13 through Friday, June 24, 10:00am-1:00pm CST.

Classes will be available to attend both online and in-studio.

Whether this is your first experience with Yorchhā, or you have been practicing for multiple summers, we will meet you where you are to steer you towards individual excellence.

Yorchhā is Ananya Dance Theatre’s trade-marked contemporary technique that intersects principles of vinyasa yoga, classical Indian dance form Odishi (from the eastern Indian state of Odisha) and martial art form Chhau (also from Odisha).

More details coming soon!

Erin Thompson Teaches Advanced Contemporary Classes In-Person and on Zoom

A light-skinned dancer in her 60s tosses her arms in a curve to the left while she rises on her toes

Erin’s advanced level contemporary hybrid class through Zenon Dance School includes floor work, standing warm-ups, and phrase work, all designed to enhance the healthy use of joints and muscle groups as dancers release their weight fully into the support of the ground. Experiential awareness, body mapping, improvisation, and creative work are included as dancers channel their own expressive artistry within the movement. The delightful Dean Magraw will accompany on guitar.

Thursday mornings, 9:30-11:00 am

Registration is open through Zenon’s MindBody portal and closes ten minutes before class.
See you in person or virtually soon!

Studios for Rent at Hopkins Dance Company

Three beautiful studios available for hourly, short or long-term rental in Hopkins, Minnesota. Perfect for dance/exercise classes, photo shoots, filming, rehearsals, and more!

Studio 1: 17’x42′
Studio 2: 16’x28′
Studio 3: 29’x60′

Sound system and wi-fi available.

Hopkins Dance Company Ongoing Classes for Winter and Spring 2022

Offering in-person classes for all ages! Masks required.

Creative Movement for ages 3-4
Monday, 4:15-5:00pm
Saturday, 10:15-11:00am

Ballet/Tap Combo for ages 5-6
Monday, 5:00-6:00pm
Monday, 6:00-7:00pm
Saturday, 11:00am-12:00pm

Ballet for ages 7-9
Wednesday, 5:00-6:00pm

Tap/Jazz Combo for ages 7-9
Wednesday, 6:00-7:00pm

Juniors, ages 10 and older
Ballet: Monday, 5:00-6:30pm
Musical Theater: Thursday, 5:00-5:45pm
Leaps and Turns: Thursday, 5:45-6:30pm
Jazz: Thursday, 6:30-7:15pm

TEENS:

Ballet
Monday, 5:00-6:30pm
Wednesday, 5:00-6:30pm
Saturday, 12:15-1:45pm

Pointe
Monday, 6:30-7:15pm
Wednesday, 6:30-7:15pm
Saturday, 11:30am-12:15pm

Contemporary
Tuesday, 5:00-6:30pm

Tap
Thursday, 5:00-6:00pm

Jazz
Thursday, 6:00-7:00pm

Leaps and Turns
Thursday, 7:00-8:00pm

SENIORS:

Ballet
Monday, 7:15-8:45pm
Wednesday, 5:00-6:30pm
Saturday, 12:15-1:45pm

Pointe
Monday, 6:30-7:15pm
Wednesday, 6:30-7:15pm
Saturday, 1:45-2:30pm

Yoga
Tuesday, 5:15-6:00pm

Contemporary
Tuesday, 6:00-7:30pm

Jazz
Thursday, 5:00-6:00pm

Tap
Thursday, 6:00-7:00pm

Leaps and Turns
Thursday, 7:00-8:00

Musical Theater:
Thursday, 8:00-9:00pm

ADULTS AGES 18+:

Intermediate/Advanced Ballet
Wednesday, 10:30am-12:00pm

Yoga
Wednesday, 12:00-1:00pm

Beginning/Intermediate Ballet
Wednesday, 7:00-7:45pm
Saturday, 10:00-11:30am

Tap
Wednesday, 7:45-8:30pm

McKnight Fellowships Applications for Choreographers and Dancers Are Open

The McKnight Fellowships for Choreographers and Dancers annually awards three $25,000 fellowships to Minnesota choreographers and three $25,000 fellowships to Minnesota dancers. The program supports fellows through additional career and artistic development, including solo commissions, a fellows’ retreat, and other programs.

The application website is now open and accepting submissions. The deadline to apply for a fellowship is March 30, 2022 at 3:00 PM CST. Please plan to submit your application early.

For full guidelines and information on how to apply go to: www.mcknightdancechoreo.org. Program staff is working remotely at this time. To reach us with questions, contact us at mckfell@thecowlescenter.org

We are also available to consult with you via phone (by appointment) or email – but all phone and email consultations must be prior to March 18th.

To get the most out of your appointment come prepared with whatever materials you would like to have reviewed – artist narrative, resume, work samples. The materials can still be in draft form. Work samples can be viewed on your computer or on ours via a link. Know which materials are most important for you to have reviewed and we will start there.

Jerome Hill Artist Fellowships Applications Are Open

Text with Fellowship Information on a black background.

Jerome Hill Artist Fellowships support Minnesota and New York City-based artists across 8 artistic fields (including dance, theatre, performance, and more) who generate new work that takes creative risks in expanding, questioning, experimenting with or re-imagining conventional artistic forms.

This Fellowship supports artists who embrace their roles as part of a larger community of artists and citizens, and consciously work with a sense of service, whether aesthetic, social or both. Support is directed to artists who are at an early point in their careers in creating such work, generally in their second to tenth year as a generative artist.

The application is now open. The deadline is Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at 4:00pm Central time/5:00pm Eastern time.

Fellows receive $50,000 over two consecutive years ($25,000 each year) to support their time and expenses for the creation of new work, artistic development and/or professional artistic career development