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

The GYROKINESIS (JYE-roh-kin-E-sis) Method is a unique exercise system utilizing circles, spirals, and multi-planar movements to build strength at your full range of motion – creating functional strength through rhythmic, flowing movements. The Gyrokinesis Method is especially great for relieving back pain and increasing mobility.

Mobilize your spine, decompress the joints, and build your skill at sensing your body while generating strength and increasing flexibility. Exercises are performed standing, with a stool, and progress to floorwork when applicable. Developed by international ballet dancer Juliu Horvath, imagery and rhythm are used to move in new and unexpected ways.

Each class in this series will build upon the last. At the end of this course, you will understand the vocabulary, sequencing, and benefits of each exercise – and be prepared to take these tools with you into the rest of your active and daily life. You can expect to feel lighter, longer, and more expansive by the end of each class.

Wednesdays, 3:30-4:30pm with Non Edwards
March 19-April 23 at Sunna
$209

In addition to the six Wednesday classes, this series includes a private session with Genevieve Waterbury on the Gyrotonic Tower, as well as free drop-ins to Sunna’s Saturday Gyrokinesis group class! A $437 value! 

Virginia Twins Performance Group invites you to participate in a residential weekend workshop focused on improvisational movement, embodied awareness, and building trust with others. Our workshop takes place over two and a half days of scheduled programming. We will share a variety of exercises that are designed to cultivate attunement towards impulse and the experience of being inside a living body.

This retreat takes place April 17-20 at Big Raven Farm in the heart of Southern Minnesota’s driftless region. It includes full housing and amenities, meals, a ten-acre landscape, and the opportunity to step away from daily routines to practice building skills for living an active and engaged life.

This is a workshop for performers and non-performers alike and does not require any previous experience. It is designed to be amenable to all age groups and levels of ability.

Space is limited, so reserve your spot early!

Master classes are April 21-25, 4:00-5:15pm:
Monday – Alexandra Bodnarchuk of Doma Dance Theater
Tuesday – Shannon Hummel of Cora Dance
Wednesday – Joe Chvala of Flying Foot Forum
Thursday – Cheng “Technica” Xiong
Friday – Connor Berkompas of NERVOUS THEATRE

Master class tickets are $10-25.

A very special thanks to our sponsors: Sher Demeter and City of Minneapolis Arts and Cultural Affairs Department – Cultural District Arts Fund Initiative.

Registration is now open for Ballare Teatro’s summer sessions for both youth and adult classes! All summer session classes run from June 25-July 31.

Ages 3-9: Creative Dance and Ballet/Tap classes are offered as a 5 week session, classes happen weekly in the evenings.

Ages 10-18: Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, and Progressing Ballet Technique classes are offered on a drop-in basis, weekday evenings.

Ages 18+: Ballet, Tap, and Jazz classes are offered on a drop-in basis, weekday evenings.

See class times and levels on our website.

If you have questions about level placement, please email ballaret12@gmail.com, or call us at 612-225-4690!

Improve your technique and advance your artistry in a positive and welcoming environment with one of the top dance companies in the Twin Cities! Classes in our Summer Dance Intensive include Musical Theatre Jazz, Classic Jazz Technique, Ballet, Leaps and Turns, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, and more. Students may register for one or both weeks.

The Intensive culminates with our Collide Showcase. Video will be taken so dancers have professional-grade copy to use for future auditions and submissions. Local students are also invited to perform excerpts from the Intensive at the Minnesota State Fair in August!

Level placement requires a referral from a teacher or Collide company member, or a two minute video submission. Please send video (one minute Ballet Adagio with pirouettes and one minute Jazz) or referral name and contact information to Regina@collidetheatrical.org.

The TU Dance Intermediate and Advanced Summer Intensive is an intensive course of study integrating modern, ballet, African dance, and creative workshops for students ages 11-24. Click the respective level group to download the daily schedule: 2025 Intermediate Program Daily Schedule and 2025 Advanced Intensive Daily Schedule.

For level placement, please contact us at education@tudance.org or 651-724-9708. Placement can be done by attending an in-person class (by appointment only and a class fee applies), submitting a video link (modern and ballet phrase), or during the first day of classes of the intensive.

To register, please complete the four-step registration process:

• Please find the online pre-registration below under the specific level you are interested in and select a payment option.
• Make a tuition payment in full or by selecting a payment plan. If requesting a payment plan, please submit the Summer 2025 Payment Plan form and submit a 2025 Intermediate Summer Intensive online registration form or 2025 Advanced Summer Intensive online registration form.

Registration Deadlines:
Youth and Teen Intermediate Levels: July 4
Advanced Level: July 23 (single week registration available)

Full and partial scholarships available. Contact us at education@tudance.org or 651-724-9708 for more information.

The TU Dance Children and Teen Program introduces the joy of creative movement and beginning dance technique. Classes, divided by age, provide a comprehensive base on which to expand by developing body awareness, coordination, balance, flexibility, strength, and musicality. Click here to download the 2025 Creative Movement Daily Schedule and the 2025 Beginning Program Daily Schedule.

For questions and level placement, please contact us at education@tudance.org or 651-724-9708.

To register, please complete the four-step registration process:

• Please find the online pre-registration below under the specific level you are interested in and select a payment option.
• Make a tuition payment in full or by selecting a payment plan. If requesting a payment plan, please submit the Summer 2025 Payment Plan form and submit a 2025 Creative Movement and Beginning Level Summer Program online registration form.

Registration Deadlines:
Creative Movement: July 22
Beginning Youth and Teen: June 11

Full or partial scholarships are available. Contact us at education@tudance.org or 651-724-9708 for more information.

What is Tapestries 9.0? 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 9.0 Master Classes? The Tapestries 9.0 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!

Contemporary with Rachel Lieberman: Remaining classes on March 3, 4, 10, and 11 from 9:00-10:30am
This contemporary-based class begins with a structured, improvisatory warm-up and offers exercises and phrase work focused on directing energy and focus, controlled gesture and big release, and functional weight share and soft partnering. In her facilitation, Rachel aims to always center not just the “what” but the experience, the joy, and the “why” of dance.

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

Explore movement with award-winning creator Shamel Pitts, artistic director of Shamel Pitts TRIBE. This workshop will focus on developing physical efficiency, proficiency, expressive range, and clarity based on creative prompts. Participants will physically examine concepts such as embodied movement sources, aliveness within stillness, dynamics, speed, rhythm, and groove while incorporating visualization to discover their unique individual expression through dancing in a communal space. This workshop is open to all levels of dancers and available to participants thanks to a partnership between Northrop and TU Dance.

Monday, March 3, 9:30-10:45am
60 minutes long with a 15-minute conversation about what was experienced. Registration is required; $20 per participant.
Free for University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff; please email education@tudance.org to reserve your place.
This class has a limited capacity of 35 students and is not open to observers.

Shamel Pitts (Brooklyn, NY), a 2024 MacArthur Fellow and 2024 Doris Duke Artist Award recipient, is a performance artist, choreographer, conceptual artist, dancer, spoken word artist, director, and teacher. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Pitts began his dance training at LaGuardia High School and The Ailey School. He is a first-place winner in the National Arts Competition from YoungArts. Pitts received his BFA in dance from The Juilliard School and was awarded the Martha Hill Award for excellence in dance. He began his dance career in Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance and BJM Danse Montreal. Pitts danced with Batsheva Dance Company for seven years under the artistic direction of Ohad Naharin and is a certified teacher of Gaga movement language. Pitts has created a triptych of award-winning multidisciplinary performances with his arts collective TRIBE, known as his “BLACK series,” which has toured extensively since 2016. He is an adjunct professor at The Juilliard School, a guest faculty member at Princeton University, New York University, Wesleyan University and has been an artist in residence at Harvard University. He has received a Princess Grace Award in Choreography, a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow, a Jacob’s Pillow artist-in-residence, and a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow.

Co-presented by Northrop, The Walker Art Center and TU Dance. Contact TU Dance at education@tudance.org or Northrop at northrop@umn.edu.