Exploring the Creative Process: Forming and Unforming

Paula Mann offers eight, free creative process workshops focusing on forming the unformed through improvisation, visualizations, musings, reoccurring ideas, odd interests, and driving physicality.

Saturdays, 2:00-4:00pm
February 1, 8, 15, and 22, and March 8, 15, 22, and 29.

To register, email Paula at pmann102@gmail.com.
All workshops are free with support from The MSAB Creative Individuals grant.

Floorwork: Conversations and Knowledge Sharing Potluck

Floorwork, a communal conversation and shared meal, was developed to hold conversations, knowledge sharing, and a supportive space for dance artists and people who like to move.

The next Floorwork will involve catching up with the MN Dance Task Force and exploring posed questions: “How are you contributing to a more robust and accessible dance field—ultimately creating resilient, artful communities? What do you need?”

Saturday, February 1 from 12:00-2:00pm

In-person at The Arena and over Zoom.
Suggested RSVP by January 31. Free to attend.
Attendees are asked to fill out a new RSVP form for each monthly Floorwork event.

Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 889 1480 2137
Passcode: 830770

Doma Dance Theater: Work-in-Progress

Please join us for a work-in-progress showing of our 2025 commission for the Candy Box Dance Festival. This work in progress is hosted by the Rusin Association of Minnesota and will be the opening section of their annual Alexander Duchnovich Dinner.

Saturday, February 1 at 2:00pm
Featured Dancers: Alexandra Bodnarchuk, Non Edwards, Odessa Rain, and Yukina Sato.
60-minute runtime including the showing and talkback.

Purchase tickets here!

Listening/Sounding Work-in-Progress Performance

Eschewing hierarchies of rhythm in performed dance, MDF (working title) invites a reconsideration of sounding values and an interruption of expectations of tap dance. Engaging repetitively transformed audio works, improvisation legacies in music and dance, and the material MDF (medium density fiberboard)—a substance literally made of discarded parts of itself; the cast of performers embark on a free and structured improvisation that honors their embodied knowledge and histories, while carving out space for individual and collective contemporary desires.

This performance will feature Lisa La Touche, Michael J. Love and Kaleena Miller.

Monday, February 3 at 4:30pm
Located at RESOURCE
Sliding scale ticketing from $5-20
Sign up here!

Also part of the series: 2 public Listening/Sounding workshops on Saturday, February 1 and Sunday, February 2 from 4:30-5:45pm.

The Alchemist’s Soul: Dance-Theater Production

The Alchemist’s Soul is a haunting and immersive dance-theater production created by Asha Rowland, reflecting the dualities of shadow work, avarice, exploitation, and conservation. The Alchemist, consumed by a desperate obsession to possess, transmutes their soul and spirals into the nightmare of their mind, prompting us to reflect on the consequences of actions and the balance between ambition and collective responsibility. The performance is 1 hour long with no intermission.

Friday, February 7 at 7:30pm
Saturday, February 8 at 6:00pm

Presented and Produced by Asha Rowland with Thanmayee Maddipati.
Composer/Music Producer: Stefon “Bionik” Taylor
Projection, Sound, and Set Design Technician: Peter Morrow
Lighting Designer: Alexi Carlson

Note: This performance includes flashing images that may affect photosensitive viewers.
This production is a part of the Red Eye Curated Rental Program.

Pilates Mat 3 Teacher Training at Paragon Pilates and Physical Therapy

Balanced Body® Pilates Mat 3: Enhanced Mat and Props completes the Mat training by adding rings, rollers, bands, and balls to the traditional Mat exercises. In addition, Enhanced Mat includes functional exercises for the upper and lower body, expanding the Mat work beyond the core to develop whole-body strength and flexibility. The Balanced Body Programming System is introduced to make class design easy, effective, and fun. Adding props to a Mat class makes them more dynamic, creative, and accessible—clients love toys!

February 7-9:
Friday, 4:00-8:00pm
Saturday, 11:30am-6:00pm
Sunday, 9:30am-4:30pm

Prerequisites: Movement Principles, Mat 1 and 2
Fee: $549 + $60 materials
Instructor: Matthew Hodge-Rice

The Little Match Girl Passion with Borealis Chamber Artists

Last year, over 60 people in the Arrowhead Region lost their lives due to the cold, homelessness, and related issues. The Little Match Girl Passion serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of compassion and supporting those in need.

Ticket sales will be shared with Chum, a nonprofit organization whose programs serve more than 8,000 low-income, homeless, hungry, isolated, or otherwise marginalized community members each year in Duluth, MN; a freewill offering will also be collected during the performance to support their vital community work.

Sunday, February 9 from 3:00-5:00pm
Choreography by Kayla Schiltgen with Borealis Chamber Artists.
At Pilgrim Congregational Church in Duluth, MN. This concert is not affiliated with the church.

Dance on President’s Day at Young Dance — Winter Dance Experience

Explore new dance styles with your friends! Classes include Family Dance and Dance a Story for younger dancers. Dancers ages 7+ (second grade and older) can take Dance & Photography and Variety Dance Camp—bring a lunch and take both for a full day of dancing! In this year’s Variety Dance Camp, students will learn Modern and Improvisation with Blake Nellis, Hip Hop with Waswa Kalema, and Jazz with Kathleen Pender.

Monday, February 17
Family Dance: 9:15-10:00 am, Ages 1 to 6 with caregiver, $15
Dance a Story: 10:00am-12:00pm and 1:00-3:00pm, Ages 4 to 7, $30
Dance and Photography: 9:30am-12:00pm, Ages 7 to 18, $45
Variety Dance Camp: 12:30-4:30pm, Ages 7 to 18, $75

PARADISE Film Screening at The Trylon

PARADISE is back! Join us for a special screening of PARADISE, the film.

Thursday, February 20 at 7:00pm
The Trylon Cinema
$20

Hatch Dance’s PARADISE, created in collaboration by choreographer Helen Hatch and theater visionary Jon Ferguson, is a dance film that combines movement, physical theater, clown, and music to evoke joy through a journey beyond the everyday. It features original music by Seth Conover and Joe Strachan, lighting by Karin Olson, sets by Ashley Mary, and rich contribution from the ensemble: Artemis Brown, Juliana Johnson, Kendall Kramer, Ayaka Moriyama, Javan Mngrezzo, and Genevieve Waterbury. Film director Andrew Hatling thoughtfully and poetically captured PARADISE during a live performance in February 2023.

Moderated talk back with creative team to follow screening.

All proceeds of the screening go directly towards supporting the artists of Hatch Dance.

Reformer 2 Teacher Training at Paragon Pilates and Physical Therapy

Balanced Body® Reformer 2 expands the potential of the Reformer with intermediate and advanced exercises and includes associated safety protocols and modifications. Reformer 2 also explores programs designed for specific populations including pre and post-natal clients, clients with osteoporosis, and clients with lower back issues. Class design, dynamic assessment, and correcting common dysfunctional movement patterns are also included.

February 21-23:
Friday, 4:00-8:00pm
Saturday, 11:30am-6:00pm
Sunday, 9:30am-4:30pm

Prerequisite: Movement Principles, Reformer 1
Fee: $499 + $60 materials, $549 after February 1
Instructor: Dr. Annie Chesterfield, DPT