The local dance scene heats up a cold winter
Moscow Festival Ballet's Coppélia
Winter is the antithesis of activity. The cold weather encourages the use of immobilizing layers and makes staying under the blankets sound a lot more fun than going through all the hassle of getting up. Luckily for us, the Twin Cities sports one of the best dance scenes around, and there are a host of fantastic shows coming up for you to—at least vicariously—get in the spirit of movement.
Coppélia
Northrop Auditorium, Jan. 14-15, $33-$65
If you’re looking for the epic, it’s going to be hard to top this. The Moscow Festival Ballet is the brainchild of renowned Russian dancer Sergei Radchenko, and primarily performs masterful renditions of classical pieces. Coppélia is the story of a life-sized doll that is so realistic that it attracts the attentions of a local man, much to the consternation of his erstwhile love interest. Even if you can’t pick up the subtle intricacies of the story, the massive scale of the piece is impressive in its own right. It’s also rare to see a performance of this influential piece, so starting off your dance year with a bang is advised and well worth the price.
Battlecats and Kenna Sarge
Southern Theater, Jan. 14-17, $22
Since the earliest incarnation of hip-hop, dance has been one of its cornerstones, and it's advanced greatly since then. Both these Twin Cities acts are solid testaments to hip-hop's validity as a dance technique and its ability to stand up against more classical competitors. Battlecats' debut performance at the Southern is a presentation of choreographer J-Sun’s "The Way," a piece that includes MCs, aliens, and stem cells—a bit different from the more battle-oriented performances you might be familiar with. Kenna Sarge has been blending traditional West African and hip-hop techniques for years and brings a story that moves through history from West Africa to the present. Both would be potentially incredible on their own, so getting them together in one night is a definite don't-miss.
1/2 Life
Southern Theater, Jan. 28-30, $18
A piece about the survival of the body in a world of scientific research with an emphasis on the effects of nuclear technology might sound more like a cultural-studies thesis than a dance work, but it's par for the course with the BodyCartography Project. As heady of a topic as it may be (physicist Bryce Beverlin II is a collaborator), the globe-spanning company has a history of developing innovative and powerful works that leave little lacking in the way of dynamism. Besides, it’s going to be awfully difficult to worry about the concept being over your head when the dancers are doing things you didn’t think the human body was allowed to do.
Ballet Works Project
Southern Theater, Feb. 4-7, $26
The James Sewell Ballet company is practically synonymous with dance in the Twin Cities, often with added adjectives like "amazing." So it’s not surprising to know that last year’s run at the Southern sold out. This year the modern ballet company is back with an evening of brand new works including a collaboration with the equally magnificent Hijack.
H3
Walker Art Center, Feb. 11-13, $18
Brazilian modern hip-hop choreographer Bruno Beltrão started out wanting to direct films, and his works with the 10-member Grupo de Rua de Niteroi reflect a broad space-encompassing style that one might expect from those dreams. H3 originally debuted in 2008, and has been touring solidly since on the strength of its intricate movements and the innovative wiring of the stage to emphasize the sounds of the dancers’ shoes as part of the soundtrack. H3 leans very much toward the modern side of Beltrão’s work, but the breaks and pops are strong enough to appeal to even the most devout b-boy.
Minneapolis New Breed
Southern Theater, Feb. 25-28, $18
In late February, everything can feel a bit dull, with the exciting newness of the year fading under the endless gray skies and dirty snow. The Southern brings a welcome warming thaw, unleashing a blast of new works from three of the most interesting experimental dance groups in town: Lamb Lays With Lion, Mad King Thomas, and SuperGroup. Getting to see all three in one evening not only makes for one of the more exciting dance bills in town, but also probably the most bang-for-the-buck economical performance you’ll see all winter.
Bahok
Northrop Auditorium, March 3, $25-$36
UK choreographer Akram Khan combines members of the National Ballet Of China with his own company for this work that takes contemporary dance form and mashes it up with traditional dance forms from Northern India, focusing on the fleeting connections of disparate groups of people. This concept might come across as quite literal in the cast of international dancers, but that should quickly fall away as they move about the stage. Broad sweeping arm movements and a fast-paced, Bollywood-esque soundtrack make for a solid work, giving an epic and classical sense to a very modern production.
