Dancing their way to the Fringe

Penelope Freeh and Stephanie Fellner arced, swirled and swung their slim muscular limbs through space before settling into a quirky, intriguing love duet. The Minneapolis ballerinas were performing an excerpt from "Small Aida," Freeh's miniaturization of the classic opera, during a "Dance Shows That Got Into the Fringe" preview at the Bryant-Lake Bowl theater in July.

"Small Aida" is one of 30 dance or movement-based performances that made it into the Minnesota Fringe Festival this year, maybe the most ever. But choreographer John Munger, host of the BLB show, wasn't surprised. Despite the selection process -- it's a lottery, random and simple -- "there's a lot of dance in the Twin Cities," Munger said. (Munger's Third Rabbit Dance Ensemble, a Fringe regular, wasn't drawn this year.)

Also, for dance artists "operating on a shoestring, time and dollars are difficult to come by. So they like the Fringe because the house, tech, venue and ticketing are taken care of for them," he added.

Freeh, a dancer with James Sewell Ballet, actually got her start as a choreographer with the Fringe. Because the shows are "unjuried and uncensored," she said, but still formally presented, "I can experiment with material. The context is full of freedom and zaniness. It's a great ground that promotes sincere attempting. So I knew if I failed, it would just be accepted and not frowned upon. I had a sense of levity about the whole thing."

The random selection process has been kind to Freeh. "small aida" is her fourth Fringe piece. And she's dancing a duet with Fellner, a performer well-known to fans of Ballet of the Dolls. Freeh's also now on the Fringe board of directors. As to why dance has blossomed at the Fringe, Freeh had another idea.

She recalled, many years ago, "seeing a dance show at a church ... on carpet! It was absurd." Shortly thereafter, the festival secured venues such as the Southern, Ritz and Jeune Lune theaters. "So it happens there are a number of theaters now that are absolutely dance appropriate."

More dance also increases the chances of Fringegoers, especially fest-pass holders, putting dance on their schedules. "If someone has a festival pass, they're more inclined to take a risk, and that brings new audiences to dance," Freeh said. "If you see something magnificent, it's opened your mind to dance." This year, it just could be Freeh and Fellner wrestling for Egypt and the love of a plastic golden torso with the voice of Johnny Cash, as Verdi plays in the background.

Camille LeFevre is a Twin Cities dance critic.