Friday-Saturday: Dancer Alarmél Valli (pictured) "is a contemporary artist who creates poetry onstage, ancient poems that are timeless. She embodies each character so thoroughly." So says Aparna Ramaswamy of the woman who has been a guru to her and her mother, Ranee Ramaswamy, co-artistic director of Ragamala Dance. A leading exponent of the 2,000-year-old classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam, the endlessly innovative and expressive Valli has earned a long list of accolades in her native India and internationally. This Saturday she will give a rare solo concert at the Cowles Center. "Lasya Kavya," an award-winning 2010 film about Valli by Sankalp Meshram, will be screened Friday. Valli will also teach master classes and choreograph a new work for Aparna Ramaswamy. (7:30 p.m. Fri., film, $12; 7:30 p.m. Sat., performance, $24 [$32 for both]. The Cowles Center, 528 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 612-206-3600 or www.thecowlescenter.org.)