ARENA DANCES

Choreographer Mathew Janczewski is wondering what makes small-town America tick these days. His "Main Street Project" for Arena Dances looks to make connections between the generations as well as rural and urban communities by reaching out across the digital divide. Janczewski pulls together movement, storytelling and video to explore his subject with sensitivity and an interest in preserving the past even as we hurtle toward the future. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., $20-$25. Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Av. S., Mpls., 612-340-0155, www.southern theater.org.)

CAROLINE PALMER

MINNESOTA DANCE THEATRE

Last fall Minnesota Dance Theatre premiered "Edifice Wrecks," a work centered on the burning question of "What if?" This weekend, choreographer Lise Houlton and actor/writer Dane Stauffer present an unabridged evening-length interpretation of this 2013 piece. As before, the work takes place among shifting set pieces representing the constantly changing world we all try to negotiate on a daily basis. This time, of course, it's dancers who are trying to find their way through a maze of choreographic demands and unexpected relationships. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends Oct. 12, $20-$35; buy two tickets and get the third free. The Lab Theater, 700 N. 1st St., Mpls., 612-333-7977, www.thelab theater.org.)

C.P.

MCKNIGHT

DANCER FELLOWS

The McKnight Dancer Fellows selected in 2012 and 2013 are a particularly exciting group, and this weekend they will reveal new solo works created as a result of pairings with choreographers of their choosing. It's always interesting to see familiar performers take up new challenges from the artists they admire. The selected dancers are Kari Mosel, Tamara Ober, Gregory Waletski, Taryn Griggs, Ashwini Ramaswamy and Stephen Schroeder. They'll be performing creations from local, national and international dance makers Lane Gifford, D.J. Mendel, Karen Sherman, Jodi Melnick, Alarmel Valli and James Morrow. (8 p.m. Sat., 5 p.m. Sun., $20, Northrop Auditorium, 84 SE. Church St., Mpls., 612-624-2345, www.northrop.umn.edu.)

C.P.