The Twin Cities dance scene was bustling in 2014, with notable performances, the grand reopening of the renovated Northrop at the University of Minnesota and a few days in the national spotlight as host for this year's Dance/USA conference. Here are a few highlights from stages big and small.
Morgan Thorson's "YOU" was the first show in Bedlam Theatre's new Lowertown space and remains one of the best examples of ensemble work this year. Even so, Jessica Cressey, who earned a Sage Award nomination as best performer, stole the show with her ever-so-sly style.
James Sewell Ballet took a couple of big creative risks this year at the Cowles Center with "Inferno" (nominated for an outstanding ensemble Sage award) and "Ribcage." Both works pushed the boundaries of contemporary ballet, as Sewell is known to do, but they also revealed a new and intriguing level of darkness and emotional extremity in the troupe's evolving repertory.
Ragamala Dance, led by Aparna Ramaswamy and Ranee Ramaswamy, teamed up with jazz saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa for "Song of the Jasmine" at the Walker Art Center. This thematically rich pairing of bharatanatyam movement and swinging grooves also earned critical praise in New York as part of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors performances.
TU Dance, led by Toni Pierce-Sands and Uri Sands, provided audiences with many opportunities to cheer, especially for the stunningly beautiful "Hikari." Presented by the Ordway, the world premiere featured Sands' always sharp and impeccably detailed choreography paired with Hawaiian print artist Hiroki Morinoue's dreamy diaphanous fabric set pieces.
Carl Flink and his fearless Black Label Movement dancers transformed the Guthrie's Dowling Studio into the bowels of a sinking ship with the remounting of his 2008 work "Wreck." The performance was a haunting portrayal of the final minutes before a certain death. Mary Ellen Childs' original composition added urgency to the performance.
Ananya Dance Theatre's "Neel: Blutopias of Radical Dreaming" filled the Cowles Center with the collective spirit of revolution by celebrating the power of women's dreams as shared through powerful movement informed by choreographer Ananya Chatterjee's passionate spirit.
Cuban choreographer Osnel Delgado created "Coming Home" for Zenon Dance Company at the Cowles Center. He revealed that the common motions of baseball — pitching, sliding, hitting — are surprisingly elegant when interpreted through the unexpected lens of contemporary dance technique.
