Alarmél Valli, a master of Bharatanatyam classical Indian dance and a teacher of some of its brightest exponents, will kick off the 2017-18 season at the Cowles Center. For years, Valli has taught members of the Ramaswamy family, who founded and grew Twin Cities-based Ragamala Dance Company to be one of the nation's best Bharatanatyam companies. The concert by Valli (pictured) and presented by presented by Ragamala (Sept. 14 & 16), is a highlight in a dance season that includes the Twin Cities Tap Festival (Oct. 27-29), the contemporary dance of the Karen L. Charles' Threads Dance Project (Nov. 3-4) and the 35th anniversary concert of Zenon Dance Company (Nov. 10-19).
Choreographer Myron Johnson's inventive and witty take on the Nutcracker craze, "Nutcracker (Not So) Suite," anchors the holiday spot (Dec. 15-30).
The Cowles line-up also includes Minnesota Dance Theatre's revival of "Carmina Burana" (Jan. 19-21, 2018) as well as a new show by Contempo Physical Dance, which mixes African, Brazilian and contemporary influences. That work, "Vulcão," is named for the Portuguese word for volcano (Feb. 16-17, 2018).
Contempo will be followed by Ballet Minnesota, which is doing a dance celebration of Beethoven's 9th Symphony (Feb. 23-24, 2018) while, not to be confused, Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota will premiere a show of movement set to music from another world altogether. The company will be doing "Pink Floyd's The Wall: A Rock Ballet" (March 1-3).
Back to this world, the St Paul Ballet will have its fifth anniversary concert March 9-10, 2018, at the Cowles.
Popular, explosive hip-hop-influenced company Curio Dance will return to the Cowles with "Drop the Mic: Metamorphosized," a suite on transformative movement (March 16-18, 2018).
Curio's engagement will be followed by the spring seasons of mainstay companies such as Shapiro & Smith Dance (March 30-31, 2018); Zorongo Flamenco (April 6-15, 2018); Minnesota Dance Theatre (April 20-22, 2018); Ragamala (April 26-28, 2018); and Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater (May 11-13, 2018).
The hip-hop, urban outfit Mixtape offers the penultimate show in the line-up (May 18-20, 2018) while veteran ballet dancer Sally Rousse caps the season with her show of "Masonic Temple Dances" (June 14, 2018).
