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).

“From flamenco to classical ballet to hip hop, this diverse collection of artists will flood our stage with performances that are thrilling, imaginative, and unexpected,” Cowles executive director Lynn A. Von Eschen said in a statement.