'JohnBrown'
Thursday-Saturday: "Radical compassion." That's how New York-based director, dancer and multidisciplinary artist Dean Moss describes the legacy of ardent abolitionist John Brown, who attempted to incite an armed rebellion among enslaved blacks by raiding the federal armory at Harpers Ferry in 1859. He was tried for treason and hanged. Moss explores Brown's influence in this concert about ideas of freedom. He is surrounded by a cadre of dancing teenagers, who are called "production assistants" but become the framers of this performance. They also point to the future of a legacy of struggle and self-actualization, of fresh-faced ideals standing strong. Moss evokes iconic images, including biblical sacrifice, in this show that was well-received when it premiered a year ago in New York. But "johnbrown" is layered with many elements, including the West African concept of sankofa, which means examining the past to get to the future. (8 p.m. Thu.-Sat. $20-$25. Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls. 612-375-7600, walkerart.org)
Rohan Preston
