There's a new dance craze, and it's called the Cowles

Can it really be true? After 13 years of sometimes-skeptical waiting and wondering, the Cowles Center for Dance has announced that it will open with a full season in its refurbished theater on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. The center last week released an inaugural season that draws from 17 Twin Cities dance troupes In doing so, the dance community has been centralized as never before into one 505-seat venue.

There are 94 dates spread from Sept. 23 to next June 24.

Many dance companies will be performing in a theater with twice as many seats as they have been used to in the past. Frank Sonntag, executive director, said the center's goal in its first season is to sell 50 percent of its capacity.

"One objective is to grow the dance audience," he said. "We want to put companies in here that will draw for us and for them."

Savion Glover is among those who will perform in a Grand Opening weekend, Sept. 9-11. Sonntag said representatives from David Parsons Dance and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater also have been confirmed. Jonah Bokaer, a former member of Merce Cunningham Dance, plans a tribute to Sage Cowles, who along with her husband, John, are the center's namesakes. Sage Cowles served as president of the Cunningham board of directors for several years.

The $1,000-per-ticket opening gala hopes to raise $500,000 and help fund the operating budget for the opening year. In addition to the national acts, several Twin Cities companies will do short performances. The same program will be repeated on Saturday, an event that will include 200 free tickets for the dance community. The public is invited to a Sunday afternoon open house, including tours and performances.

Everybody on board

Troy Linck, the center's marketing director, said that because of the diversity of the season, it was difficult from a sales perspective to offer subscriptions. He said packages would be offered to include four different performing groups for a 20 percent discount.

Ragamala Dance will be the first troupe in the space after the grand opening, with a program Sept. 23-25 that includes the premiere of a new work. Throughout the year, Zenon Dance has three weekends scheduled; James Sewell Ballet, Minnesota Dance Theatre and Mathew Janczewski's Arena Dances have fall and spring programs; Cantus Vocal Ensemble -- the only musical group -- also has three weekends.

"People are really waiting to see how the acoustics are," Sonntag said. "Cantus was brave enough to try us out the first season."

The Cowles Center for Dance and Performing Arts includes three buildings -- the newly refurbished Goodale Theater (formerly the Shubert), the Hennepin Center for the Arts and a new atrium that unites the two older structures.