Walker Art Center's 2011-12 performing arts season

Six commissions and a farewell performance by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company are highlights of the Walker Art Center's 2011-12 performing arts season.

"Commissioning new work is still a priority for us," said Philip Bither, the Walker's performing arts curator. "In terms of the percentage of new work in our season, it's higher than ever."

The season begins in September with a small festival of Congolese music and dance. Choreographer Faustin Linyekula brings his troupe of dancers and guitarist Flamme Kapaya joins with his five-piece band, Sept. 23-24. That is followed by Staff Benda Bilili, 12 street musicians from Kinshasa, Sept. 27.

October is a dance month, with Lucy Guerin, an Australian choreographer whose work will focus on a 1970 bridge collapse in Melbourne, Oct. 6-8.

Merce Cunningham will be celebrated Oct. 28-Nov. 6, including one of the farewell performances, Nov. 4-6, by the dance company that is closing down at year's end. French choreographer Jérôme Bel has created a piece for former Merce dancer Cédric Andrieux, Oct. 28-29.

Big Dance Theater's show "Supernatural Wife" is a Walker commission, Nov. 17-19, and Chris Schlichting will curate Choreographer's Evening, Nov. 26.

Out There kicks off 2012 with a commission and world premiere of "Unititled Feminist Multimedia Technology Show" by Young Jean Lee, Jan. 5-7. Lebanese performance and visual artist Rabih Mroué follows, Jan. 12-14 with pieces that resonate with the recent Arab Spring. Japanese writer/director Toshiki Okada brings three pieces about youthful office workers, Jan. 19-21 and Argentina's Mariano Pensotti concludes the festival, Jan 26-28, with multilayered stories about interconnected characters.

Pianist Vijay Iyer brings five groups to a two-day series March 1-2. Marc Bamuthi Joseph with Theaster Gates does a commission March 15-17, called "Red, Black and Green: a Blues," exploring sustainability.

The 802 Tour -- Nico Muhly, Sam Amidon, Doveman, Nadia Sirota -- fuses contemporary classical, folk and pop. They are at the Walker, March 22-23, with some of Minnesota's top string players.

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, April 14, features the son of legendary Afrobeat king Fela. Kuti, a saxophonist, is joined by his father's 16-piece band, Egypt 80.

The season's final commission, April 26-28, is "Futurity," by the Lisps, a Brooklyn-based indie-rock band. This is a musical that Bither describes as "one step to the left of 'Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson.'" The show centers on the American Civil War and early attempts to invent computers.