2023 Artist Lineup
The 2023 artist lineup includes 14 dance companies and individual artists; both professional adult and youth.
To learn more about these artists, rollover and/or tap on an image.
Duniya Drum and Dance brings a high energy interactive cultural performance experience to your audience. We offer classes and performances in West African drum and dance for all grade levels and abilities.
DanceWorks Performing Arts Center was established in 1984 under Owner/Visionary Ann Proudfoot. During our history, hundreds of students have experienced the passion and dedication of the professional instruction that consistently puts DanceWorks at the top of metro area dance studios. Our team of in-house and visiting instructors are award-winning professionals who strive to instill personal confidence, self–esteem, and technique in helping each student reach their highest potential.
Tiyumba Dance Company is headed by choreographer and master dancer/drummer Fatawu Sayibu, from the northern region of Ghana. We are a traditional West African Drum and Dance Company located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. We are a multinational performance group. Current members are from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and the United States.
RTDG has been producing, teaching, and performing in and around the Twin Cities since relocating from the Pacific Northwest. He has extensive experience as a producer, program arts administrator and choreographer. Ray is the sole producer and funder of the annual Dances at the Lake Festival.
The Christopher Watson Dance Company of Minneapolis is a diverse, multi-generational company celebrating its 33rd season of performances. The company repertoire includes modern dance works by company members Becky Heist, Sarah LaRose-Holland, Jennifer Mack and Genevieve Waterbury, in addition to Christopher Watson.
Kinetic Evolutions dance company was formed in 2006 under the direction of Sarah LaRose-Holland. We are a modern dance company that performs virtuosic and emotionally engaging work. Sarah moved from Florida to Minnesota in the mid 90s. She has performed with CWDCompany since 1996. Sarah presented the Kinetic Kitchen and Kinetic Playground dance series for 10 years. She has worked with several independent choreographers and dance companies throughout her career.
Jawaahir Dance Company presents one-of-a-kind artistic and educational programs that showcase the beauty and distinctiveness of Middle Eastern dance. We are dedicated to presenting this dance as a living art form at its highest artistic level, to bringing the rich folkloric heritage of the Arabic-speaking Middle East to the theater stage, and to providing education about the dance in its authentic form for dance students and the general public.
Keane Sense of Rhythm is a non-profit tap dance company and school with an outreach arm. Our youth tap ensemble advance their passion, dance skills, historic knowledge, and cultural understanding as members of Keane. Our Tappy Hour™ program serves over 175 adults and we serve St. Paul public schools with after school programming. We have 26 years of dance education in Minnesota and our teachers are passionate about dance.
Sivanuja Balaji is the artistic director of Nritya Kalakshetra - Academy for Performing Arts in South Indian Classical Dance. She has been teaching, performing and choreographing for more than twelve years. Sivanuja is starting classes in Woodbury and Minneapolis, Eagan and Maple Grove Temple. Specializing in Bharathanatyam, depth of natyashastras, Facial expression (Abhinaya), basic exercise and yoga for dance, theory of dance, theatre performance, Indian folk dance.
Ashley Ballet Arts Academy’s mission is to enrich lives through the art and joy of dance education. Our youth performance groups, Ballet Arts Youth Ensemble, are a group of dedicated students looking to further their training and artistic experience with performance opportunities.
YDE strives to enrich the residents of the Twin Cities and surrounding area by providing an environment of dance training and performance with emphasis on artistic, technical, and creative content. Classes include preprofessional training for the serious student and programming for the avocational and young dancer. The Ensemble inspires the general public to better understand and appreciate dance in its many forms, to preserve and promote ballet and cultural traditions.
Anda Flamenco celebrates the art of flamenco with performances that range from authentic and traditional to playful and irreverent, and all infused with the power and passion that is flamenco!
Amanda (she/her) and Elena (she/her) began collaborating in 2021. They are dedicated to sharing their passion for movement through dynamic contemporary dance performances. Amanda and Elena draw inspiration from nature, paintings, literature, and music. This work explores community stewardship, our responsibility to nature, and the impact of humanity’s inherent desire. https://www.elenahollenhorst.com/amanda-sachs-elena-hollenhorst
We are Minnesota's premier volunteer Japanese Dance group. Our dancers perform at the Festival of Nations, the Lantern Lighting Festival at Como Park, and the Cherry Blossom Festival.