1. Rosy Simas Danse: "she who lives on the road to war." Rosy Simas' penetrating dance work and art installation created a mesmerizing landscape through sculpture, vivid video installation and François Richomme's inspired sound score.
Twin Cities dance troupes explored war, peace, climate change and humanity's resilience
2. The Walker Art Center: "Fúria." In Brazilian firebrand choreographer Lia Rodrigues' "Furia," an ensemble of dancers morphed through different configurations as they played out hierarchies and a sense of journey in a keenly political work.
3. I A.M. Arts: "Black Light a re:Search performance." Alanna Morris kicked off 2022 with a raw, deeply spiritual work that brought together Afro-Caribbean beats, glorious sensuality and an ethereal brightness, showcasing Morris' masterful skills as a dancer and bright vision as a choreographer.
4. Ananya Dance Theatre: "Nūn Gherāo: Surrounded by Salt." Choreographer Ananya Chatterjea's knack for evoking precise imagery through dance worked excellently in conjunction with composer and performer Spirit McIntyre.
5. Pramila Vasudevan: "Nipple Disco." With a set full of plants, a live DJ (Chamindika Wanduragala), and makeshift musical instruments, Pramila Vasudevan and collaborators Sequoia Hauck and Valerie Oliveiro offered a compelling meditation on mortality, trauma and our relationship with nature.
6. Arena Dances: "Thermal." Mathew Janczewski peered into the existential dread of climate catastrophe in a piece that wove together breath, fluid partner work and a sense of desperation, accompanied by a layered sound score by Joshua Clausen.
7. SuperGroup & Red Eye Theater: "Fine." Created and performed with technical skill and emotional endurance by Erin Search-Wells, Sam Johnson and Jeffrey Wells, with live music by singer and multi-instrumentalist Crystal Myslajek, this dance/performance art hybrid piece made for an evening of clever words and riveting dance.
8. Schubert Club Mix: "What Is an Instrument?" Darrius Strong and the dancers of STRONGmovement imbued an installation of white cubes — which lit up and made sounds at different frequencies — with regal elegance.
9. James Sewell Ballet: "New Works Project." Before he left for a new gig in Ohio, former dancer and resident choreographer of James Sewell Ballet Da'Rius Malone gave a divine performance in Sewell's "Northern Rites," part of the "New Works Project." Kerry Parker's "Holy," set to Hildegard von Bingen, also impressed.
10. MDT at the Southern Theater: The premiere of "Polaris" and the 2021 piece "Four Seasons" solidified Elayna Waxse's place as a Minnesota choreographer to watch. Meanwhile Alexander Hille, who is currently based in Europe but grew up in Minnesota, pushed the boundaries of what ballet can do in "Divided We Fall."
Critics’ picks for entertainment in the week ahead.