Summer Dance Classes
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Stay active, learn something new, AND sleep in a bit!
Independently-organized, passionate teachers provide a wealth of knowledge on various forms of dance.
Donation-based. Come dance with us and give what you can.
10-11:30am
Cowles Center, 2nd floor
We currently accept cash or check at the door, but are investigating other means of giving. Any donation via PayPal will go directly toward space rental costs, meaning more of the donations received at class time will go directly toward the instructors!
Featured Artists
Born and raised in St. Paul, MN, Kerry spent her early years dancing with Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Vienna State Opera Ballet and Ballet of the Dolls. She freelanced in New York for almost a decade working with Avila/Weeks Dance, Arianne Anthony & Co and Ancient of Days Dance Theater. Her own work has been presented by On The Boards, West Wave Festival, Minneapolis Fringe Festival and barebones dance project, which is a performance series she co-founded with Gregory Grube and Kiro Kopolous in Madison, Wisconsin. She currently dances with Deborah Jinza Thayer/Movement Architecture. Kerry teaches all levels of ballet to all ages of people and is certified in the Gyrotonic Expansion System.
Eve Schulte is a dance performer and instructor based in Minneapolis, MN. She grew up training in ballet and modern at Minnesota Dance Theatre, and transitioned to company member in 2007. In 2009, she joined James Sewell Ballet. She also frequently collaborates with Live Action Set, most recently co-directing Unset, a foray into improvised, movement-based audience interaction. In the summertime, she teaches at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and has twice served as co-director for their International Ballet Ensemble, which had her teaching and showing work with American dance students in France, Germany, and Denmark. Her choreographic feat, Any Offered None (premiered in JSB's Ballet Works Project 2016), was nominated for a MN Sage Award for Outstanding Performance. Eve also holds a B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota.
Native to Minneapolis, Berit Ahlgren gained her foundational dance training from Minnesota Dance Theater, received a BFA in Dance from St. Olaf College, and an MFA from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. Receiving Minneapolis Regional Arts Council’s Next Step Grant in 2011, Ahlgren had the opportunity to study the Gaga Movement Language in Tel Aviv, and moved permanently to Israel to pursue a teacher certification between 2011-2012. Upon return to the U.S., she established the Twin Cities Gaga community, and teaches Gaga/dancer and Gaga/people classes regularly at both TU Dance and Zenon Dance, while holding positions on faculty and guest instructing at the University of Minnesota, Carleton College, St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Paul Conservatory of Performing Artists, Wesleyan University, and teaching abroad in Sweden and Israel.
In the last year, Non Edwards has worked with HIJACK, Mathew Janczewski, April Sellers, Deborah Jinza Thayer, Morgan Thorson, and Laurie Van Wieren. Her personal practice includes yoga, somatic exercise, modern, improvisation, video, and vocalization. It is her goal to empower others to craft their own best practice by providing information, experiments, and space. Her Bastard Practice classes will include a mix of Skinner, improvisation, and vocalization.
Brian J. Evans is a Professional Performing Human. He has jig-sawed a career of teaching in public and private institutions, working with healthcare providers in the US and abroad, performing as singer, actor, dancer in churches, theaters, basements, outdoor stages, any space provided that encourages the arts to thrive. Primarily as a principle dancer and musical director for Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, Evans has continued to investigate the idea that connections exist between us all and it's the responsibility of the Arts to rediscover those connections, highlight them and allow us to feel holistically human. His Bold & Beautiful classes will investigate bold choices--how to make them, what stops us from making them, and how they can be employed to better get the point across. A highly physical contemplation!
Penelope Freeh is a Twin Cities-based dancer, choreographer, teacher and writer. She was a member of James Sewell Ballet for seventeen where she served as Artistic Associate from 2007 – 11. She is a two-time McKnight Artist Fellowship for Choreographers and a Sage Awardee for Outstanding Performer. She teaches at the U of MN, The St. Paul Conservatory, Zenon and TU Dance.
Penelope’s class takes the student from barre to center thoughtfully, with awareness toward building upon steps using breath and energy patterns. It is catered to those in the room, bringing the group forward together yet providing individual attention and encouragement. It is a sweaty, joyful blast.
Deanna Gooding has been in the Twin Cities for two and a half years where, in addition to dancing with James Sewell Ballet, she enjoys spending time being creative. She started dancing at Londonderry Dance Academy in New Hampshire. After high school Deanna studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance under the direction of Summer Lee Rhatigan.
Helen Hatch is a dancer and choreographer based in Minneapolis. A Minnesota native, Helen graduated Cum Laude with Dance Department Honors from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program in New York. She has also trained at the LINES Ballet School and at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2011, Helen returned home to join Minnesota Dance Theatre (MDT). While at MDT, Helen has been fortunate to perform diverse of repertory ranging from classical to contemporary including works by Loyce and Lise Houlton, Christopher Bruce, Glen Tetley, Eliot Feld, Adam Barruch, Jose Limon, Wynn Fricke, Emery LeCrone and many others. She has also performed with the Lara Wilson Dance Project, Sally Rousse, Noah Bremer, and Katharine Hawthorne. Helen’s choreography has been presented at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, the 2011 Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Festival, the MN Fringe Festival, throughout Mexico and Guatemala by the Juntos Collective, and most recently at Minnesota Dance Theatre. In 2012, Minnesota Monthly named her one of their “10 Artists to Watch” stating that she “embod[ies] ballet’s tension between technique and emotion. In her own choreography, blending ballet with vigorous American movement, this edginess leaves you breathless”.
Jordan Lefton is a native of West Palm Beach where he started dancing at the age of five. He attended Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts and Graduated from The Juilliard School in 2015. Jordan has been dancing professionally for two years with James Sewell Ballet.
Erinn Liebhard (MFA University of Colorado Boulder, BFA University of Minnesota) is a dance artist making opportunities for people to experience the connective and reflective power of groove. Guided by a fondness for jazz and the American vernacular, her work in dance has ranged from from Appalachian (Wild Goose Chase Cloggers) to Urban (Rennie Harris). She is active in education (Winona State University and Teaching Artist roster for the Cowles Center), performance (Artistic Director: Rhythmically Speaking, Choreographer: independent projects, Performer: Contempo Physical Dance, character entertainer “Nerdette” for Saint Paul Saints Baseball’s Entertainment Team, Enticing Entertainment and freelance work) and scholarship. Erinn is grateful her career allows her to contribute to others through embodying groove.
Best known to the Twin Cities dance community as co-founder and dancer with James Sewell Ballet, Sally has spent the past 45 years engaged with daily dance class, incorporating Reiki, Brain Gym©, Contact/Improvisation, and ballet. She has performed internationally as a leading dancer with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Ballet Chicago, and as a Guest Artist, dancing works by Maurice Béjart, Jiri Kylian, and over 75 new works created on her by contemporary and post-modern choreographers. She choreographs, teaches, curates, writes, and advocates for dance and raises her two children in Minneapolis.
Elayna Waxse is a performer, educator, and creator based in the Twin Cities. Originally from Overland Park, Kansas, Elayna received her formal training in the Professional Division program at Pacific Northwest Ballet School (Seattle), where she frequently performed with the company. Currently in her fifth season with TU Dance, Elayna has also performed with Minnesota Dance Theatre, Colorado Ballet, Black Label Movement, BodyCartography Project, and with Cie. Ismael Ivo at ImPulsTanz Vienna International Dance Festival.
