Native to St. Paul, MN, Berit Ahlgren trained at Minnesota Dance Theater with Loyce and Lise Houlton, and was a founding company member of TU Dance, performing between the years of 2006—2016. Receiving Metropolitan Regional Art Council’s Next Step Grant in 2011, Ahlgren studied the Gaga Movement Language in Tel Aviv, and shortly thereafter moved to Israel to pursue an intensive, yearlong teacher certification. Ahlgren transitioned to New York City in 2014 to obtain her MFA in Dance from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, developing ties in the community while teaching Gaga at both Gibney and Mark Morris Dance Centers. Returning to Minnesota late 2016, Ahlgren has been working as dance educator, performer, choreographer, and collaborator across the U.S. and abroad, using her relationship with Gaga as a lens to define her artistic process. Ahlgren established the organization HoneyWorks in 2019 to house her creative work, and most notably co-created “Live at the Shed” in 2020 with Helen Hatch (Hatch Dance), an annual, summer, outdoor dance production with a rotating cast of 25+ dancers from the community.
DESCRIPTION OF WORK:
HoneyWorks presents Cedarbacke, a dance project in 3 phases which considers the history of Minneapolis’s Southern Theater and its diverse neighboring community. As a trilogy work, this first segment considers the Southern Theater in the 1920-30’s as a central location for immigrants and first generation Americans to gather, sharing in entertainment and cultural exchange. Nine dance-artists collaborate and share with violinist Sara Pajunen, a playful homage to the Southern Theater and a recognition of the waves of cultures the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood has been home to.
IF YOU WERE A TYPE OF CANDY, WHAT CANDY WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?
“If HoneyWorks was a Candy it’d be a Bit-o-honey… it’s one of those candies that you can’t find everywhere, but you’re also not always looking for it, so when it’s offered it’s quite delightful! I named HoneyWorks after honey because it’s a sweetener found across ages and cultures, and I love the simplicity of a chewy little honey candy. But if Berit was a candy, I’d be a Pearson’s Peppermint Patty — my grandma’s maiden name was Pearson and I’ve loved mint flavored anything for as long as I remember. Keeps me cool and sweet at the same time;)“
– Berit Ahlgren/HoneyWorks
MASTERCLASSES
Daily, 4:00 – 5:15pm
- Monday, April 24 – Shane Larson
- Tuesday, April 25 – Cheng Xiong
- Wednesday, April 26– Megan Mayer
- Thursday, April 27 – J’Sun Howard
- Friday, April 28 – Berit Ahlgren
Tickets:
$25 Five-Class Package | $10 per class
Walk-ins welcome. Cash/check/card accepted at the door.
All Masterclass ticket income and Masterclass donations goes directly to the artists.
Purchase Masterclass Tickets HERE
FEATURED ARTIST PERFORMANCES
Featuring works by Berit Ahlgren (HoneyWorks), J’Sun Howard, and Megan Mayer
- Thursday, April 27 – 7:30pm
- Friday, April 28 – 7:30pm
- Saturday, April 29 – 2:00pm // Pay-As-Able pricing option available at the door ONLY
- Saturday, April 29 – 7:30pm
Tickets:
BEFORE April 23: $21 online in advance | $18 student/senior
AFTER April 23: $25 online + at the door | $18 student/senior discount with inquiry
Purchase Featured Artists Tickets HERE
