Help ARENA continue to be a force in this dance community, providing strong instruction to new and veteran moving bodies, a voice for local dance artists to share their work, and an experience-creator for those who want to be moved, inspired, and motivated by live performance.
Support the 29th Anniversary Season
Premiere of Monument at the Luminary Arts Center – September 12-14, 2024
We kick off our season with Monument, an evening of repertory works at the Luminary Arts Center in the North Loop, Mpls. from Sept. 12-14. This showing features audience favorites like Huddle and, for the first time, remounts Navigations, a work Mathew set on Zenon Dance Company in 2003, along with a few other works to round out the evening.
DanceON Education Programs
DanceON is an in-school dance residency program run by ARENA DANCES for teaching and learning in dance, working from Minnesota National Dance Educators standards. DanceON aims to show how learning dance isn’t just a physical activity but also one that engages the brain, our emotions, and creates opportunities for students to learn and relate to one another. Structured through various residency options each semester, DanceON helps students build their technical and expressive skills, along with understanding how to view, interpret & discuss dance. By exploring, creating, replicating & observing movement, students will build their technical & expressive skills, and develop their artistry & personal voice in dance. Through DanceON, students have the opportunity to practice dance making, develop dance literacy, make connections within their academic work, work with communal & cultural resources, explore future career possibilities, and find passion for lifelong learning.
This past year, ARENA wrapped up activities with 3 schools each in St. Paul and Minneapolis, employing 6 teaching artists and reaching over 100 students from 3rd grade through high school seniors. We are especially proud of our Dance Pedagogy offerings at North H.S., training our future teaching artists. This initiative was greatly supported by dance specialist Kara Noble and Twin Cities’ own Rush Benson!
We are expanding our commitment to inclusive dance training by broadening our DanceON education outreach programs. This includes training more performing artists to acquire skills in dance pedagogy for teaching in K-12.
The 9th Annual CANDY BOX Dance Festival – April 21-26, 2025
9th Annual CANDY BOX Dance Festival: Celebrating its 9th year, the festival will offer masterclasses, happy hour performances, panel discussions, and more, taking place from April 21 – 26, 2025, at The Southern Theater.
Floorwork Round Table Discussions + Potluck
Formed in response to the community’s interest in gathering since 2017, and especially now following the closing of the Goodale Theater, ARENA’s Artistic Director has stepped up to assist in the widely attended Dance Town Hall. Additionally, the director is supporting the Minneapolis Arts and Culture department in shaping conversations and advocacy for the dance community. Keep your eyes peeled for a new advocacy group forming organically, as Mathew believes that, as a dance community, we are stronger together and need to share and lift one another up.
We are addressing the impact of the loss of many dance venues, classes, and opportunities for dancers, proving the value and impact of dance to all Minnesotans.
Studio Stories: Reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance History
Studio Stories – Reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance History: Now entering its 14th season, we continue to fill gaps in Minnesota’s dance history by gathering oral histories from many impactful dance artists and teachers, We have over 150 episodes to date.
This unique podcast series aims to collect and share the stories of Twin Cities artists who have made an impact on the legacy of this big dance town. Host Mathew Janczewski sits down with a different artist each week to learn about their past, present, and future. Studio Stories airs weekly at noon on Thursdays – hear the full archive and listen to new episodes each week on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about Studio Stories.
Palm Springs snowBIRD Creative Retreat
We are furthering our research from our wonderful Palm Springs snowBIRD creative retreat for our next choreographic adventure, entitled Only the perverse fantasy can still save us. This project features an intimate cast and is part of a special commission, which we are not allowed to share at this time.
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS
Your financial support has contributed to all aspects of our work—from artists’ salaries for rehearsing, teaching, and performing to booking venues and commissioning creatives for music, costumes, and lighting design to further our choreographic explorations. We are grateful for your continued support and for being a vital part of the artistic force in the Twin Cities.
Based on Calendar Year. Last Updated August 8, 2024.
BENEFACTOR ($10,000+):
Sher Demeter
SUSTAINER ($5,000+):
Amy von Walter
SPONSOR ($2,500+):
Heather & Kent Pilakowski, Rick Schaefer
LEADER ($1,000+):
Mark Addicks & Tom Hoch, Leigh Dillard, Milo Pinkerton & Virgil Taus
PROMOTER ($500-999):
Neal Jahren, Jerry Lee & Don Ofestdal
SUPPORTER ($250-499):
Kerry Keen & Nina Ebbighausen, Ron Lotz & Randy Hartten, Wendy Holmes & David Frank, Kelley Lindquist, Emily Maltz – Dale Schatzlein and Emily Maltz Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation, Caryn & Ron Miles, Matthew & Laura Murphy, Steve & Jenni Norlin Weaver
COMMUNITY PARTNER ($100-249):
Mark Davis, Mary Hansmeyer, Rebecca Heist, Heather Klopchin, William & Betsy Maloney Leaf, Sandy Simmons & Kevin Kunz, Frank Rhame & Beverly Christie, Tyler & Amy Thomson, Bethany Whitehead
ARENA DANCES is a non-profit organization with tax-exempt, 501(c)3 status and as such, all contributions are tax-deductible.