Minneapolis, Minn., July 17, 2011 The Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts is thrilled to present a variety of dance and music this October. Minnesota Dance Theatre will begin its next fifty years with The Enchantment: 12 Dancing Princesses in The Goodale Theater. Dance artists from the entire community will converge for the 8^th Annual SAGE Awards for Dance. The Cowles Center is pleased to partner with Ragamala Dance to bring Indias Bharatanatyam expert Alarmél Valli to the Twin Cities. October culminates with Cantus presenting When Twilight Falls and the first of a two weekend run for the ever-popular James Sewell Ballet. An addition to this seasons schedule is our MEET THE COMPANY talk back series. Many performing arts groups will host a post show session discussing how all of the elements came together to create their work. This is the ideal time for audiences to ask questions and learn more about the production. Season two will be full of amazing local, national and international performances audiences will not want to miss.

Minnesota Dance Theatre

The Enchantment: 12 Dancing Princesses - The classic Grimms Fairy tale comes to life with themes of addiction, mystery and romance. Where do the twelve princesses disappear to at night? And why are their shoes worn-out every morning? Brave men risk their lives to solve the riddle, and win one of the kings daughters as reward, but only one succeeds. Join the princesses on their secret journey of haunting peril, and unimaginable beauty. For the past fifty years the mission of Minnesota Dance Theatre has been to create masterful and provocative dance performances that entertain and inspire audiences. National recognition for its innovative performances helped established MDT as the flagship dance company in Minnesota. The companys full-scale dance productions, featuring both new works and acclaimed repertory, are seen by over 26,000 people every year. Tickets range from $20 32 plus fees.

SAGE Awards for Dance

The Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance are given annually for outstanding achievement in six categories for work presented in the previous year. The awards are named in honor of Sage Cowles with heartfelt appreciation for all she has done for Minnesota Dance. Cowles, a choreographer, performer and philanthropist, is recognized for her dance leadership in the Twin Cities and nationally. Tickets are $15 plus fees.

Alarmél Valli

The recipient of the worlds highest awards and honors, Padma Bhushan Alarmél Valli is Indias foremost exponent of Bharatanatyam, acclaimed internationally for her ability to turn a traditional grammar into subtle and deeply internalized dance poetry. Her dance is uncompromisingly classical but is, at the same time, an undeniable language of self-expression. Considered the greatest living master of the form, she has redefined the boundaries between tradition and talent, inheritance and invention. Join Ragamala and The Cowles Center for Lasya Kavya The World of Alarmél Valli A Film by Sankalp Meshram on October 19 and An Evening of Bharatanatyam by Alarmél Valli on the 20^th. Tickets range from $12 - 32 plus fees.

Cantus

Acclaimed as the premier mens vocal ensemble in the United States (Fanfare), Cantus is committed to inspiring audiences with music performed at the highest level. Rehearsing and performing without a conductor or music director, the nine members of Cantus are renowned for adventurous programming spanning many periods and genres, including work commissioned specifically for the group. The Washington Post hails the ensembles sound as having both exalting finesse and expressive power, and refers to their music-making as spontaneous grace. At home, the Star Tribune said, Cantus is about more than stylistic accuracy. Their performances speak to the soul. Tickets range from $10 - $25 plus fees.

James Sewell Ballet

James Sewell Ballet was created in 1990, envisioning a close-knit company of dance artists willing to both challenge their physical limits and expand their notions about ballet. Two decades later, critically acclaimed JSB performances move and delight audiences across the country. The embodiment of the original vision is a professional company of eight dancers performing innovative work that explore the technical boundaries of ballet. Tickets range from $16 - $32 plus fees.

For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.thecowlescenter.org or call 612.206.3600. There is something for everyone at the Twin Cities home for dance and the performing arts.

The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts

The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts is the Twin Cities' newest arts center and the flagship for dance in Minnesota. Centrally located in downtown Minneapolis, The Cowles Center includes the newly refurbished 500-seat Goodale Theater; the Hennepin Center for the Arts, home to 20 leading dance and performing arts organizations; the state-of-the-art Target Education Studio, housing The Cowles Centers distance learning program; and the new U.S. Bank Atrium. The Cowles Center fills the need for a place that is a catalyst for the creation, presentation, education, enjoyment and celebration of dance and the performing arts in the Twin Cities. The Cowles Center is a 501(c)3 status non-profit organization.

Contact: Andrea Tonsfeldt

612.206.3631

atonsfeldt@thecowlescenter.org

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