Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater (SPDT) is a internationally-recognized performance company that has been co-directed by Suzanne Costello and Stuart Pimsler since 1978. In the US, SPDT’s work has been presented at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Dance Theater Workshop (NYC), Jacob’s Pillow, and The American Dance Festival, among many others. Internationally the company’s work has been presented in Canada, Europe, Israel, Taiwan, Russia, and Bermuda. SPDT has been a Twin Cities-based performance company for over 10 years; the company has twice been presented by the Guthrie Theater, as well as in communities throughout Minnesota. SPDT is honored to be the only US company invited to perform at the Tanzmesse International Festival in Dusseldorf, Germany in summer 2012.

SPDT’s Community Connections Programs reach a diverse array of cultural groups, students, caregivers, audiences, and communities both locally and nationally. The company’s outreach programs have been cited as a “national model” by The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and its Arts & Healthcare work has been recognized for “best practices” by the National Endowment for the Arts. This year, with generous support from the Minnesota State Arts Board, SPDT will engage the Near North Minneapolis community affected by the recent tornado with a project titled Temporary Shelter.

More information about the company can be found at:  http://stuartpimsler.com/

Ragamala

February, 2013

Acclaimed as one of the Diaspora’s leading Bharatanatyam ensembles, Ragamala Dance seamlessly carries this South Indian classical dance form into the 21st  century.    

“Our work re-frames the cultural specificity of Bharatanatyam, bringing the eloquence of the form to universal themes in order to move beyond the personal and spark a global conversation. It is this focus that allows our work to transcend barriers of culture, ethnicity, nationality and geography and speak to a broad audience.
With each project, we aim to find a new way to answer the question of what it means to be a 21st century American choreographer working within a classical, Indian tradition. In an era in which innovation is so often seen as a rejection of the past, we are committed to the philosophy that it is vital to retain roots in our collective history while reaching into the future.” —Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy, co-Artistic Directors

Ragamala features soloist Aparna Ramaswamy, who has been described as “both iconic and explosive…infusing the formal rigor of Bharatanatyam with fluid spontaneity and rock star allure.” (Dance Magazine, “25 to watch in 2010”) and “an enchantingly beautiful dancer” (The New York Times).    The co-artistic directors were named the Star Tribune’s Artist of the Year in 2011 and in 2012 members of the company received McKnight Artist Fellowships in the choreographer and dancer categories.

The company has toured throughout the United States and abroad to such venues as the Kennedy Center (Washington  D.C.), New Jersey Performing Arts Center (Newark, NJ), Krannert Center (Urbana, IL), CalTech’s Beckman Theater  (Los Angeles, CA), Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (Sarasota, FL), Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN), Lied Center (Lawrence, KS) and Bali Arts Festival (Bali, Indonesia), Festival of Spirituality and Peace (Edinburgh, U.K.), and Soorya Music and Dance Festival (Kerala, India).

Ragamala will be doing a residency in February, 2013 through an Arts Tour Minnesota grant and the St. Olaf College Artist Series.

For more information about the company, visit their website at www.ragamala.net

Past Guest Artists

2011-2012

Urban Bush Women

2010-2011

Shapiro and Smith

2009-2010

Mathew Janczewski
Uri Sands

2008-2009

Eddie Oroyan
Peggy Paver
Robin Stiehm

2007-2008

Brad Garner
Keith Johnson
Brent Schneider

2006-2007

Christian Adeti
Lorry May (Anna Sokolow)
Ellen Keane

2005-2006

Lingo Dance Theater
Mathew Janczewski

2004-2005

KT Niehoff
Walter Kennedy

2003-2004

Jan Erkert
Joe Chvala

2002-2003

Joe Chvala
Barbara Thatcher

2001-2002

David Dorfman
Gail Corbin
Cathy Young
Chris Aiken
Wynn Fricke

2000-2001

Jan Erkert & Dancers

1999-2000

David Dorfman
Seán Curran

1998-1999

Art Bridgman/Myrna Packer
Bridgman/Myrna Packer

1996-1998

Repertory Dance Theatre, 1996
Keith Johnson