Art Hounds: Ragamala Dance, 'The Last Waltz' and Trophy Wife

This week on Art Hounds, Ragamala Dance performs "Written in Water," local musicians reenact "The Last Waltz" and women artists contemplate the term "trophy wife."

Rick Shiomi, co-artistic director of Full Circle Theater, got to see a preview of Ragamala Dance's latest production, "Written in Water," and highly recommends it. The piece is inspired both by the game Snakes and Ladders and by the famous Sufi tale, "The Conference of the Birds." The dance is accompanied by live music that fuses Iraqi, jazz and Carnatic instruments, as well as projections of paintings by Keshav Venkataraghavan. Performances are Jan. 27-29 at the Cowles Center in Minneapolis.

Art consultant Sarah McGrill will be headed to The Cabooze this Saturday night for "The Last Waltz." Inspired by The Band's famous farewell concert in 1976 (filmed by Martin Scorsese), local musicians take the stage to perform the roles of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and many, many more. McGrill says it's a comforting return to the hippie vibes of her youth, plus it's just a great evening of music. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m.

Kjersten Nelson teaches gender and politics at North Dakota State University, so she was intrigued when she heard about "Trophy Wife: A Collective View," a new exhibition at Kaddatz Gallery in Fergus Falls. The show features the work of seven women who, working together, have explored how labels both constrain and liberate. They've dubbed themselves "The Trophy Collective." The exhibition is open through Feb. 11, with a panel discussion from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21.