Dance performance that bridges communities

Martha Graham, the great American modern dancer, once said dance is “the hidden language of the soul.” Dance communicates emotions without words and is a form of artistic expression that spans all cultures.

We’re lucky here in the Twin Cities to have a vibrant professional dance scene. Heading into the holiday season many families will go see a production of the Nutcracker and be dazzled by the soaring leaps and twirls of ballet.

But ballet is only one of the diverse styles you can see on local stages: There’s modern, contemporary, tap, jazz, hip hop, and even professional ballroom; there are exciting new choreographers pulling from the traditions of Latin, Irish and Indian dance.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two Twin Cities dance artists who use the language of dance to communicate deep emotions and build bridges between people and communities.

Guests:  

• Aparna Ramaswamy is executive artistic director, choreographer and principal dancer with Ragamala Dance Company, which was founded in 1992 by her mother Ranee Ramaswamy. 

• Karen Charles is founder and executive artistic director of Threads Dance Project, a contemporary dance company whose mission is to examine, expose and celebrate the threads that connect us.