Art Hounds: Dancing the experience of deafness

Choreographer Darrius Strong is a fan of Threads Dance Project, and recommends you check out the company's next show, "In the Margins." Strong says one piece examines what it's like to be deaf/hard of hearing and incorporates American Sign Language into the movement. Another piece examines what it's like to be female from a variety of perspectives. "In the Margins" runs Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17 at The O'Shaughnessy in St. Paul.

Donald LaCourse is excited for Katha Dance Theater's remount of its classic "The Hungry Stones." The dance is based on a short story of the same name by Rabindranath Tagore and tells the story of a young man who falls in love with the ghost of a beautiful princess and is nearly driven to madness. LaCourse is the founder of Ethnic Dance Theater; he performed the lead role in "The Hungry Stones" 25 years ago with Katha. He says he's looking forward to seeing how the piece has been changed and what the new lead dancer will add to the part. Performances are Nov. 16-18 at The Cowles Center in Minneapolis.

Heather Allen is a program officer with the Central Minnesota Arts Board. She says one of her favorite new traditions is buying holiday gifts at the Shop Small Crawl in St. Joseph. The event takes place in five local businesses, including a print shop, a brewery and a cidery. Allen says she's not a big fan of "Black Friday" but this kind of event — supporting local artists and businesses — is something she can get behind. Shop Small Crawl runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24.