MPR News with Angela Davis

Dance performance that Bridges Communities

Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom

November 14, 2022

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.