Walker Art Center’s 41st Choreographers’ Evening will be as expressive as a mixed-tape
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A throwback to the 1980s and one of the most heartfelt ways to show someone you care is to make a mixed-tape, curating a collection of music from various sources, hand-selected for their personal significance. In the same vein of compiling songs, husband-and-wife choreographic team Chris Yon and Taryn Griggs have selected an impressive line-up of 10 local artists for the 41st annual Choreographers’ Evening at the Walker Art Center. Dancers, dance makers and dance enthusiasts alike can enjoy a post-turkey-dinner presentation of groundbreaking work that embodies the vast offerings of the Twin Cities dance community.Coming full circleGriggs says the opportunity to curate the evening came at the beginning of the summer via an email from Michelle Steinwald, who served as assistant curator for performing arts at the Walker from 2006 – 2013.“We were like, YES, that’s awesome,” says Griggs. The opportunity is particularly special for the duo because the first time they showed their work in Minneapolis was at a Choreographers’ Evening concert.A curated medley of dancesAccording to Yon, the initial inspiration for a mixed-tape line-up came from Kurt Vonnegut, who wrote each of his books with a particular person in mind. Infusing this sentiment into the evening, Yon and Griggs asked all of the choreographers to craft their pieces around a dedication—whether or not the artists chose to reveal this dedication in the program notes is up to the individual.While the concept provides a chance for artists to get really personal, Yon explains that “for some of them, it’s an opportunity to be even more mysterious.” Continue Reading