Reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance History
Stories are among our most potent tools. We need to unearth old stories that live in a place and begin to create new ones. We are story makers, not just story tellers. All stories are connected, new ones woven from threads of the old. (Paraphrased – Robin Wall Kimmerer)
Join ARENA DANCES every Thursday lunch break for new podcasts, hosted by Artistic Director Mathew Janczewski. This series will share the histories of notable Twin Cities dance artists and the evolution of the industry’s landscape through time. Each week will feature a new guest of honor, sharing their story and impact on this gem of an arts town.
— Our special guests this week is Colleen Callahan-Russell —
To listen to previous episodes, click HERE!
More about today’s special guest –
Published November 26, 2020
A St. Paul native and tap and jazz dancer through high school, Colleen went to Utah and majored in dance. She came back to the Twin Cities on fire with the idea of performing and choreographing and teaching dance in the schools. While in Utah, she was exposed to and embraced for the first time “modern dance”. She came back to Minnesota in 1979 with a renewed idea of how deep and wide dance could be and became an apprentice with the Nancy Hauser Dance Company and a member of Loon on a Log Dance Company with Joan Sloss.
Colleen received a Mcknight Choreographic Fellowship award, a State Arts Board Award, a Dancer Pool Award and co-produced many of her own concerts as well as being produced by The Minnesota Dance Alliance’ Summer Dance series. Her work was also featured in the Walker Art Center’s “Choreographer’s Evenings” multiple times through the 1980’s and 90’s.
At the same time, she was teaching dance at Minneapolis North High for 15 years and finally at Minneapolis Southwest High for 20 years; she also began and has sustained the Dance Educator’s Coalition since 1986 who’s mission is to increase the quantity and quality of dance K-College throughout the state. She is a recipient of the 2007 Sage Award for Minnesota Dance Educator, the 2011 National Dance Educator of the Year award through the National Dance Education Organization and 2014 Dance USA’s “Inspiration Award”.
Missed last week’s episode? You can find all our previous interviews by clicking here!