Black Light a re:Search performance by Alanna Morris and Collaborators
Photo by Canaan Mattson
Fri, Feb 4, 7:30 pm
Sat, Feb 5, 7:30 pm (followed by an artist Q&A)
Sun, Feb 6, 2 pm
In-person and livestream
Presented by The Great Northern, The Cowles Center, and Northrop
Black Light is a multi-year collaborative performance directed by Minnesota-based dancer-choreographer, Alanna Morris (formerly Morris-Van Tassel) (City Pages' Artist of the Year, Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" and 2021 McKnight Choreographer Fellow). This work explores birth, creation, death, and life transitions while honoring noble ancestry. It ventures into the nobility of black-ness; the divinity of feminine creative energy; and the harnessing of sensual expression. Black Light a re:Search performance is a natural world-inspired expression of interwoven local and global identities.
Please note: This work contains frontal nudity and may not be suitable for persons under the age of 16.
Effective January 19, 2022 per the City of Minneapolis mandate, all guests age 5 and older attending a performance at the Cowles Center must show proof of vaccination or a negative test taken within 72 hours to be admitted to the theatre. Children under age 5 must provide proof of a negative test. Children age 2 or younger are exempt.
For the added safety of our patrons, Black Light a re:Search performance will have a limited seating capacity to promote social distancing within the audience. KN95 masks are required for this event and will be provided to all patrons at the door upon arrival.
Click here to learn more about The Cowles Center's Health & Safety Policies.
This decision was made in the best interest of our audience, the performers, and the staff by The Cowles Center, The Great Northern, Northrop, and Alanna Morris & Collaborators.
Image by Bobby Rogers
Alanna Morris (formerly Morris-Van Tassel), dancer-choreographer/educator/artist organizer, is a Brooklyn native and Saint Paul-based artist excavating cultural retention and fragmentation within their Caribbean diasporic identity. Alanna is a graduate of The Juilliard School and LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and Performing Arts (NY). Morris was a performer with TU Dance (MN) from 2007-2017, featured in works by Kyle Abraham, Gioconda Barbuto, Camille A. Brown, Ronald K. Brown, Greggory Dolbashian, Katrin Hall, Francesca Harper, Dwight Rhoden, and Uri Sands. In 2020 Alanna served as the TU Dance company's Artistic Associate and is a founding Teaching Artist at The School at TU Dance Center. As a freelancer Alanna has developed projects and collaborated with Idan Sharabi (Israel), Morgan Thorson (MN), Karen Sherman (MN), and Ashwini Ramaswamy (MN) and is currently touring Ramaswamy’s Let The Crows Come. In 2018 they were named Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch! Alanna is a 2015 McKnight Dance Fellow, a Minneapolis’ City Pages’ Artist of the Year (2019) and Best Choreographer (2019). They have recently been awarded a 2021 McKnight Fellowship in Choreography. Alanna is the Artistic Director of AMVTP, founded in 2017 to produce dance works that center the genius of the Afro-Caribbean archive, educational programs that bring wholistic learning and development to all communities, and community-building initiatives that give mid-career women Creatives resources to thrive. Alanna’s choreography has been commissioned by Minnesota Dance Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, Children's Theatre Co.; the Dance Department at Carleton College, and The Cowles Center for Dance. This Spring Morris joined the dance faculty at Bard College as a Guest Teaching Artist through Gibney Dance (NY). Alanna is currently an Artistic Advisor to Springboard Danse Montreal. Learn more at www.alannamvt.com.