Minneapolis MOSAIC

Twin Citizens have plenty of annual dance events to look forward to, from the creative smorgasbord of Choreographers’ Eve in November to the Fringe Festival in August to the flurry of Nutcrackers in December. This month, locals can head to the Red Eye for four weekends of experimental work and emerging artists. Another June event to mark on the calendar is Minneapolis MOSAIC.

MOSAIC, presented by the city of Minneapolis, is “a celebration of cultural diversity through the arts,” says project coordinator Scott Mayer.

MOSAIC events run through the summer, but opening night on June 5 is special, featuring more than 40 theater, music, and dance events—all free. The theme of this year’s festival is “cultural fusion,” which informs several dance-based performances in particular, including a ballet by Ballet de Camara del Estado de Morelos and a commissioned piece by Katha Dance Theater.

Challenged to look outside its “normal sphere,” Katha chose to combine its kathak, an Indian classical dance marked by strong rhythmic footwork, with Robert Robinson’s gospel music in Soul to Sole.

A collaboration between acrobats from China and local CAAM Dance Theater promises to be equally inventive. African, Bolivian, Middle Eastern, and Hmong dance troupes will also perform. June 5. Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-721-2364, minneapolismosaic.com