The Walker Art Center and Northrop Present
Shamel Pitts | TRIBE
Marks of RED
2025–26 Northrop Season
Fri, Mar 20–Sat, Mar 21, 7:30 pm
Walker Art Center
For the final work in a three-year artistic partnership with Northrop and the Walker Art Center, award-winning choreographer Shamel Pitts and multidisciplinary arts collective TRIBE present the world premiere of the Walker and Northrop Centennial Commission Marks of RED. A work of magical realism narrated by and featuring the viewpoints of six women, Marks of RED continues Pitts’ research exploring Black embodiment, aliveness, and human connection.
Marks of RED is an Afrofuturistic meditation on the “womb space,” divining the effect that memory has on our experiences, senses, bodies, reality, and our imaginative possibilities. The multidisciplinary work includes scenic designs by Mimi Lien, projection lights by Lucca Del Carlo, and production by TRIBE arts collective. The fourth chapter in the RED Series by Pitts, Marks of RED explores the nuanced multiplicity and deep complexity of self-expression, and the perceived spaces for regeneration, enfoldment, implosion, rupture, and potential.
In 2025, Northrop and the Walker Art Center copresented Touch of RED and in 2024 BLACK HOLE – Trilogy And Triathlon with Shamel Pitts and TRIBE.
Top image: Shamel Pitts | TRIBE in Marks of RED. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Articles & More
“Curiously stylish and sincere, glossily cold and tender. Always visually striking, it’s never dull. But it transpires at a distance.”—The New York Times
“I know I’ve just witnessed a beautiful work when I leave the theater full of questions; but more so when I leave the theater with answers and clarity.”—Dance Currents
“Shamel Pitts, one of the most acclaimed dancers/choreographers of his generation and a shining example of Black excellence.”—Afropunk
“Since leaving Batsheva Dance Company, choreographer Shamel Pitts has been provoking audiences with multidisciplinary dance works that push against the boundaries of identity.”—Dance Magazine
“An Afrofuturist Trip to the Lunarverse”—The New York Times
“Why Shamel Pitts Is Setting a New Work in a Boxing Ring”—Dance Magazine
“Shamel Pitts and Tushrik Fredericks Negotiate Human Instinct In ‘Touch Of RED”’—LA Dance Chronicle
To Help You Decide
Create Your Own Package
Our flexible Create Your Own package lets you choose your experiences from any three or more in-person events from the 2025–26 Northrop Season! Subscribers enjoy:
- Savings of 15%—when you buy three+ 2025–26 Northrop Season events
- Early prepaid parking reservations—order when you purchase tickets
- Invites to exclusive, behind-the-scenes events
- Flexibility at no extra cost—get unlimited free ticket exchanges
- Our appreciation for supporting Northrop programming and Centennial Commissions! Your purchase helps make a difference.
You might enjoy this performance if you love(d):
- A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
- Batsheva Dance Company
- Shamel Pitts | TRIBE BLACK HOLE and Touch of RED
Know Before You Go
Event Information
- Performance Location: Walker Art Center
725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis, MN 55403 - Performance Begins: 7:30 pm
- Visitor Guidelines on the Walker website
- Tickets: Check the email you provided when you placed your order to locate your digital ticket. Be sure to check your spam or junk mail folders if you do not see them.
- Detailed Event Information: Check back for more information closer to the date.
If you need assistance, please call 612-624-2345 or email umntix@umn.edu.
Acknowledgments
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Marks of RED was developed at a Summer Stages Dance @ The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston residency in 2024. Marks of RED was commissioned by Northrop and the Walker Art Center 2026. Marks of RED creation is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Additional TRIBE commissioning, development and core operating support is provided by the Mellon Foundation; Arison Arts Foundation; the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; The Howard Gilman Foundation; Dance/NYC’s Dance Advancement Fund, made possible by the Howard Gilman Foundation and Ford Foundation; 92Y Harkness Dance Center; National Performance Network (NPN) Creation, Development & Artist Engagement Fund Project. The Creation, Development & Artist Engagement Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency); New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
