Ronald K. Brown, EVIDENCE & TU Dance Shine in 40th Anniversary Celebration

Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Ronald K. Brown is one of today’s most highly sought-after choreographers. Throughout four decades of creating “rapturous dance [that] is meant to stir the soul” (The New York Times), Brown’s artistic triumphs have earned several of the highest honors in dance, including the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award, Doris Duke Artist Award, and a New York Dance and Performance Bessie Award. In 2024 alone, he was recognized with the Martha Hill Mid-Career Achievement Award, American Dance Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Dance Teacher Award of Distinction.

Brown has created more than 30 works for his globally esteemed dance company EVIDENCE, and has garnered commissions from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Jacob’s Pillow, The Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater, Ballet Hispánico, Malpaso Dance Company, among others. Additionally, Brown inspires the next generation of dancers as co-artistic director of The Billie Holiday Theatre’s Youth Arts Academy, a beloved community center in Brooklyn where Brown took his first dance class as a child.

Brown’s “richly expressive and irresistibly kinetic” (The New York Times) work has mesmerized audiences worldwide for 40 years (and counting) since his inception of EVIDENCE, A Dance Company in 1985. At just 19 years old, Brown set out to connect audiences to the rich history and traditions of the African Diaspora and African Americans—reflecting evidence of people of color and their complex stories on stage. Aiming to uplift people’s spirits through shared humanity, EVIDENCE explores the human condition via music, movement, and spoken word. This philosophy is embodied by Arcell Cabuag, associate artistic director of EVIDENCE, whose journey with the company led to his evolution from a tap dancer to a master of Brown's African-based movement, and serves as a living example of how individuals carry and honor their history.

The phenomenal yet relatable dancers of EVIDENCE “bring a way of the body to the concert stage that audiences read, and embrace, as real, sourced in something folks recognize” (Dance Magazine). EVIDENCE tours to about 30 communities annually in the U.S. and abroad. The company performs, teaches dance classes, and leads lectures/demonstrations for all ages, focusing on communities with historically limited access to arts education. Each year, EVIDENCE reaches more than 30,000 people. At Northrop, the Student Matinee: Ronald K. Brown / EVIDENCE Featuring TU Dance, aimed at students in grades 3–12, will feature excerpts of works performed jointly by EVIDENCE and TU Dance, offering students an exploration of how music, culture, choreography, and history intersect and an artist Q&A.

Powerhouse TU Dance will join EVIDENCE onstage at Northrop to celebrate 40 years of transformative choreography by Brown. A St. Paul gem founded in 2004, TU Dance is “unabashedly the most generous dance company in town … [communicating] a profound and gracious joy” (The Minnesota Star Tribune) with its leading voice in contemporary dance. TU Dance will perform its soul-stirring commission from Brown, Where the Light Shines Through (2017)—a piece showcasing the company “at the peak of its powers” (Pioneer Press)—paired with recorded traditional music by Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba and other world music artists. Encapsulating the spirit of perseverance, the vivacious work captivates with a “Crayola box full of boldly colored costumes” (Pioneer Press) and polyrhythmic African dance movement. The dancers’ synchronized motion splinters apart in various directions and at different speeds, then seamlessly back together.

Additionally, TU Dance is copresenting and hosting a Community Dance Class on Sat, Oct 18. Led by Brown himself alongside Cabuag, this class is designed for all ages and experience levels, including beginners. Also catch an on-demand Performance Preview featuring Brown and TU Dance Founder & Artistic Director Toni Pierce-Sands, available Oct 27. Gain an insider’s glimpse into the dynamic collaboration with this moderated conversation, recorded at TU Dance Center in St. Paul.

In addition to Where the Light Shines Through, the Northrop program will feature two other transformative works by Brown: Percussion Bittersweet: Tender Warriors (2024) and Grace (1999).

Percussion Bitter Sweet: Tender Warriors is a sentimental commission honoring the iconic drummer, composer, and activist Max Roach. The piece spotlights the Afro-Cuban rhythms in Roach’s 1961 album Percussion Bitter Sweet, which “[radiates] both rage and transcendent elation” (Modern Drummer). This “fitting tribute” to Roach “feels like the ancestors have arrived” (The New York Times).

Brown’s seminal piece Grace was his first commission for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater—the very company that inspired his love of dance at age 8. A cultural treasure created more than 25 years ago, Grace continues to encourage and resonate with both audiences and artists alike through its sacred journey of needing, seeking, finding. Grace tells the story of Mother God coming to Earth with her angels and transforming earthly people through grace. The piece offers a universally divine haven full of “ease, intention, [and] a silken, unforced approach to finding new rhythms,” exhibiting Brown’s “masterful way of digging into spirituality, of giving it a hypnotic groove. The stage can seem buoyant, as if celestial bodies are dancing on clouds” (The New York Times).

Deepen your connection to the performance and its creators, to the Northrop community and the performing arts, and to your loved ones at Encore With Ronald K. Brown / EVIDENCE & TU Dance on Oct 30. This special all-in-one evening begins with an intimate pre-show dinner alongside fellow art supporters and the artistic leaders of both dance companies. Then witness the once-in-a-lifetime performance as these two powerhouse dance companies coalesce onstage (performance tickets sold separately). After the final bows, continue the celebration with an exclusive dessert reception. Raise a glass during a sparkling toast, savor delectable desserts, and mingle with the dancers to create lasting memories. Proceeds from Encore support Northrop Centennial Commissions, the creation of new works by exceptional artists.