Mission

Shapiro & Smith Dance demystifies dance, providing an articulator of culture, an outlet for feelings, a forum for the exploration of ideas. The company is noted for its unique blend of contemporary dance and theater running the gamut from the searingly provocative to the absurdly hilarious, performed with breathtaking physicality and emotional depth. Presented by major festivals and venues, the Company has toured worldwide and been recognized by support from the NEA, NYSCA, Minnesota Dance Alliance, Minnesota State Arts Board, New York Foundation for the Arts, an American Choreographer's Award from the National Corporate Fund, and Metropolitan Life Foundation's Emerging Artist Award.

Programs

Shapiro & Smith Dance conducts an average of 25 concerts nationally and internationally. Since 1987, we have presented well over 3,000 performances in 18 nations and all 50 states. The company offers an array of residency and workshop activities for dancers and non-dancers. We have built international reputations as teachers, presenting an innovative mixture of dance and athleticism. Each year, the Company conducts a three-week workshop at the University of Minnesota and performs at other local venues. In the coming year, the Company will premiere "AnyTown" a unique project pairing the choreography of Danial Shapiro & Joanie Smith (Shapiro & Smith Dance) with the legendary music of Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, and Soozie Tyrell (the E Street Band). A multigenerational cast will bring this thematic, Dustbowl Era work to the concert stage. Inspired by the period between the two World Wars, when communities were broken and wealth was measured in human spirit, "Anytown" evokes the plight of regular folks, the daily struggles, life challenges, and deep intimacies that make up humankind.