Art Hounds: We don’t need no stinking tutus

There's enough dance out there this weekend to make even a ballerina's head spin... and yet not a single nutcracker in site.

Interested in trying out a dance concert, but haven't figured out yet which kind you prefer? Choreographers in Accord (CIA) present 8 @ 8, a smorgasbord of dance by eight different companies, including modern, ballet, belly dancing and flamenco.

Meanwhile, Ananya Dance Theatre presents the third and final concert in a trilogy exploring the effects of global warming and pollution on the planet. "Ashesh Barsha, Unending Monsoon," is a danced response to the overconsumption of electricity, energy, and natural resources. (Tip: check back here later today for a more in-depth report on this concert)

Local troupe Hijack joins forces with choreographer Scotty Heron to present SmithsonianSmith, the dancers' latest attempt at being even more "radical." In describing their work, they write:

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We bounce to the bouncy music. We smash beer cans on our foreheads and bellies like frat boys. We glue-gun these cans into a Mardi Gras-worthy headdress. We are insects, drunk on nectar and having sex with plastic flowers. We are cleaning up after an oil spill on the Mississippi using absorbent pompoms and wearing cardboard boxes on our heads as sun shields.

Finally, British choreographer Wayne McGregor brings his dancers to Northrup Auditorium Friday night to perform "Entity." Based on collaborative research with psychologists, neuroscientists, and software engineers, "Entity" attempts to convey the complex relationship between the brain and the moving body.

Dance just not doing it for you? How about a music festival in downtown St. Paul? How about a festival celebrating the food and culture of Greece? Or India? Maybe pottery is more your thing? Or an art sale where nothing costs more than $99? How about spoken word?

Still not finding what you're looking for? (geez, you're picky) Check out what these art hounds are doing this weekend.

Of course we can always use a few more hounds to sniff out some great art. Join the pack!