Art Hounds: TU Dance, Pottery, Mayda

The hounds want you to check out a sensual exploration of the elements through dance, incredible pottery sprinkled throughout the St. Croix Valley, and a singer-songwriter who's slight in stature but not in voice.

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TU Dance blends a wide array of styles in its first full-length work, "SENSE(ABILITY)," and Julie McGarvey promises it will be evening of innovative, energized, beautiful movement on stage. Julie, marketing director for Penumbra Theater and a freelance director, says "Sense(ability)" springs from a series of sketches TU Dance has created over the last three years that examine the relationship between the senses and the elements. It's at the Southern Theater beginning today through May 16th.

Mike Tonder will be wandering through the St. Croix Valley this weekend (May 7-9), reveling in some of the nation's best pottery. Mike, who's a glass artist from Two Harbors, never misses the annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour, which this year features 37 guest potters from across the country.

Jessica Gleason sings and plays keyboard in the Minneapolis indie funk group Dance Band. She's also a local costume designer. Jessica is in awe of the power-packed song stylings of St. Paul's Mayda Miller, who was voted best R&B artist in this year's City Pages poll. Mayda will overtake the 7th St. Entry stage tonight.

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