Art Hounds: Mila, Albert Park, and a choreography retrospective

The hounds lead us to a group of women vocalists raising their voices in Eastern European song, an artist enclave in and around the smallest dedicated park in the country, and a choreographer who's putting more than 30 years of work on display at Studio 206.

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As a member of the Swedish vocal group Flickorna Fem, Nina Clark has a deep appreciation for music from other cultures. One of Nina's favorite choral groups is the Mila Vocal Ensemble, which draws from the musical traditions of 30 countries, most notably Eastern European music. Mila will present a holiday concert Friday at Unity Church in St. Paul and Saturday at the United Theological Seminary in New Brighton.

Choreographer Kristin Van Loon considers herself a Laurie Van Wieren groupie in some ways. That's why you'll find her at "Who Made These Videotapes," a concert that functions as a retrospective of veteran Minneapolis choreographer Laurie Van Wieren's 30 years of innovative, idiosyncratic work. You can see and absorb "Who Made these Videotapes" Dec. 9,10 & 11 at 8pm, at Studio 206 in the Ivy Building for the Arts in Minneapolis.

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St. Paul area writer Melissa Doffing would agree that West St. Paul's Albert Park, the country's smallest dedicated park according to "Ripley's Believe It or Not," seems like an unlikely location for an arts festival. But Melissa plans to rendevous with the artists of Albert Park beginning at 6pm tonight at Amore Coffee to celebrate the neighborhood's lively cultural scene. There will be a reading of a memoir inspired by the park, and music from the Albert Park Trio.

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