Igbo Fest, Bollywood circus, Fringe shows serve up a summer cultural feast

In the Twin Cities art scene this weekend, flamenco dance meets circus acrobatics in a reimagined bullfighting show at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, while South Asian Arts and Theater House fuses Bollywood with circus arts to explore neurodiversity.

In Brooklyn Park, a performing arts festival spotlights Minnesota’s thriving Nigerian community with traditional dance, cuisine, and a kola nut ceremony, and the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona showcases a collection of oil paintings of fantastical sea creatures inspired by global history.

Performing arts festival preserves Igbo heritage

The Umunne Cultural Association will host its 29th annual IgboFest at North Hennepin Community College , celebrating the cultural heritage and traditions of the Igbo people from southeast Nigeria. The festival will feature dance performances, Nigerian cuisine, art vendors and talks on topics such as Igbo trading practices and apprenticeship.

“We want to incorporate the kola nut ceremony, a significant aspect of our culture, and engage the younger generation by explaining its importance,” said Stephen Nwokocha, a member of the Umunne Cultural Association since 1998. “This year, as the chairperson, I see it as an opportunity to bridge generations and preserve our heritage.”

During the kola nut ceremony, an elder prays over the nut, invoking blessings, unity, and good will. This act serves as a form of communion, marking the start of the event. “When you break the kola nut with somebody, you are saying ‘Hey, you are welcomed,’” Nwokocha said. “We pray, we call upon God and bring everyone in alignment.”

The festival, first held in 1994, has grown significantly. “We started small, with about 100 to150 attendees, and now we expect around 1,200 guests,” Nwokocha said.

In 2019, Governor Tim Walz proclaimed August 10 as Igbo Day in Minnesota, which is home to more than 13,000 Nigerians .

“We’ve got thousands of Igbo people in Brooklyn Park alone, and if you break that out to other cities, we have a huge presence,” Nwokocha said.

The Umunne Cultural Association will also host the IgboFest Gala on Friday, featuring an Igbo fashion show and music by DJ Edmond .

“We want people to come, have a good time, ask questions, and feel our presence,” he said. “Our heritage cannot go extinct with events like IgboFest.”

When:

• IgboFest Gala: Friday, August 9 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Festival: Saturday, August 10 at 11 a.m.

Where:

• IgboFest Gala: Brooklyn Park Community & Activity Center, 5600 85th Ave. N., Brooklyn Park.
• Festival: North Hennepin Community College, 7411 85th Ave. N., Brooklyn Park.

Cost: Free

For more information: Call 651-226-9595 or email igbofestmn@yahoo.com .

South Asian artists bring Bollywood to the circus ring

South Asian Arts and Theater House is teaming up with Queer Circus Minnesota to present “Karma – A Bollywood Circus.” This show fuses traditional Bollywood dance with contemporary circus arts to explore the experiences of neurodivergent individuals within the South Asian community.

Featuring a diverse ensemble of more than 60 performers, approximately 30% of whom identify as neurodivergent, “Karma,” brings personal stories to the stage. From a mother’s journey with a child on the autism spectrum to the complexities of neurodivergent romantic relationships, the show tackles the stigma associated with asking for help and the challenges of working within environments that aren’t always accommodating.

Date: Thursday, August 8 through Sunday, August 11

Time: 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Location: 700 N. 1st St., Minneapolis

Cost: General admission is $27. Tickets for kids and students are $17.

For more information: Visit saathmn.org .

Latin dance reimagines the bullfight

Flamenco X , a Black, Indigenous, artist-of-color, and LGBTQ+ owned music and dance ensemble, will be performing at this year’s Minnesota Fringe Festival with their show “Peña Flamenca: La Corrida de Toros.” The performance blends improvised and structured dance performances to create a surreal reinterpretation of the traditional Spanish bullfight.

From a comedic, improvised bullfight dream sequence to a tender love story where the bull and matador transform into human form, the show captures the drama of Spanish and Latin American dance forms, including flamenco, bachata, and circus acrobatics.

Date: Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 10.

Time: 5:30 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Location: 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis

Cost: Tickets start at $20.

For more information: Visit minnesotafringe.org .

Oil paintings explore seafaring history, myth

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is hosting “Ultra Mare,” a collection of oil paintings by Santa Cruz-based artist Kajahl Benes . The exhibit invites viewers to dive into a fantastical underwater world teeming with fictional sea creatures.

Drawing inspiration from historic sites, mining archives, and iconographies spanning African, Asian, European, and pre-Columbian traditions, Benes creates seafarers and ocean dwellers to explore identity, history, and myth.

Date: Through January 5, 2025.

Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday.

Location: 800 Riverview Drive, Winona

Cost: Free

For more information: Visit mmam.org .

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