Five Days of Dance, Katherine Dunham Residency at Lundstrum Performing Arts

Lundstrum Performing Arts Hosts Five Days of Dance, March 25–29, 2026

2nd Annual Katherine Dunham Residency

With Guest Artists/Instructors Ashi Smythe and Rodney Hamilton

To View a Video from the First Dunham Residency Click Here

Minneapolis, MN —Lundstrum Performing Arts, Minnesota's premier educational program for dance, voice and drama, will host Five Days of Dance, Wednesday–Sunday, March 25 – 29, 2026 as part of its 2nd Annual Katherine Dunham Dance Residency. Guest artists Ashi Smythe and Rodney Hamilton will each teach classes sharing the history and techniques of Katherine Dunham, the revered African American dance pioneer. Hamilton will also hold open auditions (ages 13+) for Ballet Hispanico at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 29. Classes are $15 or pay-what-you-can; and open to Lundstrum students, faculty, alumni and the public. Lundstrum Performing Arts is located in North Minneapolis at 1617 North Second Street off Broadway Street, Minneapolis, MN  55411. For a complete schedule and to register visit here or Lundstrum.org.

Katherine Dunham was an American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist and social activist who is revered as a great pillar of American dance. Dunham helped establish African dance as an art form combining European dance traditions with techniques from Africa and the Caribbean.  One of the most renowned modern dance artists of the 20th century, Dunham has been called the “matriarch and queen mother of black dance.” Her world-renowned modern dance company exposed audiences to dance’s diversity. Her schools brought dance training and education to many populations, sharing her passion and commitment to dance as cultural communication.

Schedule: Five Days of Dance, Wednesday–Sunday, March 25–29, 2026

Classes are for various ages and levels. Check complete schedule here.

• Wed., March 25, 5:30 Modern class for Students with Special Needs (ages 18+); 6:30 p.m., Modern class open level (ages 8-12) with Ashi Smythe
• Thurs., March 26, 5:30 Modern Beginners (ages 9-12); 6:45 p.m., Modern Intermediate (ages 12-18) with Smythe
• Friday, March 27, 5:30 p.m., Modern Class Adv./Int. (Adult Professional) with Rodney Hamilton; 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Modern/Hip Hop Class Int./Adv., (ages 12-18) with Smythe
• Sat., March 28, 10:30 a.m. Ballet/Modern Open Level (Adult) with Hamilton;                                                                       12:30 p.m. Ballet/Modern Beginner, (ages 9-12) with Hamilton;12:30 p.m. Modern/Hip Hop Intermediate/Advanced, (ages 13-18) with Smythe; 2:30 p.m., Modern Intermediate (ages 13-18) with Hamilton; 2:30 p.m., Modern/Hip Hop Beginner (ages 9-12) with Smythe
•  Sunday, March 29:
• 12:30–2:00 p.m., Open Auditions for Ballet Hispanico (Ages 13+) with Rodney Hamilton
• 12:30 p.m., Hip Hop Rehearsal with DiShae, Smythe and Hamilton;
• 2 p.m., All Participants Demo Rehearsal; Smythe and Hamilton
• 4–4:45 p.m., Student Demo, Blackbox
• 5 p.m. Reception, Beech Studio

BIOS

Katherine Dunham Residency Guest Artists/Instructors: 

Ashi Smythe is a master teacher at Arvada Center for the Arts, CO. He began his dance career at the Katherine Dunham Center for the Arts in East St Louis, where he worked with company members Theo Jamison, Archie Savage, Andrea Smythe and Clifford Fears. He studied at Alvin Ailey in New York, danced with the Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble and taught at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He has worked with prestigious performers including MC Hammer and Michael Jackson, and was cast in the original Broadway production of The Lion King, contributing to its original choreography.

Rodney Hamilton began his training in his native St. Louis, where he studied modern dance with Katherine Dunham. He has since taught ballet, modern and Dunham technique worldwide.  He graduated with a BFA in Dance from the Juilliard School and earned an MFA in Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.  As a principal member of Ballet Hispanico, he performed works by Jose Limon, Paul Taylor, Hans van Manen, Robert Battle, Ann Reinking, Sergio Trujillo and many others. Other credits include choreography for the Saint Petersburg City Theater in Florida for Hello Dolly, Footloose and Memphis, and he performed with the national touring cast of Hello Dolly.

Katherine Dunham (1909-2006), a world-renowned dancer and humanitarian, was one of the first dance anthropologists, exploring dance as a cultural symbol and delving into dance’s African roots. Dunham was one of Hollywood’s first African-American choreographers with alumnae including Eartha Kitt, James Dean, Marlon Brando and Julie Belafonte. She also choreographed and appeared in Broadway musicals, operas and the film Cabin in the Sky.  Born in the small town of Glen Ellyn, IL, to an African American father and a French-Canadian mother, Dunham was interested in dance at an early age, but did not pursue it seriously until she started Ballet Negre, her first dance company, while attending the University of Chicago. In 1935, she traveled to the Caribbean to research the sacred dances of Haiti and Jamaica. When she returned to the U.S., she incorporated new movements and expressions which transformed the dance world. When she launched the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, it drew on a repertoire of Caribbean dances, traditional ballet, African rituals and rhythms to craft what became known as the Dunham Technique. Throughout her distinguished career, Dunham earned numerous honorary doctorates and awards including the Kennedy Center Honors, the Plaque d'Honneur Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce Award, and a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Dunham died in 2006, at age 96.

This project was made possible by the Bridge Fund for Dance through the City of Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs Department

Lundstrum Performing Art’s mission is to cultivate a love and knowledge of the performing arts so young people can discover unique gifts, develop depth of character and imagine new possibilities. Since 2000, Lundstrum Performing Arts has proudly trained thousands of students from diverse backgrounds and is committed to serving students in its North Minneapolis neighborhood through scholarships, on-site programs and school partnerships.