Maria Isa, BdotCroc among headliners at St. Paul Pride Festival this weekend

In the Twin Cities art scene this weekend, St. Paul celebrates Pride Month with a parade and performances by Black, Hmong, and Latin artists. At Katha Dance Theatre, a dance film and live performance address river pollution, highlighting its impact on Minnesota’s Indigenous communities.

Meanwhile, Amez Dance premieres a new work exploring the African American family structure set to a 1960s Afro-Caribbean-inspired score.

St. Paul celebrates Pride Month

The St. Paul Pride Festival celebrates Pride Month on Saturday with a parade in Lowertown and a festival at Rice Park, hosted by Minneapolis comedian Ashli Henderson .

The festival lineup features emerging Black, Indigenous, and Twin Cities performers of color, including Minneapolis hip-hop artist BdotCroc , drag artist Mikko Blaze , St. Paul singer Ka Lia Universe , and Afro-Latina rapper and state Representative Maria Isa Pérez-Vega .

Date: Saturday, June 15

Time: Parade at 10 a.m., festival from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Location: Parade starts at The Bulldog in Lowertown, 237 6th St. E., St. Paul. Festival at Rice Park, 109 W. 4th St., St. Paul.

Cost: Free

For more information: Visit stppride.org .

Kathak dance sheds light on pollution in Ganges and Mississippi

Katha Dance Theatre , a company specializing in the classical Indian dance form known as kathak, will premiere “ Ganga: A Choreographic Odyssey ,” exploring the environmental realities of two revered rivers: the Gangas in India and the Mississippi in the U.S.

Directed and choreographed by Katha’s founder, Rita Mustaphi, the production opens with a dance film screening of “Ganga to Mississippi.” The film documents Mustaphi’s journey along the Ganges, from its source in the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. It portrays the river’s initial allure — revered as holy and essential for millions in India — which Mustaphi describes as “beautiful, rugged, and overwhelming.” However, the film also confronts the harsh reality of the river’s environmental degradation, caused by industrial waste, plastic, and unregulated sewage.

“Nobody’s thinking about keeping the river clean,” Mustaphi said. “The river in India starts very pure, deep blue, and clean, and when it ends in the ocean, it’s hardly living and it happened because of thousands of years of abuse that happened to the water.”

In Minnesota, Mustaphi teamed up with Ojibwe leader and Indigenous activist Sharon Day, and Jane Ramseyer Miller, former artistic director of One Voice Mixed Chorus, to investigate the cultural and environmental role of the Mississippi River.

“The river starts from a lake in Itasca, Minnesota. You can cross the river on foot where it starts, which is very simple and elegant,” Mustaphi said. Yet, as the river flows through the United States to the Gulf of Mexico, it accumulates pollutants from agricultural runoff, industrial waste and urban discharge.

Through dance, music and storytelling, the film not only sheds light on the environmental struggles of both rivers, but also showcases the communities that depend on them.

“I believe we were in Winona, and there is this Native American ritual with burning sages and offering gratitude to the river,” Mustaphi said. “Everybody stood in a circle sharing stories about their day and that was just so touching to my heart that they’re making connections this way, so it was very generous of Sharon Day to invite me.”

The live component of “Ganga: A Choreographic Odyssey” tells the river’s story in seven Kathak dances accompanied by South Indian classical music.

The opening piece, “Ganga Stotram,” serves as an invocation to worship the river. “Ganga Avataran” depicts the river’s mythical creation, “Jeevan Kajal” highlights its religious importance, “Pradushan” confronts pollution, “Vada” promises preservation, “Kritagya” expresses gratitude, and “Navinkaran” ends with hope for renewal.

Date: Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 16

Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Location: E.M. Pearson Theatre, Concordia University, 312 Hamline Ave. N., St. Paul

Cost: Tickets are $20 for Katha Dance Theatre members, Concordia students, and seniors 65 and older. General admission is $35.

For more information: Visit kathadance.org .

Dance performance explores the complexities of Black family narratives

Amez Dance , a Minneapolis-based dance company launched last year by choreographer Nieya Amezquita , will debut “De Mi Corazón,” a dance performance exploring Black family dynamics, fatherhood and generational trauma.

“The idea for ‘De Mi Corazón’ was planted two years ago after having a lengthy conversation with my dad about how he views his role within our family,” Amezquita said. “From there, the conversation spiraled into how society views the African American family and why the community internally structures its family unit the way it does.”

Dancers Odessa Rain , Sean Scantlebury , and Gabrielle Abram will perform the piece, which features contemporary dance inspired by jazz, house, house, and African styles.

The original music, composed by Minneapolis artist internetjunkhound , draws from 1960s Brazilian samba and incorporates elements of Spanish guitar, Detroit techno, Afro-Cuban and Caribbean drum ensembles, contemporary jazz, pop, and film scores from the 1950s through the 1970s.

“The title was created by internetjunkhound,” Amezquita said. “It came from a longer phrase ‘No vino de mi cuerpo, sino de mi corazon,’ which translates to ‘It came not from my body, but from my heart.’ It’s a metaphor that works for wanting to bring anything new into the world whether it’s a work of art, a family, or personal growth. Your heart has to be in it if it’s going to succeed.”

The program also features guest choreographer Javan Mngrezzo, performing a dance piece titled “The Table Where It Happens,” inspired by “The Room Where It Happens” from the musical “Hamilton.” Mngrezzo’s work explores educational disparities.

When: Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Southern Theater, 1420 S. Washington Ave., Minneapolis

Cost: Tickets priced at $25 for Saturday’s show, with a pay-what-you-can option available for Sunday, starting at $10.

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