Forget hibernating this weekend, the Center for Performing Arts’ Winter Festival brings Haitian dance, Congolese music, spoken word poetry, improv, and more to Minneapolis. At Lake Harriet, the Art Shanty Projects returns with ice-bound art installations and performances highlighting Japanese musicians, Native sports and wellness programs for Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). 

Over at MSP Film Society’s Main Cinema, an Iranian film series uncovers narratives from Tehran — stories that faced the threat of censorship, bans, and imprisonment. And start your Lunar New Year celebrations early at The O’Shaughnessy with the Chinese Dance Theater’s contemporary and folk dance show.

Winter Festival celebrates 38th Street’s Black performing arts scene

The Center for Performing Arts is hosting a four-weekend Winter Festival, celebrating Black creativity and entrepreneurship in Minneapolis’ 38th Street Cultural District with live performances, open mics, wellness circles and local food and craft vendors. 

The festival runs Sundays, starting at 3 p.m. with an open mic and community performances, followed by a wellness circle at 4 p.m. and two mainstage performances at 5 p.m.

The January 19 opening night features Afoutayi, a nonprofit promoting Haitian and Afro-Caribbean culture through music, dance and educational workshops. Their performance will lead audiences on a symbolic journey through Haiti, featuring Ibo, a revolution dance; Yanvalou, a sacred, snake movement dance; and Soley, a sun celebration dance. 

“It’s not just entertainment,” said Djenane Saint Juste, founder of Afoutayi. “You cannot come and just sit down and watch. We bring the village experience to our performance — you educate, connect and heal. People sing with us in a different language you might not understand, but it feels good because you’re doing it with a group of people.”

Afoutayi has faced financial challenges this year due to inconsistent arts funding, which has limited their ability to offer cultural events like the annual Haitian Flag Day Festival and their traditional January 1 “Soup Joumou” event for Haiti’s Independence Day (the event is now scheduled for January 25). 

“That soup is called the ‘soup of friendship.’ It’s the first soup we ate after the revolution. We used to cook it just for the colonizers, but now we come together to share this meal,” Saint Juste said. “It’s very sad because right now, the Haitian community needs more space, more activities to connect, especially with the political and immigration challenges people are facing.”

The new partnership with the Center for Performing Arts offers a platform for Afoutayi to continue hosting winter and spring singing, drumming and dancing classes for both adults and youth, while continuing their mission to share Haitian arts and culture with the Twin Cities through events like the Winter Festival.

Also performing that evening is clarinetist Anthony Afful, who combines Central European, jazz, and contemporary styles in his music. 

On January 26, Nigerian musician Kashimana will perform a mix of rhythm and blues, Afro-funk and folk, while spoken word artist and hip-hop performer ShaVunda Brown will perform blues cover songs by Tamia, Aaliyah, Patrice Rushen, Janet Jackson, and Amel Larrieux. 

Brown, who started writing poetry at 10 years old, traces her inspiration to Maya Angelou and comedian Redd Foxx. 

“I was going through my mom’s old paperwork, and I stumbled upon this poem by Maya Angelou, “Phenomenal Woman.” I read it aloud and I said, ‘Oh I want to do this,’” Brown said. “My grandmother shared with me another poem, which turned out to be a Redd Foxx joke, but at the time, I didn’t realize that.”

Brown’s work, which explores themes of racial justice and African diasporic spirituality, aims to leave audiences with “new visions of liberation and Black joy” at the festival.

February 2 will feature Blackout Improv, Minneapolis’ first all-Black improv group, and circus performer Gregory Parks. The festival wraps up on February 9 with Nigerian singer-songwriter Carolyne Naomi, who blends blues, soul, and Afrobeats, alongside singer DiaToti’s Congolese rhythms. 

“Art is essential for the human soul,” Saint Juste said. “In a time when it’s cold, there’s no sun, people are depressed and tend to stay indoors, it’s important to bring arts to the community.”

Taiko drumming, Native lacrosse and BIPOC wellness on ice

After a warm 2024 winter, the Art Shanty Projects return to sounder ice with 20 shanties and more than 20 performances and art pop-ups. 

The Twin Cities Native Lacrosse will host the Dakota and Ojibwe Thakápsičapi lacrosse, teaching participants about Native communities’ connection to the game. The games will be held on the opening day of the Art Shanty Projects, January 18 at noon and on the closing  day, February 9 at 10 a.m.

Yoga sessions will be led by James Orione, co-executive director of One Yoga, and Mexican theater artist Sofia Padilla on Saturdays at 2 p.m., with a BIPOC-only session on January 26 at 11 a.m. Japanese taiko drumming will be performed by Ensō Daiko and TaikoArts Midwest on January 25 at 1 p.m.

Lunar New Year show honors stories of home

Ring in the Lunar New Year with the Chinese Dancer Theater’s “Reminiscence,” a contemporary and folk dance performance at The O’Shaughnessy. The performance tells the stories of individuals separated from home, from a mother watching her child leave to students showing gratitude to their teachers. At its core, “Reminiscence” honors the emotional ties to home and community.

Iranian film series highlights Tehran’s culture, politics and resilience

The MSP Film Society, in collaboration with the Twin Cities Iranian Culture Collective presents the “Iranian Film Showcase,” featuring four films set in Tehran. 

Friday’s opener is “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” a political thriller by Mohammad Rasoulof. Created in secrecy, the film critiques Iran’s authoritarian regime and incorporates real footage of protests and police violence. The story follows an investigative judge navigating public scrutiny during escalating protests. 

Saturday’s lineup includes “Boomerang,” a romantic drama that explores a couple’s divorce, their daughter’s young love, and a minor queer character, set against Tehran’s shifting cultural and political landscape. 

Another feature, “My Favourite Cake,” follows Mahin, a 70-year-old widow rediscovering love with a war veteran in a society where women’s freedoms are tightly restricted. The film faced significant hurdles during production, including a raid by Iranian security forces who confiscated hard drives containing the movie. Directors Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha edited the film using a backup copy stored in Paris but were later detained in Iran and banned from leaving, even as the film screened in Berlin. Authorities took issue with scenes showing a woman dancing, drinking alcohol and appearing without a hijab. 

The weekend closes with Sunday’s “Celluloid Underground,” a documentary chronicling Ahmad Jurghanian’s efforts to preserve thousands of films during the Iranian Revolution. 

For more Iranian cinema, check out the “Mizna Film Series: Iranian Classics” at Trylon Cinema, starting Tuesday, January 22, at 7 p.m. The series opens with “Where is the Friend’s House?” by Abbas Kiarostami, following a young boy’s journey through northern Iran. 

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