Weekly Classes
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In order for us to find correct alignment in any yoga posture, we have to first connect ourselves to the ground below the mat. How can we build a yoga practice that moves from the land up? How are practices of relationality also building blocks for regenerative body practices? This class brings postural, breath, and energetic practices of Vinyasa Yoga into conversation with indigenous philosophies of relationality. Learning methods include meditation, reflection, reading, pranayama, and vinyasa sequencing. We will introduce the Yoga fundamentals of structural and energetic alignment while moving towards right-relationship with place and community.
YOGA, ALIGNING WITH LAND
with KEALOHA — SUNDAYS, 9–10AM
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This class is not currently in session.
Circle up for a Saturday morning dance party with the whole family! Utilizing elements of Yorchhā, Dabke, traditional Vietnamese dance, and AfroLatin social dance, ADT Artists Belle Alvarez and Vy Nguyen welcome movers of all ages. Enter an intergenerational space for playful experimentation, joyful connection, and good energy!
All are welcome. Ages 10 and below must be accompanied by a guardian or trusted adult.
CIRCLE UP!
with BELLE & VY — SATURDAYS, 9–10AM
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Drop into a wide pelvis, surrender with a supple spine, and regenerate your energy with grounded yet nimble feet. Explore these foundational elements of Yorchhā with veteran ADT artist, Kealoha Ferreira. In this open-class series, participants learn essential Yorchhā exercises, embody justice driven choreography, and engage with ADT's global community of feminist movers, all from the comfort of home. Yorchhā is Ananya Dance Theatre’s trade-marked contemporary technique which intersects the principles of vinyasa yoga, traditional Indian dance form Odissi, and martial art form Chhau, and reinterprets them through transnational-feminist values to create a contemporary movement vocabulary that dances forward our dreams for a just world.
YORCHHĀ ELEMENTS (VIRTUAL)
with KEALOHA — FRIDAYS, 5–6PM
YOGA, TOGETHER
with KEALOHA — SATURDAYS, 9–10AM
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This class is not currently in session.
Practices of care and intergenerational wisdom are transmitted when young and old share space together. Yoga, Together is a joyful and gentle approach to pranayama (breath technique), asana (body postures), meditation, and reflection, inviting all ages to connect and recenter in an intergenerational setting. Bring your family! Bring a friend! Yoga Together invites us to practice care for “me” within the “we.” Modifications and ample props will be available for all participants to use.
This class is recommended for ages 5 and above. Ages 10 and below must be accompanied by a guardian.
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This class is not currently in session.
This dynamic movement class invites students to explore the energy, rhythm, and cultural depth of African Diasporic dance forms. Through quick footwork, layered polyrhythms, step and drill combinations, and vibrant Caribbean influences, participants will develop agility, strength, and embodied musicality. Centering the body’s connection to the earth, the class encourages dancers to move with grounded intention while exploring the fluid intersections between traditional and contemporary styles. Open to movers of all backgrounds, this experience offers both physical rigor and cultural resonance—celebrating the resilience, rhythm, and creativity of the African Diaspora.
rhythmic joy
with davente — wednesdays, 5-6:15PM
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Join the ADT ensemble for open training, led by dance educator, pilates instructor, and veteran Yorchhā practioner Alexandra Eady! Alex expertly curates mobility drills, pilates, and Yorchhā exercises to condition the full body for dynamic performance. Whether you dance, play sports, or lead an active lifestyle, these open company training sessions are an opportunity to enhance agility, strength, and stamina in a joyful collective setting!
open company training
with alexandra — variable dates, 2026
COME MOVE WITH US!
Find rhythm, groundedness, and flow with dance and yoga classes at Ananya Dance Theatre’s Shawngrām Institute for Performance & Social Justice. Most classes operate on a sliding scale basis, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds!
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You! Ananya Dance Theatre offers dance, yoga, and mobility classes appropriate for many, varied levels of experience. Some classes are geared toward those with no dance experience who are seeking new and joyful ways of moving; others are geared toward technically accomplished dancers seeking to deepen and enrich their craft. Still more are somewhere in between!
Whatever your movement background, we hope that you will find a class offering that nourishes you. Uncertain about whether a certain class is a good fit for you? reach out to admin@ananyadancetheatre.org and we'll connect you with someone who can help you discern. -
Classes are held at the Shawngrām Institute for Performance & Social Justice (1197 University Ave W, St. Paul, MN 55104). Limited parking is available in the small lot adjacent to the building. There is ample free street parking on Griggs St and Dunlap St.
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Most classes operate on a sliding scale that starts at $0-$25, with a recommended contribution of $15 per class. Contributing at the higher end of this scale helps us keep classes cost-accessible for our community.
Certain class series (such as Youth Yorchhā and Summer Intensive) have a higher set tuition, but scholarships are available. No one will be turned away for lack of funds! Please reach out to admin@ananyadancetheatre.org with scholarship inquiries. -
We recommend bringing the following:
a water bottle labeled with your name
a gym towel
a journal or notebook (if appropriate)
a yoga mat (if appropriate)
a light overlayer
easily removable footwear (no shoes on the studio floor!)
an open heart and a willingness to stretch your comfort zone
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Most classes do not require advance preparation; however, please refer to the class description and/or your registration confirmation email for any class-specific guidance.
We do ask class participants to fill out a participation waiver before joining us. If this is your first time joining us, please complete the waiver before you arrive. -
Please do. Registering in advance helps our instructors prepare for your class session, and helps us track our class attendance for grant reporting purposes!
If you forget to register, don’t worry— it’s okay to drop in! Just note that we may ask you to register day-of from the mobile registration platform. -
Shawngrām is resistance as an active shaping force, the vibration that weaves together many fragments, and the critical resonance that holds justice work together.
The Shawngrām Institute for Performance & Social Justice is Ananya Dance Theatre’s physical home and gathering place at 1197 University Ave. This space is the manifestation of our conviction that professional art can be embedded in neighborhood life. In this space, we practice (train) together, rehearse, lead workshops and community events, teach weekly classes, and host our annual Summer Intensive.
meet our instructors below!
KEALOHA FERREIRA | she/her
Classes: Yorchhā Elements; Yoga, Aligning with Land; Yoga, Together; Water Dances
An ensemble member since 2013, Kea is also ADT’s Artistic Associate and the Co-Leader of the Shanwgrām Institute. Kea is a practitioner of Yorchhā, Oli, Kūahu, and Hula, and is a yoga instructor at the University of Minnesota.
DAVENTE GILREATH | He/HIM
Classes: Rhythmic Joy
Davente began his dance training at Perpich Center for Arts Education, where he was exposed to styles of dance including modern, ballet, jazz, African, and contact improvisation. Gilreath furthered his dance training at the University of Minnesota where he worked with professors such as Ananya Chatterjea, Erin Thompson, and Toni Pierce‐Sands. After joining Garth Fagan Dance in 2014, Davente taught Intermediate/Advanced Fagan Technique for the Garth Fagan Dance School and for the Garth Fagan Summer Movement Institute. Gilreath is now a dance instructor at The University of Minnesota, where he teaches contemporary, African Diasporic Movement and jazz.
BELLE ALVAREZ | she/they/ELLA
Classes: Circle Up!
Mariadela Belle Alvarez is a professional dancer, capoeirista, and actor. Her 12 years of extensive teaching credits include Swarthmore College, Temple University, Spelman College, Friends Central School, the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, and numerous community arts organizations. For 7 years, Belle taught for the nationally acclaimed Dancing Classrooms program and held the role of Global Network Senior Teaching Artist. Belle holds a BFA in Dance from Temple University.
VY NGUYEN | she/they
Nguyễn Hạ-Vy (Vy) is a movement and teaching artist based in Mni Sota. They hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Their movement technique practices stem from traditional Vietnamese dance to extensive research in contemporary movement forms. They are currently honing their movement practice in the Yorchha technique under the guidance of Dr. Ananya Chatterjea, which informs and transforms their teaching and movement practices every day.
Vy is dedicated to a practice of slowness, self-trust, and listening to our bodies' desires to move between softness and ruggedness to conjure liberated spaces. Their artistic and pedagogical approach toward dance is rooted in the idea of body as language and replications of existing patterns. They have taught in a variety of settings in the Twin-Cities, including open adult movement studios, acrobatics and tumbling programs, as well as occasionally teaching or assisting at local public schools such as the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts and PiM Arts High School in Eden Prairie. Vy strives to center movement as our connection to community, resistance, and possibility.
Classes: Circle Up!
ALEXANDRA EADY | she/her
Classes: Move Freely
An ensemble member since 2011, Lexi is co-chair of the dance program at St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts. She is also a dance instructor at the University of Minnesota.
These activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
