Arrowhead Library offers free Dance for All workshops Feb. 10–March 6

The Arrowhead Library System is presenting Dance for All with Dance Artist Sophia McLaughlin, a series of free, one-hour contemporary dance workshops running from Feb. 10 to March 6. The sessions are designed to be accessible to participants of all ages and abilities and emphasize improvisation, set dance sequences and communal movement.

Using improvisation and set dance sequences set to music, the class will focus on moving together to create joyful community. No previous dance training is required; organizers note the class is accessible for everyone and recommend wearing comfortable clothes suitable for movement. Dancers will copy and create movements that represent shapes, qualities, and patterns. Together the group will learn how observations and imagination can create new and innovative movement possibilities.

Dance Artist Sophia McLaughlin brings a background that blends art and science. She is a graduate student at the University of Iowa and holds a BA in Dance and Botany from Connecticut College. Her work centers on the intersection of botany and dance: she uses botanical field methodologies to transfer the specificity of plant attributes to the specificity of the body and, as described in program materials, "sees this research as an aspect of repairing our societal disconnection from the earth by listening to and embodying plant species and their processes." Program listings also note that McLaughlin has taught children, young adults, elderly, blind communities, and people with mental and physical disabilities.

The Mesabi Tribune and local listings provide a partial schedule of in-person sessions across the Arrowhead region. The Hibbing Public Library will host the opening session on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 10:00 a.m. Additional dates and times included in area announcements are Ely Public Library on Feb. 18 at 3:30 p.m.; International Falls Public Library on Feb. 19 at 1:00 p.m.; Cook Community Center hosted by Cook Public Library on Feb. 19 at 5:00 p.m.; Baudette Public Library on Feb. 21 at 10:30 a.m.; Moose Lake Public Library on Feb. 24 at 1:00 p.m.; Carlton Area Public Library on Feb. 24 at 4:30 p.m.; Cloquet Public Library on Feb. 25 at 3:30 p.m.; Virginia Public Library on Feb. 26 at 1:00 p.m.; Mountain Iron Public Library on Feb. 27 at 10:00 a.m.; Buhl Public Library on Feb. 27 at 1:00 p.m.; and Hoyt Lakes Public Library on Feb. 28 at 11:00 a.m. The program is listed as running through March 6, so additional sessions may occur between March 1 and March 6 beyond the dates shown.

Hibbing materials note that the program, sponsored by the Arrowhead Library System, was funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF). For accessibility questions or to confirm dates and locations, contact the Arrowhead Library System at als@alslib.info. For details about the Hibbing session, contact the City of Hibbing at 218-262-3486.

For Lake County readers, the series is part of the region’s library circuit bringing free arts programming into community spaces. These sessions offer low-barrier opportunities for physical activity, creative expression and social connection, particularly important during winter months when indoor community options are limited. Check the Arrowhead Library System calendar or email als@alslib.info for the most current schedule and any local additions through March 6.