Threads Dance Nexus

nex·us | ˈnek-səs – the central and most important point or place of connection

Threads Dance Nexus is a vibrant community hub, welcoming all to learn, experience, and create. It provides a home for Threads Dance Project and strengthens the social fabric of our Minneapolis community through the connective power of dance. We welcome you to visit us here, where you will often hear the joyful blend of music and creative chatter as you walk down the hall to our door in the Focus Arts Building.

At Threads Dance Nexus, you can explore a wide variety of dance classes and workshops, including Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Embodied movement exploration, Moving Towards Joy workshops, and more. Our knowledgeable and diverse staff teaches using an anatomically based approach to movement that honors the social and historical context of these various approaches to movement.

Our facility features a spacious 1,480-square-foot studio available for rent, complete with changing rooms and office space for the company’s administrative staff. The Nexus also offers a free parking lot and free side street parking. It is a 5-minute walk from the Franklin Light Rail Station and a 2-5 minute walk from the nearest bus stops (lines 2, 9, 22, 67).

Threads Dance Nexus is dedicated to being an inclusive space where movers of any identity, age, and ability are welcome to participate. Whether attending dance classes, community talks, or other public events, you will find a supportive and welcoming environment.

  • Two Black girls practice ballet at the barre in the Nexus studio.

    Learn

    Youth dance classes 
    Community workshops 
    Artist development programs

  • A group of diverse male and female audience members and dancers hold hands.

    Experience

    Lecture/demonstrations
    Open rehearsals 
    Community events around art, race, diversity, and dance

  • A young Black male dancer wearing eyeliner is dramatically lit during a dance performance.

    Create

    Home for Threads Dance Project
    Tapestries Emerging Choreographer Program
    Creative space for the broader arts community

Our Dance Philosophy

“Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.”

–Alvin Ailey

Threads Dance Nexus shares Mr. Ailey’s belief that anyone can dance and that we are all dancers. We strive to create an equitable and inclusive learning environment where students’ gifts can be cultivated and opportunities for growth are embraced.

Far too many aspiring dance artists have been harmed by abusive, sexist, racist, and ableist schooling. Threads Dance Nexus seeks to be a place where diverse learners are treated with dignity and respect.

We welcome all individuals to experience our comprehensive and holistic teaching methods designed to cultivate the mover in all of us. Our dance philosophy is:

  • Culturally relevant—so that dancers of any race or ethnicity feel a sense of belonging

  • Trauma-informed–dance education has the potential to reproduce harm or liberate. We chose liberation!

  • Anatomically sound–working safely with the body to keep you dancing longer and stronger

  • Inclusive and equitable–all are welcome and differing needs acknowledged

  • Socially just–seeks to rectify injustice through arts activism

  • “When we arrived on the first day of camp and other girls were entering the building, our younger daughter said, 'There are lots of people of color here.' That warmed my heart! It was such a sweet experience, and we feel really grateful to have had the opportunity.”

    -Summer NexGen/YDP parent