2026 Minnesota Dance Summer Workshop: Creating A Space of Belonging
August 20, 2026
Dance educators from across Minnesota gathered on August 19th for their annual Summer Workshop. This year’s workshop celebrated the legacy of TU Dance Founding Artistic Director, Toni Pierce-Sands, and her profound impact on the field of dance education. Toni inspired and helped to shape TU Dance values incorporated into The School at TU Dance Center. These are very visible in The School’s diverse dance techniques and teaching philosophies, the community engagement work, and their unique formatting for student showings and performances. The workshop was planned and hosted by Mary Harding, Perpich Center’s Dance Education Specialist.
Educators participate in movement during Minnesota Dance Summer Workshop: Creating A Space of Belonging
Guest presenters Laurel Keen and Hassan Ingraham of TU Dance were an incredible team! Together, with Mary Harding, they led the group in a series of dance sessions and reflective conversations. Throughout the day, participants used this work to reflect on their programs, consider their teaching practices, and ponder what they do with purpose.
Laurel Keen reviewed the day, sharing, “It was so inspiring to be in the room with so many deep thinking, dance loving teachers who feel as passionate as we do about this work! Thank you also for the opportunity to continue to honor and speak about the lessons that Toni is continuing to teach us all.”
As a result of the workshop, one dance educator wants to “think about the importance of lineage and how it shows up in my teaching.” Another reflected, “I want to do a better job of explaining the ‘why’ behind what I have my students do.” A common theme among participants was finding renewed inspiration.
Educators participate in movement during Minnesota Dance Summer Workshop: Creating A Space of Belonging
Laurel Keen has been a professional dancer since 1999 and has also been teaching dance for the last decade. As a student she trained at Minnesota Dance Theatre and Pacific Northwest Ballet, and attended several renowned summer programs. After performing professionally with Minnesota Dance Theater, she spent a decade alongside Alonzo King from LINES Ballet in San Francisco, where she originated 21 roles, earned the prestigious Princess Grace Award, and was featured on the covers of Dance and Pointe magazines. Laurel recently moved back to the Twin Cities and earned her degree as Physical Therapist Assistant, working with Reynolds Rehab and Orthology Physical Therapy. She has also been teaching for several schools in the Twin Cities including The School at TU Dance Center.
Hassan Ingraham, a Miami native, discovered dance at Charles R. Drew Middle School and refined his craft at the New World School of the Arts and The Juilliard School. With over 15 years of teaching experience, Hassan has worked with renowned artists like Alexander Ekman and Dwight Rhoden. A former dancer with TU Dance, he has also been a guest artist with various companies and taught at the Harlem School of the Arts. Hassan’s contemporary approach to ballet, modern, and jazz techniques encourages dancers to explore new possibilities and understand their anatomy efficiently.
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