Happendance 50th anniversary gala concerts

Happendance, Michigan’s longest-running professional contemporary dance company, is wrapping up its milestone 50th season this weekend with two free gala concerts at the Michigan State University Floodplain, the location of the company’s first performance in 1976.

The concerts will feature revivals of past Happendance works and the premiere of a new work commissioned specifically for the celebration. The piece, selected through a nationwide proposal process and public vote, reflects themes of legacy, intergenerational connection and artistic continuity.

“This performance is both a celebration of our history and a reflection of the generations of artists, students, educators and audience members who have shaped Happendance over the past 50 years,” CEO Rachel Miller said. “Returning to the banks of the Red Cedar, where it all began, feels especially meaningful as we look toward the future of the organization.”

In addition to current Happendance members, the company’s founding “Wise Women” will perform. When City Pulse spoke with Miller in November, she was creating a piece specifically for them.

“They’re all in their 70s and 80s,” Miller told City Pulse. “I love that experience. Some of them have canes. Some of them are using canes in the dance.”

Attendees of the performances are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets