Shortly after graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1998, Emily Johnson became a presence in the Twin Cities for her rigorous, abstract dance works performed by Catalyst, her company of lithe, tough women. Her choreography was fresh and fierce, evocative and disciplined, her use of staging, costumes, and live music surprisingly mature. Critics hailed the young choreographer as a fresh talent with tremendous potential.

Catalyst, performing "Heat and Life" at a gas station. Emily Johnson's new dance production is about habitat change due to global warming. (Photo by Cameron Wittig, courtesy of the Walker Art Center)

Global warming has received relatively little attention in this year's presidential campaign. For Minneapolis choreographer Emily Johnson, it's a problem that can no longer be ignored or merely 'discussed.' In her latest dance piece, Johnson puts the audience in the middle of a world overheated by global warming.

Emily Johnson is the most exciting young choreographer in the Twin Cities. Since graduating from the University of Minnesota Dance Department in the early 1990's, Johnson, a native Alaskan, has pushed her dance practice into the outer reaches of the form, while maintaining a high standard of artistry. This month she premieres Heat and Life, her newest work of movement, video, and sounds, ant No Name Exhibitions @ The Soap Factory. It will challenge, if not completely transform, your understanding of dance as an art form.