About
NexGen/Youth Dance Project includes ballet and modern dance classes along with nutrition workshops, embodied movement exploration, and journaling. The program includes the Creative Connections Project, the Young Movers Project, and the Young Dancers Project, each meeting weekly on different days and times during the session calendar.
• Ages: 4–12 years old
• Schedule: Weekly classes with 12 one-hour, 90-minute, or 2-hour sessions running January–April 2026
• Price: Creative Connections Project $150; Young Movers Project $225; Young Dancers Project $300
NexGen/Youth Dance Project takes place at Threads Dance Project & Threads Nexus, a contemporary dance company founded by Karen L. Charles with the mission to examine, expose, and celebrate the threads that connect people. Threads Dance Project has been sharing dance with the community since 2011 and has been nominated for a MN SAGE DANCE AWARD. The program is described as designed to nurture confidence, strength, and holistic well-being in a supportive and inclusive environment for young dancers, with a goal to develop and nurture the next generation of dance performers, creators, and supporters. Dance classes in this program teach students how movement can be healing and help students understand and nourish their bodies and minds.
The program is led by Founding Artistic/Executive Director Karen L. Charles and Programs & Community Engagement Coordinator Angela. It is supported by funding from the Hennepin County Youth Activities Grant and administrative support from the City of Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs Department. Threads Dance Project is widely recognized for its commitment to diversity and for programming that resonates with a broad audience, and it offers a variety of classes and workshops at its local studio, Threads Dance Nexus. Limited need-based scholarships are available, and a light snack is provided for the Young Movers Project and Young Dancers Project. Fall sessions conclude with an in-studio, open-to-families class, and Spring 2026 sessions will end with a youth performance at the Southern Theater on May 3, 2026. Students must wear black or purple leotards, flesh/pink transitional tights with a hole in the bottom of the foot, and flesh/pink ballet shoes to class.
A Star Tribune testimonial notes that Karen L. Charles’s mission goes beyond “just dancing” to embrace themes such as race and gender roles, translating them into choreography described as having beauty and soulfulness.
Last updated February 23, 2026.
• Ages: 4–12 years old
• Schedule: Weekly classes with 12 one-hour, 90-minute, or 2-hour sessions running January–April 2026
• Price: Creative Connections Project $150; Young Movers Project $225; Young Dancers Project $300
NexGen/Youth Dance Project takes place at Threads Dance Project & Threads Nexus, a contemporary dance company founded by Karen L. Charles with the mission to examine, expose, and celebrate the threads that connect people. Threads Dance Project has been sharing dance with the community since 2011 and has been nominated for a MN SAGE DANCE AWARD. The program is described as designed to nurture confidence, strength, and holistic well-being in a supportive and inclusive environment for young dancers, with a goal to develop and nurture the next generation of dance performers, creators, and supporters. Dance classes in this program teach students how movement can be healing and help students understand and nourish their bodies and minds.
The program is led by Founding Artistic/Executive Director Karen L. Charles and Programs & Community Engagement Coordinator Angela. It is supported by funding from the Hennepin County Youth Activities Grant and administrative support from the City of Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs Department. Threads Dance Project is widely recognized for its commitment to diversity and for programming that resonates with a broad audience, and it offers a variety of classes and workshops at its local studio, Threads Dance Nexus. Limited need-based scholarships are available, and a light snack is provided for the Young Movers Project and Young Dancers Project. Fall sessions conclude with an in-studio, open-to-families class, and Spring 2026 sessions will end with a youth performance at the Southern Theater on May 3, 2026. Students must wear black or purple leotards, flesh/pink transitional tights with a hole in the bottom of the foot, and flesh/pink ballet shoes to class.
A Star Tribune testimonial notes that Karen L. Charles’s mission goes beyond “just dancing” to embrace themes such as race and gender roles, translating them into choreography described as having beauty and soulfulness.
Last updated February 23, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.