Kanopy Dance Company
Winter Fantasia: Reimagined
Thursday, December 4 - Sunday, December 7
Reception following Friday night performance
Promenade Hall
Adults: $56.48
Groups of 4 or more: $50.20
Ages 18 & under / Students: $29.27
Ticket prices reflect sales tax, facility and phone/online fees
Runtime
90 minutes, including one intermission
Age Recommendation
All ages
Kanopy lights up the stage for the holidays with “Winter Fantasia: Reimagined,” a dazzling dance celebration showcasing a mosaic of cultural traditions.
At the heart of “Winter Fantasia: Reimagined” is “Chalo Ramiye,” an ancient community folk dance known as “garba” that dates to the 15th Century, choreographed and newly remade by South Asian guest artist Udbhav Desai. The ritual “garba” dance originated in the Indian state of Gujarat and is performed during Navratri, the longest and largest dance festival in the world.
Authentic traditional costumes and jewelry worn by the dancers in “Chalo Ramiye” are from a rare collection curated by the late Bijalben Patel, a lifelong Garba choreographer and dancer.
Two cherished and enchanting winter stories rooted in Scandinavian folklore: “Once Upon a Winter’s Eve” and “The Norse Tree of Life,” conceived by Kanopy’s artistic director Lisa Thurrell and performed in lavish, elaborately detailed costuming designed by noted New York artist David Quinn, continue to be a treasured part of the program. And the joyful and sassy “Winter in the City,” set to the iconic Leonard Bernstein score for “On the Town” and charged with fancy footwork, completes the lineup.
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Thu, Dec 4, 2025
7:00 PM
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Fri, Dec 5, 2025
7:00 PM
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Sat, Dec 6, 2025
4:00 PM
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Sat, Dec 6, 2025
7:00 PM
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Sun, Dec 7, 2025
1:00 PM
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Sun, Dec 7, 2025
4:00 PM
Meet the Artists
Choreographer & Performer
Udbhav Desai
Udbhav Desai (Desai), choreographer, performer and a data engineering manager for Instagram at Meta, was born in the heart of Gujarat in western India. From a young age, Desai was immersed in a world of dance, specifically Garba and Raas, routinely participating in community events and festivals. This tradition carried on at Northwestern University, where Desai performed with the South Asian Students Association in predominantly Bollywood fusion pieces. After graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in chemical engineering, Desai joined Madison Contemporary Dance in 2017/18 and appeared as a guest artist in Kanopy’s iconic production of “Love is Love” in the 2019/20 season.
Performer
Kiro Kopulos
Kiro Kopulos (Kopulos) is a choreographer and performer who has been teaching and dancing for 35 years. Kopulos co-directed Intersect Theatre Dance Company in Ann Arbor, Michigan, also performing with Nonce Dance Ensemble in Detroit. For the past 30 years, Kopulos has been a frequent guest artist with Kanopy Dance Company. As a freelance choreographer and teacher, he has presented his work at the Edmonton, San Francisco and Minnesota Fringe Festivals and most recently at the White Church Theatre Project in Spring Green. Through his work, Kopulos has created a singular style of physical theater and vinyasa flow yoga.
Thank you sponsors
Underwritten with support from The Capital Times, Goodman’s Jewelers, Tamara Quinn & Scott Aumann - Birch Bark Media, and other generous support.
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