The
Black Label
Timeline


2023

Our films ‘A Dream of Touch…’ & ‘cage(d)’ wrap up their film festival runs - receiving 36 selections in 14 countries and 5 continents

April

  • We celebrate the 15th Anniversary of ‘Wreck’ for our Minnesota spring season

November

  • Collaborated with musician Greg LeGette on the visuals of his song ‘Lost in Light’

 

2022

April

  • 12th Minnesota Season premiere of ‘Canary, Crimson then Emerald’ is postponed due to company COVID outbreak

September

  • Premiere of ‘Canary, Crimson then Emerald’ at The Cowles Center

November

  • Black Label premiere of ‘Riding The Maelstrom’ as part of The Cowles Center’s inaugural Fall Forward Festival

 

2021

  • Carl Flink submits ‘A Dream of Touch…’ & ‘cage(d)’ to various film festivals across the globe - collecting numerous laurels

February

  • Creation of 11 individual ‘Crimson’ solos. One on each mover

July

  • Joint 2-week Summer Intensive with Limón Dance Company in Minneapolis

 

2020

January

  • Tour to New York City for Booking Dance Festival, showing excerpts of ‘This Bleeding Heart’ & ‘HIT’ at Jazz at Lincoln Center

March

  • Exhibit at ‘Cancer & The Human Body’ event at the Science Museum of Minnesota

September

  • The BLaM Lab launches: a new online program for subscriptions to exclusive digital content

  • We implement an innovative soft quarantine strategy with major guidance from Jon Hallberg & the University of Minnesota Medical program to safely accomplish physical touch for upcoming film shoot

  • Creation intensive, culminating in the film shoot of new dance film ‘How Do We Touch, When Touch Is Gone’ at the Holden Room in Minneapolis for TEDx Minneapolis.

October

  • Virtual premiere of ‘A Dream of Touch, When Touch is Gone’ for TEDx Minneapolis’ ADAPTATION event

  • Carl Flink commissioned by SEEN at The Cedar to make new collaborative work with Sarith, an incarcerated person - resulting in the film ‘cage(d)’

  • ZAMM Arizona Tour cancelled due to effective COVID protocols catching a compromised mover

 

2019

January

  • Bodystorming workshop at the University of Minnesota

February

  • Carl Flink commissioned by Utah Valley University to re-stage ‘This Bleeding Heart’ on Contemporary Dance Ensemble

May

  • 11th Minnesota season show at the Ritz Theater with premiere of ‘Morituri te Salutant’

August

  • Carl Flink commissioned by MADCO to make new work ‘Riding The Maelstrom’

September

  • Twin Cities Dance showcase for Arts Midwest at the Tek Box

  • Physical Sciences Oncology Network’s Annual Meeting: Bodystorming at UMN and show at the Illusion Theater

  • Swede Hollow Ghost Sonata’ show with Sod House Theater in Swede Hollow Park

October

  • Tour to Gainesville, Florida for teaching and shows at the University of Florida’s Curtis M. Philip’s Center

  • Carl Flink led bodystorming discussions at Arizona State University

November

  • Living Light Project: ‘In This House’ showing at the Barker Center for Dance

 

2018

  • Carl Flink commissioned by Normandale Community College to choreograph ‘Spring Awakening’

  • BLM commissioned by Performing Institute of Minnesota to re-stage ‘Bleeding Heart’

January

  • 10th Minnesota season show at the Ritz Theater with premiere of ‘I Am A Rope Bringing This Down’

  • Eye Hand Gesture installation at UMN’s Wilson Library with excerpt showing of ‘I Am A Rope..’

May

  • Performances at Candy Box Dance Festival at the Southern Theater

  • Swede Hollow Project showing at the American Swedish Institute

  • Livestream presentation at the University of Minnesota’s Neuro-Oncology Symposium

  • 2 days of bodystorming at the Performing Institute of Minnesota

July

  • Dancimation showcase at the Tek Box with development showing of ‘Morituri Seed’

 

2017

  • Carl Flink commissioned by Theater Latte Da to choreograph ‘Peter & The Starcatcher’

February

  • Carl Flink named Bell Museum’s artist in residence for a ‘Brighter U’

March

  • Presentation at the Science Museum of Minnesota

July

  • 2 Days of Bodystorming at the University of Minnesota’s Barker Center for Dance

August

  • Bodystorming station at the Minnesota State Fair in the University of Minnesota tent

September

  • Premiere of ‘Walking By Flashlight’ at Northrop Auditorium for the University of Minnesota’s CLA donor campaign launch gala evening entitled “Driven”

October

  • Tour to Gainesville, Florida for teaching at the University of Florida & Sante Fe College, and show at SFC’s Fine Arts Hall

December

  • Cameo in Performing Institute of Minnesota’s Strange & Wonderous Winter Spectacular

 

2016

(two upper midwest regional Emmy award nominations)

  • Carl Flink commissioned by Vocal Essence to choreograph ‘Four Saints in Three Acts’

  • Carl Flink commissioned by St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists to re-stage ‘Canary

  • Carl Flink commissioned by The History Theater to choreograph ‘Complicated Fun: The Minneapolis Music Scene of the 1980’s’

  • Carl Flink commissioned by Urbanity Dance to re-stage ‘HIT’ and choreograph ‘Call To Courage’

  • Carl Flink commissioned by Haley Bonar to choreograph music video for ‘I Can Change’

January

  • Premiere of ‘I Spy A Folk Song’ at Orchestra Hall for their “Young People’s Concert” series with the Minnesota Orchestra

February

  • Performance of ‘Mambo’ at Orchestra Hall for their “Young People’s Concert” series with the Minnesota Orchestra

April

  • TPT TV Takeover evening

June

  • 9th Minnesota season show, shared bill/collaboration with Contempo Physical Dance at the Cowles Center’s Goodale Theater with premiere of bi-company ‘Merge’

October

  • Performance of ‘A Duet for Wreck’ at Elevate Dance Festival in Minneapolis

 

2015

February

  • Tour to St. Joseph, Minnesota for premiere of ‘An Unkindness of Ravens’ & performance of ‘Alleged Dances’ at the College of St. Benedict & St. John's University

March

  • 8th Minnesota season show at the Cowles Center’s Goodale Theater with premiere of ‘Alleged Dances’ & Minneapolis premiere of 'An Unkindness of Ravens'

April/May

  • Tour to Bangalore, India for 12 days of Bodystorming workshops & showings at the Nat’l Centre for Biological Sciences

October

  • Premiere of ‘Mambo’ at Orchestra Hall for their “Young People’s Concert” series with the Minnesota Orchestra

 

2014

  • Carl Flink commissioned by St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists to re-stage ‘This Bleeding Heart’

  • Carl Flink commissioned by University of Utah to make new work

  • Carl Flink commissioned by University of North Texas to make new work - ‘Foxhole’ based on BLM’s ‘Whack-A-Mole’ and selected for Regional ACDA Gala

  • Carl Flink commissioned by University of North Georgia to re-stage ‘Lost Lullabies’

  • Carl Flink commissioned by Gainesville Theater Alliance to choreograph ‘Eurydice’

  • Carl Flink commissioned by the Bakken Trio to make new collaborative work - ‘Alleged Dances’

March

  • 7th Minnesota season show at the Cowles Center’s Goodale Theater with premiere of ‘Hive’

April

  • Performance of ‘If truth is beauty, can art be science?’ at the grand re-opening of Northrop Auditorium

  • Tour to University of North Texas for bodystorming research/workshops and a show featuring performances of ‘Dance vs. Powerpoint: A Modest Proposal’ & ‘Lost Lullabies’

June

  • Performance of ‘HIT’ at Dance USA

July

  • Performance of ‘Wreck’ at the Guthrie Theater’s Dowling Studio

  • Premiere of ‘Polka’ at Orchestra Hall’s “Summerfest” with the Minnesota Orchestra

November

  • Premiere of ‘Alleged Dances’ with/commissioned by the Bakken Trio at MacPhail Music Hall

 

2013

  • Carl Flink commissioned by Theater Latte Da in partnership with University of Minnesota Theater Arts & Dance to choreograph ‘Spring Awakening’

  • Carl Flink commissioned by the University of Minnesota to re-stage ‘A Modest Proposal’ on University Dance Theater

January

  • Bodystorming lecture/demonstration at Perpich School for Performing Arts

February

  • Tour to Washington, DC for TEDMED - premiering ‘If truth is beauty, can art be science?’

March

  • Performance of ‘Canary’ at ACDA Regional at Mankato State University

May

  • Tour to Duluth, Minnesota: 4 week residency and show at the College of St. Scholastica

June

  • 6th Minnesota season show at the Cowles Center’s Goodale Theater with premiere of ‘Whack-A-Mole’

July

  • Tour to Woods Hole, Massachusetts for bodystorming workshops at the Oceanographic Institute

  • Review in Dance Magazine

 

2012

(awarded McKnight Choreography Fellowship)

  • Carl Flink commissioned by University of Kansas to make new work - ‘Seachange’ based on BLM’s ‘Wreck'

January

  • Tour to Duluth, Minnesota for show at the University of Minnesota - Duluth performing ‘Wreck’ & ‘Field Songs’

  • ‘A Duet for Wreck’ featured on TPT’s ‘MN Originals’ Series

February

  • 5th Minnesota season show at the Cowles Center’s Goodale Theater with premiere of ‘Canary’

March

  • Tour to Long Beach, California for TED-Ed: Full Spectrum - premiering ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’

(photo from ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ awarded Best TED images of 2012)

June

  • Premiere of ‘Oceania’ at Orchestra Hall for their Post-Renovation Gala

July

  • Tour to Woods Hole, Massachusetts for bodystorming residency at The Marine Biological Laboratory for research & workshops, alongside two performances

September

  • ‘HIT’ & Bodystorming featured on TPT’s ‘MN Originals’ Series

  • Performance of ‘HIT’ as part of the MN Contemporary Dance platform

  • Carl Flink commissioned by University of Minnesota to re-stage ‘Lost Lullabies’ on University Dance Theater

October

  • Tour to Duluth, Minnesota: 6 week residency to teach in the community and perform evening length ‘Wreck’ at Clyde Iron Works

November

  • Bodystorming featured in Science Magazine

  • Performance of ‘A Duet for Wreck’ at event “The Body in Motion: Vitality, Energy & Spirit” sponsored by Hippocrates Cafe Productions & the Minnesota State Arts Board

  • Bodystorming published in Trends in Cell Biology Journal (Vol. 22, Issue 12)

 

2011

  • Carl Flink commissioned by Equus Project to make new work - ‘Un/stable Landscape’ brought to Bates Dance Festival

  • Carl Flink commissioned by Same Planet Different World to make new work - ‘HIT’

Spring

  • ‘Lost Lullabies’ selected for ACDA National Gala at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater in Washington, DC

July

  • Shooting of film ‘Spacewalk’ with Perimeter Productions

November

  • Premiere of ‘HIT’ at the Chicago Humanities Festival, as well as Bodystorming workshops

  • Tour to Brussels, Belgium for TEDx - premiering ‘Dance vs. Powerpoint: A Modest Proposal’ & ‘Spacewalk (Zero Gravity Dance)’

 

2010

October

  • 4th Minnesota season show at the Southern Theater with premiere of ‘The Woyzeck Project’ with Luverne Siefert

  • Carl Flink featured on TPT’s ‘MN Originals’ series

 

2009

May

  • 3rd Minnesota season show at the Southern Theater with premiere of ‘Field Songs’

 

2008

(awarded McKnight Choreography Fellowship)

January

  • 2nd Minnesota season show at the Southern Theater with premiere of evening length ‘Wreck’

 

2007

  • Development and creation of ‘A Duet For Wreck’

 

2006

August

  • Inaugural Minnesota season show at the Southern Theater with premieres of ‘Lost Lullabies’, ‘A Fractured Narrative for a Sad Ending’ & ‘Spill’

 

2005

Black Label Movement established by Founder & Artistic Director Carl Flink in Minneapolis, Minnesota

November

  • First public performance: Choreographer’s Evening at the Walker Art Center’s McGuire Theater premiering flagship work ‘This Bleeding Heart…’