Our History
Choreographer Carl Flink founded Black Label Movement in the fall of 2005 as a creative laboratory and performance platform for his unique brand of athletic contemporary dance and to develop performers hungry to take it on. Our name comes from the original generic foods of the late 1970s and early 1980s that simply bore white or yellow labels with bold black lettering declaring each product’s contents, e.g. Fruit Cocktail, Peas, etc. Flink and his friends called these “black label foods.” The no frills simplicity of these products fit Flink’s aesthetic perfectly. The addition of movement to the company name captures Black Label’s dynamic physical vocabulary and its goal to be a socially conscious community of artists.
Featured in the January 2014 issue of Dance Magazine, Black Label is recognized as one of Minnesota’s leading and most innovative contemporary dance companies. Black Label’s numerous awards and honors include a 2014 Minnesota Dance Community Sage Award for Outstanding Ensemble, The 2015 Twin Cities Star Tribune Best of MN List, A 2016 Sage Award Nomination for Outstanding Performance and Two 2016 Upper Midwest Regional Emmy Award Nominations, among others. Artistic Director Carl Flink was featured in the June 2016 Issue of Dance Teacher. We have moved well beyond Minnesota with performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Florence Gould Hall, Bangalore, India, New York City, Brussels, Belgium, Texas, Massachusetts, California and Florida.
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…’