What to do in Madison this weekend: Kanopy Dance, Pour'n Yer Heart Out and more Isthmus Picks

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The current Public Health Madison and Dane County face covering public order is in effect through Feb. 28; PHMDC announced on Feb. 14 the order will be allowed to expire. Many venues and businesses continue to maintain individual requirements for proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test for entry. Before heading out for any in-person event, it is recommended to confirm it is still taking place, and check for any attendance guidelines on the relevant business websites or social media accounts.

Art Toast with Thomas Ferrella, Thursday, Feb. 17, online, 5 p.m.: Local artist Ferrella's show, The Illusion of Permanence, on display at the Marzen Gallery through May 6, features sculptures made from burnt wood and found objects, and oil portraits of insects. It's a typically untypical collection from an artist who refuses to be pigeonholed; Ferrella thoughtfully looks at people, other animals and the environment but never separates one from the other. In this special virtual Art Toast, tour Ferrella's studio. RSVP here for the Zoom link.

Yams & Sweet Potatoes: Black Culinary Series, Thursday, Feb. 17, Madison College-Truax Mitby Theater, 6 p.m.: Madison's palate has undeniably become more global over the past few decades. Highlighting the contributions of Black cooks from all over the world is the aim of this series sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Community Engagement Office at Madison College. The “Yams and Sweet Potatoes,” series continues Feb. 17 with a keynote presentation (tickets here) by Jessica B. Harris, author of High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America. The acclaimed 2011 book was revisited for the 2021 Netflix series High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America, which will return for a second season. The upcoming week also includes a cooking demo on Feb. 23 by chef Patience Clark of Palate Pleasures (noon, Madison College-South campus); find tickets here.

Lunar New Year, Thursday, Feb. 17, Lisa Link Peace Park, 6 p.m.: A Chinese lion dance on State Street will help usher in the Lunar New Year. The traditional dance is meant to bring good luck and fortune. Dancers from Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association will usher in the Year of the Tiger, this year’s zodiac sign. Last year it was the ox and in 2020 the rat.

Chelsea Manning, Thursday, Feb. 17, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7 p.m.: While a U.S. Army intelligence analyst, Chelsea Manning acted as a whistleblower for government accountability about actions during the war in Iraq. The leaked material, published by WikiLeaks, led to Manning's court-martial and imprisonment until her sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017. (In 2019 the WikiLeaks connection led to more jail time, when Manning refused to testify in a case involving the website's founder, Julian Assange.) At this Wisconsin Union Directorate Distinguished Lecture Series talk, Manning will discuss her activism for transgender rights, the ethics of public service and government transparency, and other topics. The talk is free but tickets are required.

Wisconsin Global Fest, Friday, Feb. 18, Majestic, 7 p.m.: FPC Live's January fest concert schedule encountered a few COVID-related scheduling hiccups along the way; this Friday one of the postponed shows returns to the schedule, focusing on the sounds of cultures from around the world. Visiting from Milwaukee is the 10-piece De La Buena, which mixes Latin and Afro-Cuban sounds into their own blend of jazz. Madison's Immigré, also a 10-piece band, draws on Afrobeat rhythms for their funky, danceable grooves. And Milwaukee-based Spare Change Trio fuses reggae, jazz and funk with the sound of Australian didgeridoo. Since the shows were originally announced, Wisconsin Pop Fest was also added to the schedule for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19, featuring Kat and the Hurricane, Seasaw, Bear in the Forest, LINE and Pink Halo.

Reflections + Dreams, Feb. 18-Feb. 20, Overture Center for the Arts: Madison’s Kanopy Dance Company will perform a program titled “Reflections + Dreams,” starring the choreography of social justice-driven dancer Anna Sokolow and featuring five guest artists from Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble of New York City. The show includes legendary works on the captivating and frustrating aspects of human love and longing, including Sokolow's Scenes from The Music of Charles Ives (1971) and Ballade (1965). “Reflections + Dreams” will also showcase the passionate “Mourner’s Bench” (1947, a segment of Southern Landscape) by the late, great, Black American choreographer Talley Beatty, tackling highly emotional themes of virtue and oppression. Performances at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 18; 2 and 5 p.m., Feb. 19; and 1 and 4 pm, Feb. 20. Read more at Katie Reiser’s preview.

Rucksack Revolution, Friday, Feb. 18, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: There are Wisconsin artists who show they truly care about other musicians; fellow-players making their way in the Badger State. American bluegrass and folk masters Adam Greuel of Stevens Point’s Horseshoes and Hand Grenades and Sarah Vos of Dead Horses from Milwaukee are two. Their tender performances as Rucksack Revolution feature unselfish vocal harmonies. Their set list is deep; if they play “Winona, Winona,” the song should haunt the audience long after the curtain drops. The duo's self-titled debut album was released Feb. 11.

She Loves Me, Friday, Feb. 18, and Sunday, Feb. 20, Overture Center-Capitol Theater: Madison Opera is keeping the romance alive post-Valentine's Day with She Loves Me, a musical following the comical, unexpected romance of two perfume shop clerks who disdain each other. Little do they know they are also secret pen pals. Taking place in 1930s Hungary, She Loves Me has some familiar vibes for You’ve Got Mail fans, though the play was created long before that film — in 1963, by Pulitzer Prize-winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, better known for Fiddler on the Roof. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 20, with talks by Madison Opera general director Kathryn Smith one hour prior.

Sheila Heti, Friday, Feb. 18, online, 8 p.m.: Pure Colour, the latest novel by author Sheila Heti, imagines a world in which God revises humankind into three standard types, drawn from the eggs of bears, birds or fish. Alexandra Kleeman describes it as “part bonkers cosmology and part contemporary parable” in a review for The New York Times. Hear more about the book from Heti herself, in conversation with New Yorker staff writer and novelist Elif Batuman, during a livestream hosted by A Room of One's Own. Tickets include a copy of the book.

Trampled By Turtles + Langhorne Slim, Friday-Saturday, Feb. 18-19, The Sylvee, 8 p.m.: This two-night extravaganza of Minnesota-grown progressive bluegrass will take fans back to simpler times, as Trampled by Turtles will perform their 2010 breakthrough album, Palomino, in its entirety on Friday and its 2012 follow-up, Stars and Satellites, from front to back Saturday. Both albums hit No. 1 on Billboard’s U.S. bluegrass chart. Americana singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim, who released his critically acclaimed seventh studio album, Strawberry Mansion, in 2021, opens the show.

Butterfly Ball, Saturday, Feb. 26, online, 7 p.m. (VIP RSVP by Feb. 18): The Alana Rose Foundation hosts this annual fundraiser for the nonprofit's mission to support those who experience the loss of a pregnancy or an infant. A silent auction kicks off online at 9 a.m. Feb. 19; register at alanarosefoundation.cbo.io to bid, and attend the virtual social and program (7 p.m., Feb. 26). Registration is free to view the program; tickets must be purchased by Feb. 18 for VIP options ($50-$25) including pick-up meals/drinks and a virtual afterparty.

Lift Every Voice, through Feb. 28, online: Madison Ballet has been working to bring ballet to diverse audiences throughout the pandemic, through free outdoor performances and even film. Its film series Lift Every Voice returns for a second season, featuring brand-new contemporary dance from choreographers of color; featured this year are Meet by Yaqi Wu, Love Dream by Yu-Jhe Sun, Love Suites by Morgan Williams, and Away/Return by Jacob Ashley EL. The films are available to view on demand for free through Feb. 28; register for a link at madisonballet.org.

Pour'n Yer Heart Out, Saturday, Feb. 19, Olbrich Gardens, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.: FeLion Studios is back with its annual “community iron pour” event, sure to warm up the great lawn at Olbrich on a likely chilly day. The iron pouring is handled by pros starting at noon, but the public is invited to design scratch tile sand molds to capture the molten reclaimed metal. Blank tiles can be purchased at the Olbrich gift shop and must be returned by Feb. 18; there's also a design workshop by FeLion’s Alisa Toninato starting Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Spectator admission is free, and an afterparty follows until 10 p.m. next door at Garver Feed Mill. Find all the details at felionstudios.com.

Davina & the Vagabonds, Saturday, Feb. 19, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: Davina and the Vagabonds is an Americana band that draws on Memphis and New Orleans origins to produce a unique melding of blues and soul. The group is led by powerhouse vocalist Davina Sowers, whose soulful voice has been compared to Amy Winehouse and Etta James. The quintet has released four albums over the past decade, each featuring an evocative, nostalgic sound; “Devil Horns,” on their 2019 album, Sugar Drops, playfully quotes the horns from Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”

Volvox + Antenes, Saturday, Feb. 19, High Noon Saloon, 9 p.m.: “Remain in Night” is a new concert series from the folks behind the Musique Electronique stage at La Fete de Marquette, focusing on trippy techno. The High Noon will be transformed into an underground dance club with sets by a pair of Brooklyn-based producers and performers: Volvox, who holds down residencies in her NYC home base and is a regular at international festivals; and Antenes, who builds much of her own equipment by experimenting with and repurposing vintage electronics. The night kicks off with Minnesotan Heckadecimal, a specialist in kicking it old school with all hardware live PA sets.

United Way Bluegrass Benefit, Sunday, Feb. 20, Barrymore Theatre, 1 p.m.: Bluegrass has been very good to the United Way of Dane County over the years. And the United Way has been very good to bluegrass fans with this annual afternoon-long bluegrass chautauqua. The all-woman five-piece Strings to Roam leads off the program with bluegrass and Celtic. Local favorite SpareTime Bluegrass dishes traditional and originals next. Then the “King of Kids Music,” David Landau (Cork ‘ n Bottle String Band), fills the dance floor with the under-10 set, followed by Wisconsin bluegrass icon Art Stevenson and High Water. Soggy Prairie closes the show.

Madison Alumni: A Legacy of Indigenous Perspectives, through March 21, UW Memorial Union-Main Gallery: Professor of art John Hitchcock curated this exhibit highlighting the printmaking of George Cramer, Joe Feddersen, Jason Garcia, Karen Goulet, Tom Jones, Monty Little, Truman Lowe, Dakota Mace, Sarah McRae, Rory Wakemup, Wanesia Spry Misquadace, Henry Payer, Alex Peña, Dyani White Hawk, Derick Wycherly, Valaria Tatera — all Indigenous artists and all faculty or graduates of the UW-Madison Art Department. This kind of survey of the variety of the work coming out of the top-notch printmaking program is long overdue. Learn more about the artists here.

We hope it’s helpful for readers to find the Picks in a single weekly post. The individual Picks can still be found in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.