1. Rosy Simas Danse: "she who lives on the road to war." Rosy Simas' penetrating dance work and art installation created a mesmerizing landscape through sculpture, vivid video installation and François Richomme's inspired sound score.

2. The Walker Art Center: "Fúria." In Brazilian firebrand choreographer Lia Rodrigues' "Furia," an ensemble of dancers morphed through different configurations as they played out hierarchies and a sense of journey in a keenly political work.

3. I A.M. Arts: "Black Light a re:Search performance." Alanna Morris kicked off 2022 with a raw, deeply spiritual work that brought together Afro-Caribbean beats, glorious sensuality and an ethereal brightness, showcasing Morris' masterful skills as a dancer and bright vision as a choreographer.

4. Ananya Dance Theatre: "Nūn Gherāo: Surrounded by Salt." Choreographer Ananya Chatterjea's knack for evoking precise imagery through dance worked excellently in conjunction with composer and performer Spirit McIntyre.

5. Pramila Vasudevan: "Nipple Disco." With a set full of plants, a live DJ (Chamindika Wanduragala), and makeshift musical instruments, Pramila Vasudevan and collaborators Sequoia Hauck and Valerie Oliveiro offered a compelling meditation on mortality, trauma and our relationship with nature.

6. Arena Dances: "Thermal." Mathew Janczewski peered into the existential dread of climate catastrophe in a piece that wove together breath, fluid partner work and a sense of desperation, accompanied by a layered sound score by Joshua Clausen.

7. SuperGroup & Red Eye Theater: "Fine." Created and performed with technical skill and emotional endurance by Erin Search-Wells, Sam Johnson and Jeffrey Wells, with live music by singer and multi-instrumentalist Crystal Myslajek, this dance/performance art hybrid piece made for an evening of clever words and riveting dance.

8. Schubert Club Mix: "What Is an Instrument?" Darrius Strong and the dancers of STRONGmovement imbued an installation of white cubes — which lit up and made sounds at different frequencies — with regal elegance.

9. James Sewell Ballet: "New Works Project." Before he left for a new gig in Ohio, former dancer and resident choreographer of James Sewell Ballet Da'Rius Malone gave a divine performance in Sewell's "Northern Rites," part of the "New Works Project." Kerry Parker's "Holy," set to Hildegard von Bingen, also impressed.

10. MDT at the Southern Theater: The premiere of "Polaris" and the 2021 piece "Four Seasons" solidified Elayna Waxse's place as a Minnesota choreographer to watch. Meanwhile Alexander Hille, who is currently based in Europe but grew up in Minnesota, pushed the boundaries of what ballet can do in "Divided We Fall."