Minnesota Dance Theatre

The Minnesota Dance Theatre (MDT) dance company and school in Minneapolis, Minnesota was founded by Loyce Houlton in 1962 as the Contemporary Dance Playhouse.^[1] It was renamed the Minnesota Dance Theatre in 1969. Lise Houlton succeeded her mother as artistic director in 1995. September, 2023 Kaitlyn Gilliland, Lise Houlton's daughter took over as interim artistic director, being replaced by Elayna Waxse in 2024. In July 2024 MDT announce its new director, Lauren C Post, formally a ballerina of American Ballet Theater became Head of School on August 15, 2024.

Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy

Each holiday season MDT previously presented the ballet Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy based on Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker but the holiday show will be performed outside of MDT because of the Houlton Family's licensing in 2024 and so on. ^[2] Ballet Arts Minnesota and the company's school joined in 2006 to become The Dance Institute.^[3] The organization is based in the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts.

Prince was a student at the Minnesota Dance Theatre through the Urban Arts Program of the Minneapolis Public Schools.^[4]^[5]

In 2012 as part of their 50th Anniversary season, MDT produced an updated version of their once controversial Carmina Burana, in collaboration with Dominique Serrand, of the former Theatre de la Jeune Lune.^[5]

Minnesota Dance Theatre offers classes for students and adults. The school has two divisions, the Young Childrens Division (YCD) and the Performing Arts Division (PAD). Both divisions have performance opportunities including Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy and Strawberry Festival: a Student Showcase. MDT offers ballet fundamentals, beginning ballet, intermediate ballet, and advanced professional ballet classes, making it possible for somebody at any level to take a class.

CAN dance

Minnesota Dance Theatre also offers a sperate program, called CAN dance. Students ages 12-18 yrs old are invited to a tuition free class, included with free snacks, dance attire, and transport to MDT's site. They are taught the foundations of jazz, hip-hop, ballet, contemporary, and jazz. This program was part of MDT in the past but was discontinued until 2024.

Notes

^ The history, personnel and artistic achievements of the Minnesota Dance Theatre are discussed throughout Georgia Finnegan's study Grace & Grit: a History of Ballet in Minnesota (Edina: Afton Press, 2024), ISBN 978-1-7361021-3-8.
^ Palmer, Caroline (April 26, 2000). "Footsteps". City Pages 21 (1012). Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
^ Minnesota Dance Theatre & The Dance Institute (2006). "About The Dance Institute". Retrieved 2007-04-07.
^ Caroline Palmer (May 5, 2016). "Dancers recall Prince as a hard-working 'darling' in tights and ballet slippers". Star Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
^ ^a ^b Regan, Sheila (April 25, 2012). "Minnesota Dance Theatre celebrates 50 years with 'Carmina Burana'". City Pages. Retrieved December 31, 2019.

External links

Minnesota Dance Theatre & The Dance Institute

[1] The history, personnel and artistic achievements of the Minnesota Dance Theatre are discussed throughout Georgia Finnegan's study Grace & Grit: a History of Ballet in Minnesota (Edina: Afton Press, 2024), ISBN 978-1-7361021-3-8.

[CP-Palmer-2] Palmer, Caroline (April 26, 2000). "Footsteps". City Pages 21 (1012). Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-07.

[Institute-about-3] Minnesota Dance Theatre & The Dance Institute (2006). "About The Dance Institute". Retrieved 2007-04-07.

[4] Caroline Palmer (May 5, 2016). "Dancers recall Prince as a hard-working 'darling' in tights and ballet slippers". Star Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2018.

[Regan-5] Regan, Sheila (April 25, 2012). "Minnesota Dance Theatre celebrates 50 years with 'Carmina Burana'". City Pages. Retrieved December 31, 2019.

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