2023 Strawberry Festival Program
Sleeping Beauty Prologue D & E Dancers
Choreography: Marius Petipa Staged by
Lise Houlton and Kaitlyn Gilliland
Music: Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Paquita Age 5
Choreography: Emily Pitts
Music: Ludwig Minkus
Divertissement: Valse Boys I
Choreography: Kaitlyn Gilliland
Music: Leo Delibes
Aurora’s Wedding Variation Stella Ford
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Music: Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Cristal C Dancers
Choreography: Loyce Houlton/Lise Houlton
Music: Cesar Camargo Mariano, Yo-Yo Ma
Giselle Age 4
Choreography: Emily Pitts
Music: Adolphe Adam
Tchaikovsky Allegro B Dancers
Choreography: Carlie McCrery
Music: Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky
La Fille Mal Gardée Variation Perryn Northrup
Choreography after Sir Frederick Ashton
Music: Ferdinand Hérold
An Artistic Adventure A Dancers
Choreography: Kari Schire
Music: Fabrizio Paterlini, Franz Schubert
The Little Swans Age 6
Choreography: Lillian Gausmann
Music: Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Kitri Act III Variation Elizabeth Malloy
Choreography after Marius Petipa
Music: Ludwig Minkus
Hidden Voices D Dancers
Choreography: Carlie McCrery
Music: Anton Dvorak
Sleeping Beauty Act II Variation Sofia Perlman
Choreography: Emily Pitts
Music: Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Waltz of the Hours Intermediate
Choreography: Lily Scott
Music: Leo Delibes
Etudes: Broad Leaps Boys II
Choreography: Kaitlyn Gilliland
Music: Carl Czerny, Knudåge Riisager
Orion Concerto E Dancers
Choreography: Jayson Douglas
Music: Ara Malikian, Karl Jenkins
Intermission
Beginning at the Barre C Dancers
Choreography: Maddie Blessinger
Music: Alexander Glazunov
Coppelia Swanhilda Variation Lily Scott
Choreography after Marius Petipa
Music: Leo Delibes
Propulsion to Flight B Dancers
Choreography: Emily Pitts
Music: Peter Gregson
Raymonda Variation Lillian Gausmann
Choreography after Marius Petipa
Music: Alexander Glazunov
Fight/Flight D Dancers
Choreography: Maddie Blessinger
Music: Kerry Muzzey
Rite of Spring E Dancers
Choreography: Loyce Houlton
Music: Igor Stravinsky
Arrival Arianna Farrell
Choreography: Emily Pitts
Music: The Cinematic Orchestra
Flight E Dancers
Choreography: Julia Sutter
Music: Ahn Trio
Down the Rabbit Hole C Dancers
Choreography: Emily Pitts
Music: Yann Tiersen
Passages D & E Dancers
Choreography: Julia Sutter
Music: Astor Piazzolla
Full list of MDT&S performers by class are not listed in online program for privacy reasons.
MDT& S Celebrates our Graduating Seniors!
Minnesota Dance Theatre
Board of Directors
Erin Gerrits, Dr. Andrew Houlton, Lise Houlton - Artistic Director, Siri Kommedahl - Chair,
Brian Thomas May, Elizabeth Simonson, Walter Tambor
Staff
Artistic Director – Lise Houlton
Associate Artistic Director – Kaitlyn Gilliland
Principal Teacher – Carlie Clemmerson
Open Division & School Communications Manager – Kari Schire
Communications & Special Projects and Lead Parent Volunteer – Katie Cannon
Financial Consultant – Carpenter, Evert & Associates
Graphic Designer – Steven Michels-Boyce
MDT&S 2022-2023 Instructors
Maddie Blessinger, Lillian Gausmann, Elizabeth Malloy, Carlie McCrery, Deirdre Murnane,
Perryn Northrup, Sofia Perlman, Emily Pitts, Kari Schire, Lily Scott, Julia Sutter
Principal Accompanist
Susan Hsu
Strawberry Festival Production
Principal Instructor/Coordinator - Carlie McCrery
Lighting Design - Garvin Jellison
Special Thanks
Dana and Scot Malloy, Joseph Bingham and The Cowles Center Staff, Katie Cannon, Rebecca Konietzko, Jennifer Saunders, the MDT&S community of parent volunteers
Strawberries graciously provided by Reinhardt / Performance Foodservice in Rogers, MN
About MDT&S
With a history spanning over half a century, Minnesota Dance Theatre is an acclaimed dance company and school based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1962 by Loyce Houlton, one of the first American women to gain international recognition as a choreographer, teacher and producer, MDT aspires to maintain the highest artistic standards.
With more than 90 ballets to her credit, Loyce Houlton brought significant national attention to the artistic richness of the state. As a teacher, she developed the Houlton Contemporary Technique, a symbiosis of the formal classical ballet and "modern" styles of dance.
In 1995, Lise Houlton succeeded Loyce Houlton as Artistic Director of MDT. During her nearly 30-year tenure as Artistic Director, MDT has continued to lead the Twin Cities in performing, teaching, and celebrating the art of dance.
Summer Camps/Intensives
Join us for an exciting summer at MDT&S!
Current and new students are welcome to attend!
Summer offerings include:
Summer Themed Camps (Ages 4-6)
Intermediate Intensives (Ages 7-9)
Performing Arts Division Intensives
Nutcracker Workshops
Full summer schedule and registration links here.
Follow us on Instagram!
@mndancetheatre_school
Our Supporters
Minnesota Dance Theatre & School recognizes and thanks the following individuals, foundations, and organizations
who support our annual activities. Accumulated gifts over this fiscal year ensure MDT continues to contribute
to a vibrant Twin Cities dance community.
Includes donations made from July 1, 2022 - May 26, 2023
$20,000
Minnesota State Arts Board
$5,000 - $9,999
Tyler and Amanda Ganz, The Window Store, Inc
Knox Foundation
David and Diane Lilly / Peravid Foundation
Helen E. and Daniel T. Lindsay Family Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation
$2,000 - $4,999
Jackley Family Fund
Dr. Andrew Houlton
Lise Houlton
Bud Rotter Family Foundation
Clare Scott and Ryan Companies
Suzi and Dan Scott
$1,000 - $1,999
Kyle and Katie Cannon
John and Joanne Gordon Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation
Susan and Thomas Hebert
Susan and Gregory Novak
Erica and David Perlman
Jennifer Piche and Glen Saunders
Bill and Michelle Pohlad
Susan and Cameron Seymore
Sharon Teska and Andy Nederveld
Elizabeth and Daniel Winden
$500 - $999
Anonymous
Brynn Bannach
David Braslau
Philip Brunelle
Peter and Melissa Gausmann
Erin Gerrits
Rachel Hardemann and Eduardo Medina
Kathryn Hundley
Siri Kommedahl and Lisa Bradley
David Lutz
Paula Sell and Timothy Sielaff
Ramona Treuer and Josh Richard
William Zimmerman
$250 - $499
Rebecca Benz and Karl Narveson
Anne and Bruce Christensen
Stephanie Derauf
Lori and Pierre Gingerich-Boberg
Susan Griak and Paul Schmidt
Sarah S. Lutman and Robert Rudolph
Gene Merriam
Son Anthony Nguyen
Cynthia Northrup
Sarah and Jordan Overton
James Schell
Kelly Greene Vagts
$1,000 - $1,999
Kyle and Katie Cannon
John and Joanne Gordon Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation
Susan and Thomas Hebert
Susan and Gregory Novak
Erica and David Perlman
Jennifer Piche and Glen Saunders
Bill and Michelle Pohlad
Susan and Cameron Seymore
Sharon Teska and Andy Nederveld
Elizabeth and Daniel Winden
$500 - $999
Anonymous
Brynn Bannach
David Braslau
Philip Brunelle
Peter and Melissa Gausmann
Erin Gerrits
Rachel Hardeman and Eduardo Medina
Kathryn Hundley
Siri Kommedahl and Lisa Bradley
David Lutz
Paula Sell and Timothy Sielaff
Ramona Treuer and Josh Richard
William Zimmerman
$250 - $499
Rebecca Benz and Karl Narveson
Anne and Bruce Christensen
Stephanie Derauf
Lori and Pierre Gingerich-Boberg
Susan Griak and Paul Schmidt
Sarah S. Lutman and Robert Rudolph
Gene Merriam
Son Anthony Nguyen
Cynthia Northrup
Sarah and Jordan Overton
James Schell
Kelly Greene Vagts
$1 - $99
Anonymous
Linda Andrean
Jeremy Bensussan
Denise Culshaw
Linda Dahl
Rexford Dale
Andrea DuCane
Bruce Fishbeck
Kristin Herzig
Sarah Kudrna
Ann Kuitunen
Grant Meachum
Amy Newton
Sofia Perlman
Mary Pieh
Aden Saunders
Raina Saunders
Lily Scott
Elizabeth Simonson
Mary Goodman Teurman
Anya Thompson
Julie Wicklund
Josh Williams
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. If your name has been incorrectly listed or omitted in error, please accept our sincere apologies and reach out to kaitlyn.gilliland@mndance.org with any updates.
