Directors & Staff - Minnesota Dance Theatre & The Dance Institute

Lise Houlton became Artistic Director of Minnesota Dance Theatre in 1995, succeeding her mother Loyce Houlton, who founded the company in 1962. A native of Minneapolis, best known for her effortless, fluid style and dramatic sensibility, she began her dance career with MDT, then moved at the age of 19 to the renowned Stuttgart Ballet under the leadership of Glen Tetley. After two years in Germany, she joined American Ballet Theatre where she danced principal roles for many of the great choreographers of the last half century, among them Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Glen Tetley, Antony Tudor, Paul Taylor and Jerome Robbins. She has choreographed several works for the MDT repertory including Sidetracks, House on Fire, Bred in the Bone, Alchemical Wedding, A Piece A Chord, Rumblings, The Enchantment: Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Point of Departure.

Born and trained in the former Soviet Union, Lirena Branitski was first soloist of the Kiev State Theatre of Opera & Ballet and a frequent guest performer on the stage of the famed Bolshoi Theatre. She became a touring member of the Bolshoi Theatre concurrently with renowned ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, performing on stages throughout Europe, Canada and South America. M. Branitski has a vast performance repertoire of soloist and principal roles in both classical and contemporary ballets. She performed under all the Russian master choreographers, including the world-renowned Peter Gusev, Vakhtang Tchabukiani, Raisa Struchkova, and Alexander Lapauri. At Minnesota Dance Theatre & the Dance Institute, she teaches technique class and coaches company dancers in classical repertoire. In addition to teaching ballet and character classes at the Dance Institute, Lirena choreographs student performances. Her direct link to Russian classical ballet technique, repertoire and character dance is a rare privilege for MDT/DI.

Nathan Davis, Ph. D.

Executive Director

Jeffrey Pedersen
Brad Rolfs
Eric Saulitis
Jim Smith

Photographers

Tefera Kassa

Business Manager

Steve Michels-Boyce

Graphic Designer

Elizabeth Houlton

Videographer

List of Faculty

Dance Institute

Brad Moser, MD
J.C. Coetzee, MD
Jonathan Reynolds, MSc, PT

Medical Cosultants