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Dance Troupe

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EDT dancers have collectively and individually studied with renowned choreographers from around the world, including Peter Iliev (Bulgaria), Tiang Jiang Cui (China), Nicolas Petrish (Croatia), Frantisek Bonus (Czech Republic), Jacek Marek (Poland) and Sherap Wangmo (Tibet).

Many of EDT's dancers received professional training throughout their lives; some have advanced degress in dance; and others' talents were fashioned while dancing in the ensembles of the various ethnic communities.

Over the years, EDT has been fortunate to have had as part of the troupe performers trained and/or steeped in the various ethnic dance and music traditions represented in our shows; such cultures include: Mexican, Ukrainian, Latvian, Bosnian, Hungarian, Czech/Bohemian, Bulgarian, German, Scandinvian, Arabian, Chinese, Indian, and more.

Dance Troupe Roster for 2008-2009:

Joseph Claesgens

  • Joined EDT: 2008-2009 season
  • Expertise/Background: German folk dance
  • Fun Fact: Joseph is the son of EDT Dancer Renee LaCourse and alumnus Tom Claesgens and the youngest ever EDT company member! Joseph also performs in SG Edelweiss St Paul

John Czichray

  • Joined EDT: 1999-2000 season
  • Expertise/Background: Dancer with Dolina Polish Folk Dancers; former dancer with Isvorasul Romanian Dance Ensemble, Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Cheremosh Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble; engineer with Boston Scientific
  • Fun Fact: Engineer...enough said!

Jake Fitzpatrick

  • Joined EDT: 2008-2009 season
  • Expertise/Background: BA in dance from t St. Olaf College
  • Fun Fact: Performed in Veselica, an international dance group that is directed by EDT Dancer and Resident Choreographer Anne von Bibra-Wharton

Stefan Iwaskewycz

  • Joined EDT: 1998-1999 season
  • Expertise/Background: Performer with the Ukrainian Village Band; Director/Producer of the Hutsul Dance Project; Grew up dancing in the Cheremosh Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble; Degree in East European Studies
  • Fun Fact: Lived in Ukraine in 2004 and the "Orange Revolution" occured; within weeks of returning to Ukraine in 2005, the prime minister is fired; upon arrival in Ukraine in 2006 another government collapses; and the PM is fired again after his arrival in the late summer of 2008. Stefan thinks he is the puppet master of Ukrainian politics. . .

Emily Judd (Dancer Representative on EDT Board)

  • Joined EDT: 2005-2006 season
  • Expertise/Background: B.A. in Dance from St. Olaf College, Modern Dance; Sales Manager at Nordstrom
  • Fun Fact: Has an adorable 4 year old pug named “Ole”

Donald LaCourse (Artistic Director, Co-Founder, Costume Designer)

  • Founded EDT: 1974
  • Expertise/Background: German folk dance; Hungarian folk dance; Traditional folk costumes of the world; Folk traditions of the former Yugoslav republics; Studied dance in Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Costa Rica, Russia, Ukraine, Northern Ossetia
  • Fun Fact: Used to make and sell wigs for hookers and transvestites

Mark LaCourse

  • Joined EDT: 1974
  • Expertise/Background: German folk dance; Vorplattler of SG Edelweiss St Paul; Vorplattler of Gauverband Nordamerika
  • Fun Fact: Father of Matthew LaCourse, the first “second generation” EDT dancer

Matthew LaCourse

  • Joined EDT: 2003-2004 season
  • Expertise/Background: Dancer with SG Edelweiss St Paul; Senior in high school
  • Fun Fact: First “second generation” EDT dancer

Renee LaCourse (EDT Costume Designer)

  • Joined EDT: 1975
  • Expertise/Background: German folk dance, Dancer with SG Edelweiss St Paul
  • Fun Fact: Was once called, "a sunny, sturdy blond that spins like a top" in an EDT review.

Sydney Lefevre

  • Joined EDT: 2008-2009 season
  • Expertise/Background: Eastern European folk music, Romanian folk dance, Turkish language and culture
  • Fun Fact: Sydney played with the EDT Folk Orchestra for Land of Legends, EDT's Spring 2007 show and has been a music student of Colleen Bertsch and Natalie Nowytski, both long-time performers with EDT. Sydney also performs with Izvorasul Romanian Dance Ensemble and the Ukrainian Village Band.

Timothy Munger

  • Joined EDT: 2008-2009 season
  • Expertise/Background: Romanian folk dance
  • Fun Fact: Has performed for 27 years with Izvorasul Romanian Dance Ensemble; serves on Program Comittee for the Festival of Nations.

Tori Piorek

Zinta Pone

  • Joined EDT: performed 1996-1997 to 2000-2001 seasons; returned 2007-2008 season
  • Expertise/Background: Grew up singing in the Teiksma Latvian Folk Choir, is a musician and singer steeped in Latvian folk traditions
  • Fun Fact: Performed for many years in Skandinieki, a highly regarded folk choir in Latvia noted for its dedication to authentic tradition.

Kaja Rajtar

  • Joined EDT: 2006-2007 season
  • Expertise/Background: Dancer with Dolina Polish Folk Dancers; High school senior
  • Fun Fact: I’m left handed

Tyrone Schenk

  • Joined: 2006-2007 season
  • Expertise/Background: Southern German folk dance, with training in Germany and Austria; degrees in Marketing and German from University of Minnesota
  • Fun Fact: In April 2005, Salzburg-TV called him “Schurli” (the Austrian nickname for George) after declining an interview following his featured solo performance during a folk music and dance telecast on St. George’s Day in Salzburg, Austria.

Kjersti Sletten Vevle

  • Joined EDT: 2003-2004 season
  • Expertise/Background: Graduate of St. Olaf, Dance Major and History; Masters in Education at University of St. Thomas
  • Fun Fact: Former synchronized swimmer

Ruth Straub

  • Joined EDT: performed 1998-1999 seasons; returned:
  • Expertise/Background: Graduate of St. Olaf College
  • Fun Fact: Mother of two beautiful daughters

Anne von Bibra Wharton (EDT Resident Choreographer)

  • Joined EDT: 1989-1990 season
  • Expertise/background: Professor of Ballroom and Folk Dance, St. Olaf College
  • Fun fact: Descended from German nobility; her great grandfather was a Hussar in Franz Josef I von Habsburg's honor-guard

Some of the other places you can spot EDT dancers:

John Czichray, Tori Piorek and Kaja Rajtar in Dolina Polish Folk Dancers

Timothy Munger and Sydney Lefevre in Izvorasul Romanian Dance Ensemble

Donald, Matthew, Mark and Rene LaCourse, Joseph Claesgens in SG Edelweiss St Paul

Zinta Pone in Teiksma Latvian Folk Choir

Stefan Iwaskewycz and Sydney Lefevre in the Ukrainian Village Band

Anne von Bibra as Director of Veselica Folk Ensemble at St Olaf College

Concert Facts:

Did you know that?

Coming Soon. . . Factoids for THEN and NOW, EDT's Spring Show 2011

Photo advertising "Then and Now," the 2011 Spring Concert Series of the Ethnic Dance Theatre

Click to enlarge

May 13-15

Ethnic Dance Theatre presents THEN and NOW, its 37th Annual Spring Concert Series featuring the music and dance of Bosnia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Iran, Norway, Sweden, and Turkey at the Ritz Theater in NE Minneapolis.

One of the most compelling elements of a people's identity is its folk culture. EDT is known for the authenticity it brings to interpreting ethnic music and dance for the stage, and is respected for its work in promoting ethnic music, dance, and costume as art. The first half of the show--THEN--demonstrates our signature performance style at its best.

Folk cultures are constantly evolving, and the manner of presenting folk music, dance and costume on the stage has been undergoing much change around the world in recent years. In some instances, change in the style of presentation has preserved the baby of tradition, while in others, we feel it has not. In the second half of the show--NOW--audiences will experience something of a departure from EDT's traditional style as we present our own contemporary interpretation of ethnic dance, music and costume!

Presentation of THEN and NOW is made possible in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, the McKnight Foundation, the Target Foundation, and our individual donors.

**If you know something interesting--including your own personal story--about a culture represented in our current season, please tell us about it here!

Click here to read previous factoids