Artistic Director
The driving force behind EDT, Donald LaCourse serves as artistic director, lead dancer, choreographer, cultural researcher, and costume designer.
Mr. LaCourse began folk dancing at the age of four. At age seven, he decided to make it his career when he first saw Duquesne University´s Tamburitzans Dancers. Mr. LaCourse became a member of Edelweiss St. Paul, a German folk dance troupe, at age 10. He danced in this troupe and in musical theatre productions until 1973, when he moved to Seattle to join The Koleda Folk Ensemble (where choreographer Mark Morris was also a dancer). In 1974, Mr. LaCourse returned to Minneapolis and co-founded EDT.
Mr. LaCourse has completed a dozen international research trips in order to learn dance techniques, research costumes, and to better understand the cultural context of his work. The Autonomous Republic of Northern Ossetia (Russia), Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Poland, Spain, and Ukraine are just a few of the countries which he has visited. Nationally recognized for his choreography, Mr. LaCourse was commissioned to create work for the Chimera Theatre, the Radost Folk Ensemble of Seattle, and Avaz International Dance Theatre in Los Angeles. He has also appeared as a guest artist with the Minnesota Opera, the North Star Opera Company, Katha Dance Theatre and Dolina Polish Folk Dancers.
EDT's outstanding national reputation as one of the most diverse and distinctive repertoires to be performed in the world of ethnic dance is a direct result of Mr. LaCourse's dedication, acumen, and artistry.
To contact Mr. LaCourse write: dlacourse@ethnicdancetheatre.com.
Concert Facts:
Did you know that?
Mumbai
The Gateway to India
Mumbai is one of the most populous cities in the world. It was built across seven islands & was controlled by various empires before the arrival of the first Europeans, the Portuguese. Control ultimately passed to the British who, beginning in the late 18th century, reshaped the city in a series of large-scale civil engineering projects. Under British control, Mumbai emerged as India’s most important center of commerce. Today, it is home to such institutions as the Reserve Bank of India & the National Stock Exchange of India, as well as numerous Indian and multinational corporations. In 1885 the first session of the Indian National Congress ("the Congress Party") was held in Mumbai, and in the 20th century Mumbai was a strong base of support for the Indian independence movement. The city is also the home of Bollywood, India’s film and TV industry. See our Indian suite in PORTS of CALL!
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