Minnesota Dance Theater and School Inc

Minnesota Dance Theatre (MDT), founded by Loyce Houlton in 1962, is the longest-running ballet school in Minnesota and is based at 730 SE 9th Street in Northeast Minneapolis. Its alumni include the late Prince, and the company and school have long been part of the city's cultural life. Lauren Post, formerly of American Ballet Theatre, became Artistic Director in August 2024, joined in 2025 by Artistic Associate Joanna Mednick, previously of Dutch National Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. The school is organized into divisions: Primary for ages 4-6, Preparatory for ages 7-12, Upper as a pre-professional ballet program for ages 10-18, a Pre-Professional division for ages 15-18, and an Open Adult division for beginner to advanced students aged 16 and up. Summer programs, beginner adult ballet sessions, workshops and an outreach program are also run, and MDT stages productions such as a new Nutcracker Suite at the Cowles Center. The building also houses Twin Cities Orthopedics' dance medicine clinic, and financial assistance is available.