Minnesota Dance Theatre & the Dance Institute Announces New Managing Director

Minnesota Dance Theatre & the Dance Institute (MDT/DI) announced today the appointment of Frank McGovern as its Managing Director, effective February 1st, 2010.

A Minneapolis native, Frank McGovern was the Director of Production for The Children's Theatre Company for four years in the 1980's. He also acted as the Executive Director of the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company in Salt Lake City, and the Managing Director of the Gloucester Dance Company in Gloucester, MA. Mr. McGovern is himself an avid student of dance, and takes dance classes across the country during his travels. He has lately served as the Vice President for External Affairs at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin.

MDT/DI Board Chair Greg Foley (Artspace Projects, Inc.) states, "The Board and I are delighted that Frank will join MDT/DI as our Managing Director. Frank has proven leadership, management and development skills and a deep passion for the arts. He has long been an advocate for the arts and non-profit organizations both in the Twin Cities and nationwide, and with his experience will be a terrific fit with MDT/DI. I know that I speak for the entire board when I say how excited we are at the prospect of working with Frank."

MDT/DI Artistic Director Lise Houlton also commented, "I am very excited and look forward to the privilege of working alongside Frank McGovern at MDT/DI. With the company and school's rich history and resilience Mr. McGovern will bring significant energy and innovative leadership to our organization as we near our 50th year in this community."

With an insightful outlook on the long history of MDT/DI and its potential for continued success as a leading artistic and education institution for dance, Mr. McGovern stated, "It's a chance make a significant difference in creation of new work, fresh presentations of the repertoire, and the nurturing of artistic visions and dreams."

Minnesota Dance Theatre & the Dance Institute

Minnesota Dance Theatre was founded in 1962 by Loyce Houlton, and it is one of the state's most well-known arts organizations, perhaps most recognized for its annual presentation of the holiday classic, "Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy." MDT/DI consists of the performing arm, The Minnesota Dance Theatre, and the school, The Dance Institute. (The Dance Institute is the successor to the former Ballet Arts Minnesota and the School of the Minnesota Dance Theatre, which merged in 2006.) Combining a respect for classical ballet traditions with cultivation of contemporary dance, MDT/DI is headquartered in the Hennepin Center for the Arts in downtown Minneapolis. Minnesota Dance Theatre's 2008-2009 performance season runs October 2008 through April 2009. Artistic Director Lise Houlton is the daughter of founder Loyce Houlton.

For more information, visit www.mndance.org or call the Minnesota Dance Theatre & the Dance Institute at (612) 338-0627.

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