<p><img border="0" alt="Minnesota Dance Theatre" width="532" height="145" src="/id0904f67a8010a428" /></p><p><br /> </p><h2>Minnesota Dance Theatre To Perform For SIUE’s Arts & Issues Series<br /> </h2><p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Minnesota Dance Theatre (MDT), with some of the world’s best classically trained dancers, will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 17, at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as part of SIUE’s Arts & Issues series. The concert will take place in Katherine Dunham Hall theater, <a href="http://www.siue.edu/maps/map_campus.pdf">#6 on SIUE Campus Map [pdf]</a>.</p><p>Critics have described the MDT as a “tour de force that (leaves) some onlookers cheering and … others spellbound.” Under the direction of Lise Houlton, an acclaimed dancer and former member of the American Ballet Theatre and the Stuttgart Ballet, MDT performs with breathtaking versatility that shines through in the company’s dynamic repertoire of classic ballet and contemporary works.</p><p>“The excitement generated at a performance by the Minnesota Dance Theatre is a pleasure to behold,” says John Peecher, coordinator of the Arts & Issues series. “The company’s repertoire is a tapestry of work that expresses the very spirit of dance and choreographic adventures.</p><p>“The MDT is an excellent finish to a highly successful Arts & Issues season.”</p><p>SIUE’s Arts & Issues program is in its 21st season of presenting world-class performers and noted speakers to Southwestern Illinois audiences.</p><p>Founded in 1962, Minnesota Dance Theatre celebrates a deep and personal connection to its past and is presently flourishing by creating and commissioning new dance repertoire. MDT is renowned as one of Minnesota’s cultural treasures with an eclectic international voice that builds upon a 40-year tradition.</p><p>In addition to a full professional performance series, the MDT’s mission is to foster talent by providing a comprehensive classical and contemporary training curriculum, focused on the technical and artistic demands of a professional dance career. Toward that goal, the MDT provides students with performing opportunities that encourage and further their skills and talents.</p><p>Tickets for the March 17 concert are $24; students, $12, and are available by contacting the SIUE Fine Arts box office, (618) 650-2774, or at the Web site: <a href="http://www.artsandissues.com">artsandissues.com</a>.</p><p><br /><span class="xcaption"><a href="http://www.siue.edu/news/current.shtml">more SIUE news >></a></span></p>