Monday, July 15, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Minnesota Dance Theatre announces

Charles Askegard as Associate Artistic Director

MDT welcomes Charles Askegard home to the Twin Cities in the position of Associate Artistic Director. Recently retired from a celebrated career with New York City Ballet, Mr. Askegard will bring the breadth of his experience to the organization where he began his dance training.

It is with great anticipation we move toward our 2013-14 season with Charles in this leadership position, bringing his myriad talents to our studio and stage, says Lise Houlton. I have been watching him closely since he first took the stage as the littlest mouse in Loyce Houltons Nutcracker Fantasy to his extraordinary performances on New York Citys Lincoln Center stages. We are honored to have him back.

A native of Minneapolis, Mr. Askegard had a distinguished career, spanning four decades, as a Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, dancing for and with ballet legends Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jerome Robbins, Natalia Makarova, Agnes de Mille, Martha Graham, Twyla Tharp, and Peter Martins, performing the great full-length classical ballets and the brilliant Balanchine repertory.

I am very happy and excited to return to Minneapolis in the position of Associate Artistic Director. It has always been my dream to give back not only to the dance community but the community as a whole - the same community that supported me and the dancers I grew up with and admired, and helped me to achieve my dream of dancing with ABT and New York City Ballet. I look forward to working with Lise Houlton, the MDT dancers, and the students in the School, and giving our Twin Cities audiences wonderful performances. I have the highest of hopes for MDT and strongly believe in its future as a destination for dance. Charles Askegard