Individual and Group Member Pages

EASTERN ARTS

Eastern Arts is a non-profit organization of dancers, artists, musicians, and scholars who present the folkways and traditions of many lands and peoples.

Eastern Arts originated in 1960 and has been active internationally presenting dance and music of lands from Asia to North Africa, from India to the Balkans in concerts, workshops, publications, audio and video productions.

Eastern Arts is incorporated in Utah, Nevada and California and has performed worldwide. Main offices are in Salt Lake City, Utah. Director is Katherine St. John and founders are Dr. Lloyd Miller and Dr. Daryoush Safvat now in Tehran, Iran.

Members of Eastern Arts are available for educational lectures, workshops, school assemblies and entertaining, informative concerts of music and dance from many traditions. Our programs often feature up to 30 dancers and musicians.

 Performance Ensembles include:

• Eastern Arts: Ensemble featuring traditional music, dance and song of Persia, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Turkey, the Caucasus, NW China and more.  

• International Dance Theatre: Presenting traditional dance from many nations and ethnicities.  

• Sounds of Silk: An exhibit of textiles and instruments from areas found on the former Silk Road in Asia.

• WorlDance: An annual concert held at Kingsbury Hall featuring music and dance from Iran, Afghanistan, Greece, Turkey, Central Asia and more. Each year we invite guest performers such as Brigham Young University Folk Dancers, Character Dance Ensemble from the University of Utah, Dionysius Greek Dancers, soloists such as Banafsheh Sayyad, Shahla Sarshar, Mohammad Nejad, Latif Bolat, Anwar Yusuf and many others. On Nov. 8, 2007 we will feature COLLAGE DANCE ENSEMBLE from Boston.  

 

Member Ensembles

ETHNIC DANCE THEATRE

The Ethnic Dance Theatre (EDT) is a performing arts ensemble which fosters understanding and awareness of world cultures through the re-creation and presentation of traditional ethnic dance and music. 

EDT was formed in 1974 by Donald LaCourse and Jonathan Frey. The company is composed of 30 dancers,10 choir members and 9 orchestra members. They are the only professional traditional dance company in the Upper Midwest and one of only five companies in the entire nation whose work focuses on the traditional dance and music of multiple cultures. The range of cultures shown in a single performance represents the diversity of their own Twin Cities' community.  Their current repertoire includes dances and music from four continents, including the countries of India, China, Egypt, Hungary and Ukraine. While their repertoire often reflects the Eastern European influences which provided the original basis for the company's performances, they are expanding their repertoire with more culturally diverse works. 

The dance troupe strives to be as authentic as possible in their performances and regularly work with native masters who locally, nationally, and internationally represent the pinnacle of their craft. Tianjiang Cui of the Beijing Dance Academy; Petur Iliev of the Bulgarian State Choreographic School and Sherap Wangmo, of the Tibetan Institute for the Performing Arts, are just a few the artists with whom they have worked.  In addition, they have a stunning collection of over 5,000 spectacular costume pieces from around the world. 

Auditions
Auditions for dancers and singers are held annually in the spring. Interested parties should have background in dance or music performance. Dancers should be prepared to sing, and singers prepared to move, as many pieces in the ensemble repertoire involve both. FFI: contact Artistic Director Donald LaCourse or Managing Director Tamara Layman at 

Booking Information
For booking information, please contact Managing Director Tamara Layman at: 

Ethnic Dance Theatre
2337 Central Ave. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Phone: (612) 782-3970
Fax: (612) 782-3970 (Please call first)
E-mail: info@ethnicdancetheatre.com

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INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCE ENSEMBLE
Brigham Young University

The International Folk Dance Ensemble (IFDE) of Brigham Young University has been touring abroad since 1964. The past three years alone have seen the group in Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland, France, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, China, and throughout North America. As an emissary of the United States and American folklore, the group has become internationally famous at the most prestigious folk dance festivals abroad, where they perform with many of the finest dance companies world-wide. 

The troupe boasts 43 musicians, singers, and dancers, who combine to form one of the most unique groups of performing artists in the United States. Mountain Strings, the group's folk music ensemble, is featured throughout the concert and adds the magic of live music. The performers, all students of Brigham Young University, come from throughout the United States. 

IFDE originates in the Department of Dance of the College of Health and Human Performance at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. BYU is one of the nation's largest private universities with an enrollment of more than 30,000 students representing all fifty states and over 100 foreign countries. 

Auditions
In-house auditions for the Performance Arts Company are held annually in late August at Brigham Young University. High school seniors and college transfers audition in late January preceding their fall enrollment. Auditions to enter the folk dance program, 200 members strong, occur at the beginning of both fall and winter semesters. For more information: 

Booking Information
For more information regarding fees and availability, contact

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THE TAMBURITZANS
Duquesne University

The Duquesne University Tamburitzans, founded in 1937 at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the oldest existing university-based performing folk ensemble in the United States. The Tamburitzans take their name from the tamburitza family of stringed instruments indigenous to the folk cultures of Southeastern Europe. The group exists for the dual purpose of preserving and perpetuating the Eastern European cultural heritage in the United States and offering scholarship opportunities to talented and deserving students. The 38 students who comprise the performing ensemble come from all corners of the world, and from various ethnic and religious backgrounds. While on scholarship at Duquesne, they may study in any academic area of their choice. 

The Tamburitzans travel extensively throughout the continental United States, performing up to 80 concerts within each season in large cities and small towns alike. They have also made 10 international tours which have taken them to Yugoslavia, Italy, Latin America (10 countries), Romania, Poland, the Soviet Union, France, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Bulgaria and Canada. In all their travels, the Tamburitzans have been extremely well-received and have been honored throughout the world for their expertise and professionalism. 

For the past 60 years, the Tamburitzans have presented the music, songs and dances of Eastern Europe. However, for their 10 trips abroad they have added another dimension to their repertoire by presenting songs, dances and music of the U.S.A. 

Auditions
In-house auditions are held annually in early February at the Tamburitzans Administration Building in Pittsburgh. High school seniors and college undergraduates talented in the disciplines of dance, music, or singing are encouraged to apply. For more information, to request a scholarship application, or schedule an audition: 

 

Booking Information
For information regarding fees and availability, contact:: 

The Duquesne University TAMBURITZANS 
1801 Boulevard of the Allies 
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-5992 
Phone: (412) 396-5185
Fax: (412) 396-5583 
E-mail: stafura@duq2.cc.duq.edu