Midwest Dance Theatre, is the official company of Patzius Performing Arts.  It is comprised of twenty-five members who  excel in both classical and contemporary ballet. MDT is known for its World Premier Performances. Most of the pieces are choreographed on the company dancers themselves. This allows  the students to be a part of the creative process.

Andrea Patzius who currently serves as Managing Director originally founded Midwest Dance Theatre in 1983 so young dancers could develop their talents and gain professional performance experience.  Her daughter, Donna Patzius-Hill who went on to perform with Ballet West, Atlanta Ballet, BalletMet, and Milwaukee Ballet, now serves as Artistic Director/Choreographer.

Each of our senior members has the option to compete at the Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition in Chicago IL.  The dancers are professionally  coached by Donna Patzius-Hill in classical and contemporary ballet variations. It is a wonderful opportunity to be privately  coached as it expands the students experience level dramatically. Once  the dancers arrive in Chicago, they are adjudicated by the world-renown judges of YAGP. They also enjoy an intensive workshop given by the YAGP staff.

Many of our current company members have received scholarships to some very prestigious summer intensives including American Ballet Theater (ABT National Scholar for 3 Years),Ballet West, Harid, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, and Ballet Chicago.

To view MDT, you can search for Patzius on YouTube. There is an example of our classical and contemporary works as well as several solos.