One of the things that makes Aspen truly special is the combination of beauty and the opportunity for outdoor athletic pursuit all in a location that also has true world class culture and art. A prime example of this is the DanceAspen contemporary dance troupe.
This resident dance company seeks to bring high caliber performing arts to the Roaring Fork Valley as well as cultivate relationships with local artists and promote dance through the community. Recent hardships in the local area have resulted in a loss of some local artists having an impact on the local art and dance scene. DanceAspen is looking to enrich the Roaring Fork Valley by strengthening its local arts presence while maintaining and building the number of performers and curators in the area and in the process enhancing Aspen’s cultural identity, making it a truly inspiring town to live and visit.
Rising out of the ashes of the global pandemic and the legacy of the legendary Aspen Sante Fe Ballet, DanceAspen was founded in 2021 by dancers who did not want to leave their beloved community and did not want the community to be without a local world class dance scene. Within just a few months of forming the company the Wheeler Opera House hosted the premier performance of DanceAspen. The sold out show titles “The Pieces of Fall” showcased the dancers’ power and technique through seven pieces created by world class choreographers from across the globe. After almost 2 years of local stages void of dance performances the pulse of dance in Aspen was alive once again.
The company is spearheaded by executive director Laurel Winton who is known for working ceaselessly to secure shows and choreographers worthy of the troops’ dancers. While the dancers volunteered their time and worked second jobs to get the show off the ground. Local support has begun to flow to DanceAspen, while more is always needed to support these talented individuals and to continue to bring in pieces from inspired choreographers, and the future looks bright for our new local ballet.
Dancers in the company consists of; Sammy Altenau who has danced with Miriam Barbosa Dance and performed at Radio City Music hall, Madeleine Scott who in addition to Ballet West was a member of the Aspen Sante Fe Ballet, Mathew Gilmore who attended Juilliard and also choreographs, Anthony Tiedeman who has toured the world performing including France, Italy, Israel, Mexico and more, and Blake Krapels who also attended Juilliard and has danced with the Metropolitan Opera among other legendary contemporaries.
While the DanceAspen is off to a strong start the success of any arts organization is intimately tied to the support of the community and in a small town like Aspen this is even more crucial. If you would like to learn more about or donate to Dance Aspen you can at the following link.
We hope to see you at the next show!