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Don Atwood
- Margaret Chessman
- Barbie Graham-Meier
- Alicia Karczewski
- Jennifer Longsworth
- Elda Munoz
- Coleen Walsh
- Elisabeth Williams
Short Bios for Board Members:
Kathleen Hill Sheldon is a graduate of Colorado Women's College where she earned a
BA Degree in Arts Education and is a Phi Theta Kappa graduate of Community College
of Denver where she earned an Early Childhood Education Directors License. For
twenty-four years, Kathleen was the executive/artistic director of Hill Academy of Dance & Dramatics, Inc. and the founder of Colorado's first tap dance company, The Colorado
Time Steps. She has taught, choreographed and performed throughout Colorado for over
thirty years. Her own students are former I Love Dance High Score winners and have gone on to perform in American Ballet Theatre, New York City Rockettes, Las Vegas
productions, television and movies and as teachers for The Edge in Los Angeles. She is currently working as a free-lance teacher and choreographer and serves as
President for the Colorado Dance Alliance.
Sandra Minton is former Coordinator of the University of Northern Colorado Dance Program. She currently teaches in a public school and presents on-line and face-to-face workshops for teachers on how to use movement and dance to teach concepts. Minton has choreographed for college and public school performances, and is author of a number of research articles and books on dance education. Her books include Dance Mind and Body (2003), Choreography: A Basic Approach Using Improvisation, 3rd edition (2007) and Moving, Dancing & Learning (in process). Minton was a Fulbright Scholar teaching in Finland, and has a B.A. & M.A. in dance from U.C.L.A. and Ph.D. in the same area from Texas Woman’s University. She has been a member of CDA since its inception.
Donna Wedemeyer After being hooked by Modern Dance many years, I've found that I enjoy being involved in dance. Since 1990, I have danced with Marla's Country Gold
Sidekickers, doing street theatre-dance. We do the 'Gold Rush Show' that
tells of Colorado's mining history; The Malt Shop Review a trip back to the
tunes and dance of the 1950's; and The USO SHOW our salute to the Big Band
Era and Lindy Swing. I just took over the position of Colorado Dance
Alliance's Treasurer as of January 2007.
Diana Clanin , M.F.A., AT : Board member since Feb 2004.
Diana's dance career spans over fifty years as a performer, university professor, ballet mistress, artistic director of two touring companies and choreographer in a diversity of genres ranging from classical to musical theater. She has combined a life-long involvement in the art with an academic preparation in both dance and sports medicine/exercise science. A pioneer researcher in the new field of Dance Medicine, her clinical experience in physical therapy and athletic training have enabled her to develop and implement on-site injury prevention, technique enhancement, and nutrition education programs for dancers and teachers in professional settings. Currently, Diana is Executive Director for DANCING WELL, specializing in comprehensive health programs and wellness education for dancers.
Alicia Karczewski holds a B.A. in dance from Regis University, Denver,Colorado, where she
graduated Summa Cum Laude. She pursued musical theatre (42nd Street, Oklahoma!, Peter Pan) and toured shows such as West Side Story, danced with a numerous variety of dance companies and has worked in the entertainment and film venues, locally as well as nationally, As a
professional choreographer she was selected for the 1996, 1997 and 2000 Colorado Choreographers Showcase and has set numerous pieces on professional dance companies. Ms. Karczewski has guest taught for Teikyo/Loretto Heights University, Colorado Ballet Company and School, Glenwood Springs Dance Festival, for the cast of Phantom of the Opera, David Taylor Dance Theatre and many master classes locally and nationally working with all age groups. She has traveled all over the U.S. for seven years as a dance adjudicator
and has been an instructor at the Denver School of the Arts, since 1996.
This will be her second year as a Colorado Dance Alliance Board member.
Coleen Walsh recently returned to Denver and teaches at CSU and Metro as well as teaching master classes and lecturing on the basics of choreography, anatomy and kinesiology, class structure and dance pedagogy. In New York City she established herself as a Faculty member at Steps on Broadway, BDC and Dance Space, and Choreographer/ Dancer for several companies, industrials, commercials, music videos, and NBA Dance Teams. She has traveled extensively throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, Brazil and Japan for choreography and teaching residencies. In 2001, she received her MFA in Dance from the University of Iowa and has been Assistant Professor and Guest Artist/ Choreographer at several Colleges and Universities. She has started her own company, Around the World Adventures, a full service travel company for niche tours that take you around the world doing active adventures like dance. Board member since 2006.
Cora Woogen holds degrees in dance, education and will complete a doctor of physical therapy degree this spring. Cora performed with Nancy Meehan Dance Co and the Big Apple Dance Theatre in New York in the 1970s. From 1992 to 1999 she directed a New Visions Dance Program in Lakewood, CO creating movement experiences for people with a variety of disabilities. Cora has been a member of CDA 20 years, joined the board last year and is looking forward to the exciting programs CDA plans to serve the dance community in Colorado.
Elda Munoz
Served on the board as Secretary for CDA for four years and will continue to help. Has taught dancing in Colorado for 26 plus years. In 1994 formed a club called “The Salsa Club”. As founding member and First officer we had many events. Started many Salsa nights at Clubs around Colorado, including Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Aspen/Snowmass. Introduced Salsa to 9th Avenue West a/k/a La Rhumba taught for four years. It was at this same time that I was invited to start teaching at Community College of Denver, going on 13 years and will be participating in the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Auraria Campus this year.
New April 2007
Don Atwood holds BA's in Theatre and Dance from Naropa University and MFA's in both choreography and design from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He danced for Peterson and Dancers in Miami and John Gamble Dance Theatre in North Carolina. His choreography has been shown by Dança Nova in Colorado, Florida, Wyoming and North Carolina, by Helander Dance Theatre in Boulder, by the Washington Square Repertory Dance Company in New York City, by the North Carolina Dance Alliance, and by Alternate ROOTS in Georgia and South Carolina, and his work has been toured by the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, based in Takoma Park, MD. He has been a member of CDA since 1995.
Jennifer Longsworth is a Belizean American who has called Colorado home since 1980. She toured with the Belize Dance Company in the 1970’s and taught dance with Aurora Dance Arts from 1986 to 1996. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree from Regis University in 2000 while working full time in the financial services industry and graduated with her MBA in International Business from Regis University May 2005. Today Jennifer works as a financial services representative with MetLife Financial Services and designs unique jewelry of sterling silver and exotic stones in her spare time. As a CDA board member, Jennifer hopes to merge her love of dance and her 30+ years of business acumen to promote the mission of the CDA – to support and foster dance in Colorado.
Elisabeth Williams is a freelance dancer, choreographer, and teacher; as well as the Director of The Denver Independent Choreographers Project. She attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as a ballet major on scholarship, and furthered her ballet studies after college under multiple teachers, including Robert Atwood, Elena Kunikova, German Zamuel, and Karen Williamson. Beth has danced professionally in Chicago and Denver, most recently with Moraporvida Contemporary Dance. She lives in northwest Denver and works as a Project Manager with Qwest. She has been a member of the CDA since 2005, and was nominated to the board in early 2007.
Jan Justis has danced and produced dance theater for the past 35 years. She toured internationally with the Nikolais Dance Theatre, danced with the Phyllis Lamhut Dance Company and the Cincinnati Ballet. She co-founded and directed the Jan Justis Dance Company in Denver from 1983-96, receiving numerous grants and critical acclaim for her choreography. A nominee for the American Choreographer Awards, her works have been commissioned by companies in Chicago, San Diego and Denver, including the Colorado Ballet and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She earned a BA in Dance and Theatre at Barat College in Lake Forest, Ill., and a Masters in Humanities, Theatre and History emphasis, from the University of Colorado at Denver. Ms. Justis has taught dance and movement for actors in colleges, dance festivals and high schools across the U.S. She has also choreographed numerous musicals, winning awards for her stagings of Les Miserables, Chess and The Secret Garden. Currently she teaches dance and theater at Grandview High School in Colorado. She is past president of the Colorado Dance Alliance, currently on the advisory board, served on the arts advisory panel for the Colorado Governor’s Commission on Education, and currently serves on the Alliance for Colorado Theatre board.
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