The CDA Board

 

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. His choreography has been shown by Danca Nova in Colorado, Florida, Wyoming and North Carolina and by Helander Dance Theatre in Boulder. His works have also been shown 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.

 

 

Susan Tracy

is a community volunteer and dance enthusiast who has lived in Denver for over 35 years. She is a graduate of Penn State where she was first introduced to modern dance. After arriving in Denver, she took modern dance classes from Jane McClean. In addition to having served on the boards of Colorado Contemporary Dance and the Junior League of Denver, she is currently active in the Denver Ballet Guild. Susan lives in Denver with her husband, Bill, and works at the Bookies bookstore.

 

 

Kathleen Hill Sheldon

is a graduate of Colorado Women’s College where she earned a BA degree in Arts Education and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Community College of Denver where she earned an Early Childhood Education Directors License. For 24 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. She is a Past President of the Colorado Dance Alliance.

 

 

Cora Woogen

holds degrees in dance and education and added degree of doctor of physical therapy in 2007 to prior study in education and dance. She performed with Nancy Meehan Dance Company and the Big Apple Dance Theatre in New York in the 1970’s. From 1992 to 1999 she directed the New Visions Dance Program in Lakewood, Colorado, creating movement experiences for people with a variety of disabilities. Cora is a long-time member of CDA and enjoys participating in activities that serve Colorado’s dance community.

 

 

Donna Wedemeyer

enjoys being involved in dance and, since 1990, has danced with Marla’s Country Gold Sidekickers doing street theatre-dance. The Sidekickers do the “Gold Rush Show” that tells the story of Colorado’s mining history; the “Malt Shop Review”, a trip back to the tunes and dances of the 1950’s; and the USO Show, a salute to the Big Band Era and Lindy Swing.

 

 

Athena Baschal

received her ballet training from Stanley Holden (Royal Ballet), Jillana (New York City Ballet), Sallie Whalen (San Francisco Ballet), and Kathryn Etienne (Hollywood School of Ballet). In addition, she has choreographed and performed in many musicals. While earning her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California (Irvine), she performed extensively with The Young Americans. Athena has been teaching and choreographing ballet, jazz, modern, tap and musical theater dance for all ages for over 25 years. Athena recently completed a Master of Education program from Regis University and holds a Colorado Teaching License with a drama/dance endorsement. Two of her children are now members of The Young Americans performing group. She resides in Colorado Springs with her husband, Jim, and dancing daughter, Courtney.

 

 

Maggie Chessman

began her dance career while in high school joining El Paso Contemporary Dance Theatre at sixteen. She performed with repertory companies at five universities before earning a degree in dance education from Arizona State University. In Denver she choreographed for and performed in fashion and industrial shows for ten years and began teaching jazz and ballet in the Denver area in 1982. At present she teaches at The Arvada Center for the Arts and teaches Pilates and Yoga in Evergreen.

 

 

Diana Clanin, MFA, AT,

has a dance career that 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.

 

 

Barbie Graham-Meier

is a dance teacher and choreographer residing in the mountains of Colorado near the Denver area. Barbie has owned and directed a prestigious dance and gymnastics school for twenty years, and a number of her students have gone on to professional dance careers. Barbie has degrees in Dance and Education from Loretto Heights College/Regis University and is also a certified Colorado teacher in elementary and special education. Barbie choreographed Miss Colorado Pageants and also judges for the Miss America organization. She travels the country as a performing arts consultant and judges for various national dance competitions. Past activities also include being on the teaching staff of the Professional Dance Teachers Association, American Dance Artists Association and teaching workshops in Europe. Her dance company has made music videos that aired on national television, she was the head coach of a competitive high school cheer and pom dance team and did public relations work for various costume companies. In January of 2008 she opened a dance and fitness wear store in Conifer.

 

 

Alicia Karczewski

holds a BA in dance from Regis University in Denver where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She pursued musical theatre and toured shows such as West Side Story, danced with a variety of companies and has worked in entertainment and film venues locally and nationally. As a professional choreographer, she was selected for the 1996, 1997 and 2000 Colorado Choreographers Showcases and has set numerous pieces on professional dance companies. Alicia has been a guest teacher in colleges throughout Colorado and has led many master classes and worked with all age groups. She has traveled throughout the United States as a dance adjudicator and has been an instructor at the Denver School of the Arts since 1996.

 

 

Sandra Minton

was Dance Coordinator/Professor at the University of Northern Colorado, 1972-1998. Currently she teaches dance in a public school and presents workshops for teachers. Her Human Kinetics books include Choreography: A Basic Approach Using Improvisation, Dance Mind & Body & Preventing Dance Injuries (co-editor). Using Movement to Teach Academics: The Mind & Body As One Entity was published by Rowman & Littlefield Education in 2008. Minton's dance education research is published in juried dance journals. She is a National Dance Association Artist/Scholar, and a Fulbright Scholar to Finland. Minton's M.A. and Ph.D.degrees are in dance from UCLA and Texas Woman's University. She has studied with a number of dance and dance education professionals.

 

 

Jacob James Mora

, a native of Denver, is the Artistic Director of Moraporvida Contemporary Dance, a company based on urban experiences and human emotions. Jacob received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Colorado in Dance & Theatre, with emphasis in Choreography, Acting, and Performance. Jacob has been a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Hannah Kahn Dance, Santee Smith Group, Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre, David Taylor Dance Theatre and Alaska Dance Theatre. He has had the pleasure of working with and dancing the works of choreographers such as Donald McKayle, Betty Jones, Ron Brown and many others. Jacob choreographs and teaches around the country using a unique blend of contemporary and traditional techniques, fusing modern, jazz, hip hop, poetry and ethnic and urban culture. He has been on faculty with the University of Wyoming and the New York Institute of Dance as well as guest artist and teacher for many other schools, festivals and institutions.

 

 

Elda Munoz

has taught dancing and performing in Colorado for more than 26 years. In 1994 she formed the Salsa Club to keep that form of dance alive. She also started many salsa nights at clubs in other Colorado cities including Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Aspen and Snowmass. Elda was then invited to teach at Community College of Denver as part of a pilot project and has participated in Cinco de Mayo and other events at the Auraria Campus with her classes. In 2009, Elda was recognized as Faculty Member of the Year.

 

Leslie Merrill

CDA Newsletter Editor and Website Manager, received her MFA in Dance from the University of Colorado. She has enjoyed teaching at CU, Mosaic Movement Arts, Dynamic Expressions, Traci Stone's Dance Connection, and Jefferson High School and is currently an instructor at Mountain Kids, Ascential Dance Theatre Colorado and Studio D. She has performed with Haan Dances and Louder than Words Dancetheatre, and has danced and choreographed for RADAR: Dance in Reverse and Interweave Dance Theatre. In 2009, she co-founded Peekaboo Sole Productions. Leslie has presented work at the Bliss Festival, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, DICP, the Boulder Fringe Festival and the UMC Art Gallery. Her work has been shown nationally as part of ADF’s Dancing for the Camera Series, the TARLA Dance for Camera Festival, the Holland Project, and the Intangible Bodies Conference. Internationally, her work has been presented in British Columbia as part of the Collision Symposium on Interarts Practices and on tour with the Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema in Mexico and Germany. Leslie is currently a dancer and choreographer for Ascential Dance Theatre Colorado.