CB SCHOOL OF DANCE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Company & Aerial Coordinator
Alexandria started dancing at age five and instantly fell in love with performing. Even though she did take a break from dancing in her teen years to play club soccer, she could not stay away for long. Alex returned to the stage in High school, where she was a part of the Central Chargers Lightning Dance team in Keller, Texas. During her four years, she was Sophomore VP and Senior Lieutenant. The dance team won nationals all four years, and Alex competed in solos that received a division 1 award her sophomore, junior, and senior year. In her senior year, she placed in the top 10 at Crowd Pleasers and received a choreography award for her solo and Officer line novelty. Alex was also active at her studio, Pat Riddle School of Dance, in Colleyville, Texas. She took multiple technique classes and was a part of the Hip hop company team.
After high school, Alex continued to dance in college. She attended Tarrant County College for two years and was part of Movers Unlimited Dance Company. When she received her associate's degree, Alex continued on to attend the University of North Texas in Denton. While there, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with an emphasis in Choreography. During her time at UNT, she performed in and also had a piece shown in the New Choreographers Concert. Alex was invited to attend the American College Dance Festival at Sam Houston State University and the Texas Dance Improvisation Festival in San Marcos. Alex was also selected to attend the Millennium Dance Complex Summer intensive in California 2 years in a row. Alex graduated in 2013 and started teaching dance at Sheena's Dance Academy in Frisco, Texas.
Not only did Alex start teaching dance, but she also discovered her love for aerial arts. Alex started her aerial training at Vertical Fitness Dallas and Lonestar Circus School in 2013. While she has training in Lyra, Sling, Corde lisse, Spanish Web, and Pole. Alex's one true love is silks. Some names she has trained under are Rain Anya from Paper Doll Militia, Jennifer Kovacks, and Anna-Marie Pittman. Her aerial and dance background allowed her to perform with Pie in the Sky Dance Works and Eclipse Entertainment. Some of the events she has been a part of include the Lights All Night New Year's Eve Festival, Dallas Mavericks Charity Ball, and Bud light's Whatever the USA. (Fun Fact: Whatever USA was her first visit to Crested Butte!)
On top of all her dance and aerial training, Alex is a level 4 Pure Barre teacher, a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach, and was a lead teacher for Cyclebar Flower Mound, and she coaches the Dance Team at Western Colorado University. Alex moved to Gunnison in 2017. During her time in the Valley, she has choreographed for Move the Butte 4 years in a row. (2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.) She loves how much art and dance are celebrated here in the community. You might not know that Alexhe did percussion in middle school and was on drumline during her freshman year of high school! She can still bang out a beat and read music. When Alex has free time, you can find her adventuring with her 4-year-old husky/shepherd and best friend, Mogli.
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Program Director
Alice grew up in Denver, where she studied ballet, modern, and jazz, with the Colorado Ballet from age 6 to 18. During high school, she was an apprentice with the company and performed many roles in professional productions of the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and Les Patineurs. She also attended summer workshops with Ballet West, Boston Ballet, and Milwaukee Ballet. She then went on to dance, choreograph and perform with student-run companies during four years of college, exploring many different dance styles and helping to organize shows. After college, Alice took a long break from dance while working, attending graduate school, and raising her family. Upon moving to Crested Butte in 2013, she discovered a vibrant dance community and began to take dance classes again. She enjoys participating in Move the Butte and other CB Dance Collective productions as a dancer and choreographer. She is thrilled to be an instructor with the CB School of Dance and share her love of ballet with dancers of all ages. Alice lives in Crested Butte with her husband, daughter, son, and dog.
Amber put on her first pair of tap shoes at age three and unknowingly began her obsession with tap. Growing up in a small town in Upper Michigan, she studied tap, jazz, ballet, and pointe through high school, then expanded her training to include contemporary, lyrical, and aerial while attending Michigan State University. She moved to Crested Butte in December 2011 to only stay through the ski season but fell in love with the town, the mountain, and the community. Her first experience dancing in the valley was Move the Butte in 2013, and shortly afterward, she began teaching with the Crested Butte School of Dance. She has been dancing and teaching with the School of Dance and the Crested Butte Dance Collective ever since. Her favorite part of dancing and teaching is the final show week's thrill, excitement, and chaos!
Corinne attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia for two years majoring in Dance, and ultimately completed her BFA in Dance Performance from The Ohio State University. She trained at the Laban Center in London for a summer semester while completing her Pilates Mat Certification from The Kane School in New York. Upon graduating, Corinne moved back to New York, where she is originally from, and performed locally with Diane McCarthy, Carol Nolte Dance Collective, and Dance Visions. She taught children's creative Dance, modern, ballet, and tap at notable studios in NYC, including Peridance Center and Mulberry Street Theater, as well as the Berest Dance Center on Long Island. Corinne and her family moved from Brooklyn to Crested Butte about six years ago. She has four young children and loves being a part of this beautiful artistic community nestled in the Rockies. Her contemporary classes here focus on clean technique and fostering an environment for dancers to find their unique artistic expression. Corinne attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia for two years majoring in Dance, and ultimately completed her BFA in Dance Performance from The Ohio State University. She trained at the Laban Center in London for a summer semester and completed her Pilates Mat Certification from The Kane School in New York. Upon graduating, Corinne moved back to New York, where she is originally from, and performed locally with Diane McCarthy, Carol Nolte Dance Collective, and Dance Visions. She taught children's creative Dance, modern, ballet, and tap at notable studios in NYC, including Peridance Center and Mulberry Street Theater, as well as the Berest Dance Center on Long Island. Corinne and her family moved from Brooklyn to Crested Butte about six years ago. She has four young children and loves being a part of this beautiful artistic community nestled in the Rockies. Her contemporary classes here focus on clean technique and fostering an environment for dancers to find their unique artistic expression.Corinne attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia for two years majoring in Dance, and ultimately completed her BFA in Dance Performance from The Ohio State University. She trained at the Laban Center in London for a summer semester while completing her Pilates Mat Certification from The Kane School in New York. Upon graduating, Corinne moved back to New York, where she is originally from, and performed locally with Diane McCarthy, Carol Nolte Dance Collective, and Dance Visions. She taught children's creative Dance, modern, ballet, and tap at notable studios in NYC, including Peridance Center and Mulberry Street Theater, as well as the Berest Dance Center on Long Island. Corinne and her family moved from Brooklyn to Crested Butte about six years ago. She has four young children and loves being a part of this beautiful artistic community nestled in the Rockies. Her contemporary classes here focus on clean technique and fostering an environment for dancers to find their unique artistic expression. Corinne attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia for two years majoring in Dance, and ultimately completed her BFA in Dance Performance from The Ohio State University. She trained at the Laban Center in London for a summer semester and completed her Pilates Mat Certification from The Kane School in New York. Upon graduating, Corinne moved back to New York, where she is originally from, and performed locally with Diane McCarthy, Carol Nolte Dance Collective, and Dance Visions. She taught children's creative Dance, modern, ballet, and tap at notable studios in NYC, including Peridance Center and Mulberry Street Theater, as well as the Berest Dance Center on Long Island. Corinne and her family moved from Brooklyn to Crested Butte about six years ago. She has four young children and loves being a part of this beautiful artistic community nestled in the Rockies. Her contemporary classes here focus on clean technique and fostering an environment for dancers to find their unique artistic expression.
Jodi began dancing in musical theatre at 6 in her hometown's humble dance studio. She grew up in the small town of North Branch, Michigan, where Jodi studied ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and modern dance throughout her childhood. She attended Northern Michigan University, minored in Dance Studies, and danced professionally with Tamama Dance Company. Additionally, Jodi loves folk and African dance and is excited to bring that passion to the School of Dance. Jodi moved to Gunnison in June 2020 and fell in love with the valley! When she is not teaching dance, you can find her working at the Food Pantry, walking her dogs, or listening to podcasts.
Job Titles:
- Crested Butte Dance Collective Program Coordinator
KT Joy Folz, is so grateful to share in this movement ceremony with this incredible community of dancers! She dedicates these dance offerings to those who have passed on, to our supportive and powerful community, and to the future generations of movement artists. What led her to envision, co-found, and direct the Crested Butte Dance Collective was a belief that our ancestors have danced since the beginning of human culture, and by keeping this tradition alive, we keep ourselves alive, we feed our community, and we weave a creative tapestry of life for the future.
"I serve on the board because the School of Dance is my heart. Dance taught me discipline, integrity & teamwork. Dance taught me to work hard in all that I do, to strive to be my best, to be present in the moment, that if I fail I get back up and try again, it taught me perseverance and gave me a sense of self that no other outlet has. I serve on the board because the School of Dance promotes all of these qualities to every age and capability. Through serving on the board I am able to make a difference in my community and hold space for the one thing we're all born with and should celebrate daily, movement." - Board Member
Moriah grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and started dancing at age 3. She grew up dancing at Miss Jeanne's School of Dance and the Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Moriah trained in ballet, jazz, musical theater, lyrical and modern. Moriah began competition dance at age ten and competed through high school. Moriah was involved in several competition teams. In 2006 Moriah had the unique opportunity to train at the North Carolina School of the Arts during Summer Intensive with a concentration in modern. Once Moriah graduated high school, she decided to pursue her dream of collegiate skiing, which brought her to Western State, but she continued to dance recreationally. In 2015 she graduated with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in sports psychology. Stemming from Moriah's background in Dance, she concentrated her studies on eating disorders and injury in athletes. Moriah loves sharing her passion and knowledge of Dance with the community of Crested Butte.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Professional Dancer and Master Instructor
Shelly Chapple Clements is a professional dancer and master instructor who settled into her forever home in Gunnison in December 2018. Shelly grew up in Amish country in rural Pennsylvania. She was accepted into the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School at age 9, attended the National Academy of Arts in Champaign-Urbana, IL, under the direction of Petrus Bosman at age 14, and graduated from the Pittsburgh High School for Creative and Performing Arts. As Shelly Chapple, she enjoyed a 12-year career as a professional dancer and instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area. She trained at Lines Contemporary Ballet under Alonzo King and ODC SF, the first modern dance company in America to build its facility under Brenda Way. Shelly performed with choreographers including Joan Lazarus, Liss Fain, Patricia Jiron, Reggie Savage, Joe Landini, Margret Jenkins, and more, co-directing and dancing principal roles with John Butterfield's New Urban Dance Company. In 1995 Shelly returned to Pittsburgh to work with The Dance Alloy (now Attack Theatre), Kevin Maloney, Tome Cousin, Doug Bentz, and more. Famous? No. Was she dancing like crazy and loving life? Yes!
In 2003 Shelly relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and met her husband the first day she arrived; in 2007, she became Shelly Clements. Ms. Clements graduated from Colorado Mesa University with degrees in Spanish Translation and Interpretation, Hispanic Literature, and Dance. She spent 2011 and 2012 in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, where she taught English and Ballet. Upon returning to Colorado, in the Denver Metro area, Shelly worked with various competitive dance studios and loved her time on the competitive dance circuit. She attended CU Denver and the School of Education and Human Development master's program focusing on cultural diversity in classrooms. Before relocating to Gunnison, Ms. Clements worked for Arts Immersion/Summit Education Group (now AIM Global) as an online teacher and curriculum developer; she is currently a high school Spanish teacher in the Gunnison Watershed School District.
Executive Director Shelly Clements is a professional dancer, choreographer, master dance instructor, licensed educator with an M.Ed., certified in massage therapy, yoga, and meditation, and a practitioner of conscious leadership.