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Colorado Youth Danse Theatre (CYDT) is a professional youth dance company
based in Denver, Colorado.
Our Vision
"Enriching Young Artists' Passion for Dance"
Our Mission
To create an environment that allows area youth to explore their passion for
dance in an atmosphere that encourages creativity, respect, and fun. To
experience cultural awareness and diversity through dance, and strengthen
community involvement through performance.
Company Profile
Colorado Youth Danse Theatre (CYDT) is a non-profit 501(c)(3)
corporation created in November 2004. As a professional youth dance company,
made up of Denver Metro teens between the ages of 12 and 17, we provide
professional dance experience for members through the instruction of a diverse
and talented group of local choreographers.
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We focus on Creativity...we
want our dancers to feel comfortable expressing who they are and how
they feel through dance. |
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We focus on Respect...there
is a lot of diversity throughout our dancers not only in dance technique, but
also in dance style, lifestyle, and culture. We want them to learn how to
look at each other’s differences and respect and accept not only their own
uniqueness, but others as well. |
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We focus on Fun...we hope
that they will learn that hard work and fun can be synonymous. |
Our Community Outreach program allows CYDT dancers to share their
talent with a variety of children's charitable organizations, educational
institutions, senior organizations, and the community.
Some of the organizations we've performed for are:
| Tennyson Center for Children |
| Ronald McDonald House |
| Englewood Meridian Retirement Center |
| Crime Organization for Victim Assistance |
Company Directors
Chris Harris - Artistic Director
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Ms. Harris was born in Denver and try as she might
she just can't leave the mountains. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance
from the University of Colorado and a second Bachelor's Degree in Architecture.
She is currently an Artist in Residence at Denver School of the Arts, and on the
faculty of Kim Robards Dance, Dance Kaleidoscope, Gwen Bowen School of Dance,
and Mosaic Movement Arts. She has also taught master classes in Boulder and at
Colorado State University, choreographed for Magic Moments and local Disney
shows, acted with Littleton Town Hall, been a guest lecturer at The Art
Institute of Colorado, and is the Artistic Director/Choreographer for Louder
Than Words Dancetheatre and Colorado Youth Danse Theatre in Denver. Chris is
also the Assistant Artistic Director for Interweave Dance Theatre, as well as a
co-director for the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop. Chris has designed four
different websites, and her current obsession is creating a system to record
choreography using digital media and animation.
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Chela Hopkins - Executive Director
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As a young dancer, Ms. Hopkins dreamed of moving to
New York to pursue her passion for dance. Her road forked multiple times on the
way and she instead opted to go to technical college to study the emerging field
of computer electronics. With technical degree in hand, she left home and
traveled the country as a "super" computer troubleshooter for AT&T, and then
once again, her road came upon another fork. She spent the next few years
studying the art of sales, then moved to Amsterdam, The Netherlands to grow and
train a future sales force oversees. Once back in the States she dove into
catering and restaurant entrepreneurship. She currently works in the Energy
Engineering industry using her extensive background in computer electronics,
computer software applications, marketing, graphic design, and business
management. Having never given up her passion for dance she founded Colorado
Youth Danse Theatre, a place where young dancers can pursue their passion, and
where she could once again be close to the joy that dance gave her so long ago.
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CYDT is a member of:
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