Dance Instructors

Cynthia Burdine

Cynthia has been a dance educator for more than 15 years. She earned her BFA in dance education from Bowling Green State University where she received a talent scholarship. Her passion for dance then lead her to continue her dance education at the University of Southern Florida and the American Dance Festival North Carolina where she was able to study under and perform with some of the most influential Jazz and Modern Dance instructors.

Cindy moved to Colorado in 1999. She coordinated the dance room for the National Day of Dance in Boulder for three years and has taught several master classes and workshops throughout Colorado including National Dance Week in Denver. Cindy currently directs the City of Boulder Dance Program and the Expressions Dance Company.

Sylvia Jensen

Education and credentials: Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance from the University of Colorado-Boulder, 1969

Sylvia enjoys teaching a variety of ages since each age has its own joys and challenges. She loves dancing and teaching so teaching dance was a natural choice. Sylvia started instructing in 1963 and started teaching for Boulder Parks and Recreation in 1981.

She teaches the following classes:

• Adult Ballet Barre
• Pre-Tap
• Pre-Ballet
• Kinder Tap
• Little Feats

Judy Kreith

Education and credentials: B.A. Dance Colorado College, M.A. Dance Education Stanford University; Studied Popular and Folkloric dance in Cuba and West African Dance in the Gambia.

Judy's specialty is social dance in a fun and interactive environment. Her jazz and Caribbean classes are designed to be fun, interactive and uplifting physical activities. She enjoys teaching all ages from young children to seniors. Judy's salsa and ballroom classes tend to be adult ages 13 and up. She enjoys her jazz dance classes with 7-10 year-olds and very adult jazz as well.

Judy started teaching dance in 1980 and began teaching for Boulder Parks and Recreation in 1991. She left Boulder for Alaska in 1996 and returned to teach in Boulder in winter, 2009.

Judy teaches the following classes:

• Salsa
• Rueda de Casino
• Ballroom Basics (Including, Foxtrot, Waltz and Swing.)
• African/Caribbean dance sampler
• Jazz Dance

Kirsten Leslie

Education and credentials:Kirsten graduated from the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in dance in 1998. She trained in classical ballet with Metropolitan Ballet of Topeka under June Landrith and Ballet Austin under the artistic direction of Lambrose Lambrou and Stephen Mills. Kirsten was a choreographer and cast member of Kinesis Dancetheatre from 1993 to 1996. Also, she has performed with Bill Evans Dance Company, Le Carré des Lombes, Helander Dance Theater, Rob McWilliams, Barbara Dilley, Kim Olson and was a founding member of Boulder’s MA Dance.

Kirsten began teaching dance so she could share her passion for dance with others. She has been teaching dance since 1992 and started teaching at Boulder Parks and Recreation in 1999. Kirsten teaches the following classes:

• Parent/Toddler Dance
• Little Feats (3 years old)
• Pre-Ballet, Pre-Jazz, concert & non-concert
• Kinder Ballet, Kinder Jazz, concert & non-concert
• Ballet, concert & non-concert, variety of levels, ages 6 – adult
• Jazz, concert & non-concert, variety of levels, ages 6 – adult
• Expressions Dance Company, variety of levels & ages

Read more about Kirsten

Elizabeth Ross

Education and credentials: B.A. History, M.A. Anthropology; three years ballet training at Florida State Univ. Dance Dept.; Tallahassee Ballet--Senior Company; Texas Tech Univ. Dance Theatre; Peggy Willis Ballet; past dancer with Boulder Ballet; classes and workshops at Colorado Ballet, with Kirov ballerina Galina Mezentseva, and others; Pedagogical teacher training in Russian Ballet based on Vaganova Syllabus with John Barker, Peggy Willis, Carol Roderick; participant in Vaganova Conference and Seminar, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Elizabeth teaches classical ballet to children, teens and adults at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels, including pointe technique. She started instructing in 1978 and began teaching for Boulder Parks and Recreation in 1991. "It is truly rewarding and fulfilling to introduce students to ballet and to nurture their individual development and aspirations," Elizabeth says.

The teaching methods she uses give students a comprehensive and complete learning experience which is both fun and challenging. Elizabeth enjoys teaching students who like a more structured format for learning and who are eager to seek their potential.

This may include:

• Children at the beginning of training (and creative movement)
• Adults or teens who want to return to ballet after a hiatus, or who began their dance studies later than is customary
• Adults or teens wanting to participate in a rigorous ballet workout
• Teens looking for a safe environment for learning and asking questions
• Children, teens and adults who are interested in performing opportunities
• Ice skaters and gymnasts striving to improve their style and strength

Mary Williams

Education and credentials: B.S. and M.B.A. in business and earned a national certification in 2006 as a Tap Dance Instructor from the American Tap Dance Institute, the educational division of the National Tap Ensemble. She studied dance in college and with many different teachers at studios and at national and international workshops and festivals.

Mary started her own dance company in 1991 and opened her own dance studio in 1992 where she taught ages 3 to adult in jazz, musical theatre, tap and hip hop. Mary has also been directing the non-profit Community Dance Collective since 1984 and has been teaching at Boulder Parks and Recreation since 2000.

Mary has taught jazz, hip hop and tap while at Boulder Parks and Recreation and particularly loves to choreograph and teach large production numbers for children and teens. In recent years Mary has focused on tap classes for youth and adults. Mary loves to choreograph and her higher levels of adult tap perform regularly at the winter and spring dance concerts.

Mary is also a graphic and fine artist and designed the Expressions Dance Company logo. She assists the dance program regularly with artwork, posters, and programs.

Mary’s bio is listed in the National Tap Ensemble website.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 September 2012 08:21