Our History
FOUNDED 1978
The Aspen Dance Connection was founded in 1978 by Sarah Pletts, Cathy Crum, Dee Black, Donna Mysior, Linda Loeschen, Fran Page, Rachel Pasternak and Susan Thuman.
ADC presented 34 years of annual COLORADO CHOREOGRAPHERS' JURIED SHOWCASES; MASTER CLASSES, and WORKS IN PROGRESS in all styles of dance for the next generation of dancers; DANCE FILMS and OUT-DOOR SITE-SPECIFIC performances. ADC choreographers worked with Special Needs Students for 6 years and created an opening performance for the Winter Special Olympics at Sunlight Mountain, CO. ADC was the first to present trapeze as an art form in Aspen, CO.
ADC consistently presents exceptional WORLD DANCE. and has presented Zhongmei Dance Company (Chinese), Don Cossack (Russian), Chung-Fu Chang (Taiwan), I Wayne Lindra (Bali), Adetungi Joda (Nigeria), Abdoulaye Camara, Maputo Mensah LOGO LIGI ,and BAO BAO (Ghana,African), Capoeira Angola (Brazil), and Signe Ramstrom (classical North Indian).
ANNUAL OUT-REACH PROGRAMS: DANCE LECTURE DEMONSTRATION ASSEMBLIES in schools and libraries from Aspen to Parachute, and beyond to Grand Junction, Paonia, Montrose, CO, reaching over 6,000 children annually. Guest choreographers teach MASTER CLASSES while they are here.
AWARDS: ADC and Artistic Director Fran Page received the LIFE-TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD from the Colorado Dance Alliance and LEGENDS OF DANCE award from the Denver University Dance Library.
SPONSORS: Alpine Bank, Holy Cross Round-Up Foundation, Timberline Bank, the city of Aspen and towns of Basalt and Carbondale, Mattie Harris Foundation, ADC Members, Business Underwriters, and people like YOU!
Over the years, the Aspen Dance Connection has also received grants from Colorado Creative Industries, WESTAF funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Gay and Lesbian Fund, and the Grand Junction Arts Commission.
