Colorado Dance Collective really does live up to their mission. As a non-profit service organization that provides dance experiences for adult dancers, they really do make a difference in the community as dance ambassadors giving back to their community in very special ways.
I approached the Board of Directors for Colorado Dance Collective in October with a special project near and dear to my heart. I work for a company that provides residential services to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities.
We have one person that loves to dance. Every time she comes into the office, I would pull up the Colorado Dance Collective videos that were posted and she would watch them so intently. She has been saying for several years now that she wanted to dance in the Nutcracker.
This year, I took her request to the Board for Colorado Dance Collective and asked if there was anyway to help Anna’s dream become a reality. Wendy Klein, the Colorado Dance Collective Executive Director, and Director for the Ballet Company was very receptive to the idea and asked the ballet company if any would be interested in helping with this special project. We were hoping to have her dance at the Bridging Family Christmas party. Almost the entire Ballet Company volunteered to help make Anna’s wish come true.
Wendy choreographed the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Anna and I started practicing almost every day, sometimes two to three hours at a time and spent a few Saturdays with the Colorado Dance Collective Ballet Company. Anna was excited and determined to be the best Sugar Plum Fairy ever. She would eat her lunch and then we would go down to the basement of her Day Program and work on every step. She learned that ballerinas stand tall and hold their heads up and to relax her fingers and arms. She worked very hard on learning a balance’ and pas de bourrée as well as her arabesque.
She was able to choose her costume from the Colorado Dance Collective Wardrobe.
This was a tough decision as the costumes were beautiful. Finally, she made her costume decision, and it was perfect! Anna looked like a sugar plum fairy!
The night of the Christmas Party came, and Anna was so excited! She was nervous and shaking and so very excited. Anna was a Ballet Rock Star. She danced her heart out and did such a fabulous job.
Many, many thanks to Wendy and the Colorado Dance Collective Ballet Company. You all truly made Miss Anna’s dream a reality and filled my heart for the Christmas season just to be a part of her dream!
As with all good Christmas stories… She exclaimed as she took her last bow, “I want to do it again! I want to do a ballet next year!”