What’s Happening in Denver Dance: October 19–25, 2026
The Denver-area dance scene is packed this week, with everything from professional ballet and contemporary dance to aerial performance, university choreography, open company classes, and plenty of opportunities to get into the studio yourself.
From Cleo Parker Robinson Dance joining the Colorado Symphony for The Firebird to Boulder Ballet handing the creative reins to its dancers, this week offers an especially wide-ranging look at what concert dance across the Front Range can be.
Here’s what’s happening in dance throughout Denver, Boulder and the surrounding area from Monday, October 19 through Sunday, October 25, 2026.
PERFORMANCES
The Firebird with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance + Colorado Symphony
Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1245 Champa Street, Denver
Tickets: $20–$124, plus fees and taxes
One of the week's biggest dance events brings together two major Denver arts institutions as Cleo Parker Robinson Dance joins the Colorado Symphony for Stravinsky's The Firebird.
Guest conductor Michael Francis leads a program that also includes Elgar's Introduction and Allegro and John Williams' Horn Concerto, featuring Colorado Symphony Principal Horn Michael Thornton. The evening culminates in Stravinsky's The Firebird, with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance bringing the dramatic score and its world of magic, danger and Russian folklore to life onstage.
The Colorado Symphony describes The Firebird as a journey into a mythic world in which the magical Firebird helps a young prince rescue a group of princesses from the sorcerer Kashchey. A post-performance talkback with Francis and Thornton is also scheduled following the Saturday evening performance. (Text/Info: Colorado Symphony)
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Boulder Ballet — Dancers' Choice
Saturday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Gordon Gamm Theater at the Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder
Tickets: Saturday reserved seating; Sunday pay-what-you-can. Dairy Arts Center currently lists tickets across approximately $11.50–$57.50.
Boulder Ballet turns the creative process over to its artists for Dancers' Choice, a program the company describes as a “living laboratory” rather than a traditional repertory performance.
Created, produced and led by the dancers themselves, the program gives company artists opportunities to step beyond performance into choreography, rehearsal direction, teaching and producing. This year's edition features a world premiere by guest choreographer Morgan Sicklick, alongside new works and excerpts developed by Boulder Ballet artists and collaborators.
Expect work that is intentionally exploratory — pieces in various stages of development, emerging choreographic voices and a closer look at the experimentation that eventually becomes finished repertory.
Saturday offers traditional reserved seating, while Sunday's matinee uses a pay-what-you-can/general-admission model. (Text/Info: Boulder Ballet)
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CU Dance — A.R.T. Through the Wake
Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Charlotte York Irey Theatre, University of Colorado Boulder, 1515 Central Campus Mall, Boulder
Tickets: $24; discounts available for select students, faculty/staff, seniors, youth and groups
CU Boulder's Department of Theatre & Dance opens the first episode of its 2026–27 performance series with A.R.T. Through the Wake, featuring choreography by MFA candidates Angel Anderson, Rhianna Cranston and Tanniqua-Kay Buchanan.
The evening explores evolving strategies for “world-making,” examining ideas of place, the body as archive and movement as prophecy. Drawing across movement, ritual, futurism and emerging technologies, the artists use performance as a laboratory for imagining liberated Black futures rooted in joy, hope and collective possibility.
CU Dance describes its performances as spaces for rigorous research and artistic experimentation, making this an especially interesting option for audiences looking for boundary-pushing contemporary work. (Text/Info: CU Presents)
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MSU Denver Dance — all the things i started…
Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Center for Visual Art, MSU Denver, 965 Santa Fe Drive, Denver
Tickets: FREE; advance registration recommended because capacity is limited
The MSU Denver Dance Program teams up with the Center for Visual Art for all the things i started…, a site-responsive dance event inspired by works and themes within CVA's current exhibition, Sequesterings.
Students in MSU Denver's Choreography 2 course present original work examining overconsumption and throwaway culture while exploring themes including containment and freedom, isolation and connection, identity and hope, environmental endangerment and the resilience required to create change.
The dancers invite audiences to imagine nature reclaiming its space through a landscape of recycled and repurposed choreography. (Text/Info: Denver's Art District)
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Life/Art Dance — Dancing in the Dark: The House of Omens
Dates: October 23, 24, 25, 30 & 31 (Times Vary)
Where: The People's Building, 9995 E Colfax Ave, Aurora, CO 80010
Tickets: $25
Told through music and dance, The House of Omens is an immersive theatrical experience that explores the birth of many autumn rituals. Discover why black cats have a questionable reputation, how a hollow turnip guided a man named Jack into eternity, and more. For the first time, Dancing in the Dark will be running on Halloween! Don’t miss the opportunity to revel in the light of the bonfire! Join Life/Art Dance and guests at The House of Omens! The veil is thinning, the spirits are restless, and…we…are…waiting. (Text/Info: Life/Dance)
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Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance — Spooky Cabaret
Saturday, October 24 at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Where: Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Studio, 3022 E. Sterling Circle # 150, Boulder
Tickets: $30 general admission
Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance celebrates spooky season with the fifth annual Spooky Cabaret, combining aerial performance with a decidedly Halloween twist.
The evening features aerial artistry and theatrical surprises alongside a new Spooky Market spotlighting local makers. Audience members are also encouraged to arrive in costume, with a costume contest and prizes following each performance.
All proceeds support Frequent Flyers and its work expanding access to aerial dance. (Text/Info: Frequent Flyers)
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Iluminar Aerial — Coraline: An Aerial Adventure Beyond the Little Door
Saturday, October 24 at 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Where: Iluminar Aerial at The Apollo Center, 2655 Industrial Lane, Broomfield
Tickets: Adults $35; seniors $30; youth under 18 $25; children 4 and under free, plus small service fees
Iluminar Aerial heads into Halloween with Coraline: An Aerial Adventure Beyond the Little Door, a family-friendly aerial dance and circus reimagining inspired by the beloved dark fantasy.
The production follows Coraline into the mysterious “Other World,” using aerial silks, lyra, trapeze, circus arts, dance and theatrical staging to build a world of button-eyed characters, eerie surprises and magical imagery.
While this falls a bit beyond traditional concert dance, I think it absolutely belongs in a broad look at the Front Range movement-performance ecosystem — particularly given the significant dance and choreographic component. (Text/Info: Iluminar Aerial)
CLASSES, WORKSHOPS + PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
And if watching all that dance leaves you wanting to move yourself, there are plenty of opportunities for advanced, professional and adventurous adult dancers this week.
Dance By Jana / Jana Bennett — Denver Intermediate - Advanced Contemporary Classes
Where: Miss Rachael's Dance, 4325 E. Mississippi Avenue, Denver
Drop-in: $25/class
Contemp Brunch: $45 for both Sunday classes
Monday, October 19 | 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Teen/Adult Intermediate–Advanced Contemporary Ballet Phrasework
Contemporary movement meets a strong ballet foundation in phrasework designed for experienced dancers who want the expansiveness, musicality and physicality of
contemporary dance while working through a balletic lens.
Tuesday, October 20 | 12:00–1:15 p.m.
Teen/Adult Advanced Contemporary Phrasework
For the dancer who just wants to DANCE. Expect fast-paced phrasework, musicality, physicality and big full-bodied movement, with combinations changing regularly across contemporary styles.
Sunday, October 25 | 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Teen/Adult Intermediate–Advanced Improvisation Lab (Part of Contemp Brunch)
A contemporary-based improvisation class centered on creative movement tasks, movement problem-solving and developing an individual artistic voice.
Sunday, October 25 | 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Teen/Adult Advanced Contemporary Phrasework (Part of Contemp Brunch)
Sunday's phrasework class features different choreography from Tuesday's class and can be taken individually or as the second half of Contemp Brunch.
Dance By Jana's current booking page lists all four Denver offerings, including the $25 individual drop-in rate and $45 two-class Contemp Brunch option. (Text/Info: Dance by Jana)
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3rd Law Dance/Theater — Open Company Class
Friday, October 23 | 10:00–11:30 a.m.
Where: Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Studio, 3022 Sterling Circle # 150, Boulder
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Suggested fee: $15, pay what you can
Train alongside the artists of 3rd Law Dance/Theater during the company's open technique classes.
Classes are taught by Artistic Director Katie Elliott and company members Page Jenkins and Jamie Schuler and are designed for intermediate/advanced dancers. The company advises dancers to check registration before attending because classes may occasionally be canceled during heavy production periods. (Text/Info: 3rd Law Dance/Theater)
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Lemon Sponge Cake — Open Ballet Classes
Monday, October 19 | 9:30–11:00 a.m.
Thursday , October 22 | 10:00–11:30 a.m.
Selected Saturdays | 12:30–2:00 p.m.
Where: Avalon Tango Studio, 6185 Arapahoe Rd., Boulder
Drop-in: $20
Open Ballet Classes are expertly structured for people of all levels.
Robert’s teaching is noted internationally for inspiring and re-energizing dancers via his present energetic nature, and musicality infused teachings. An inspiring studio atmosphere contributes to a feeling of artistic joy and personal well being. Robert’s teachings are based in a technically precise tradition yet his classes possess a distinctly up-to-date flow. (Text/Info: Lemon Sponge Cake)
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Maureen Breeze — Open Contemporary Class
Saturday, October 24 | 10:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Where: Denver Dance Center, 2496 W. 2nd Avenue # 3, Denver
Drop-ins welcome
Denver dance mainstay Maureen Breeze continues her fall contemporary series at Denver Dance Center.
Rooted in Limón and Nikolais techniques, the class focuses on strength, suspension and release, performance choices and musicality. Dancers begin with center warm-up and traveling movement before learning an extended choreographic phrase and finishing with high-energy jumping and turning combinations.
The October 24 class is part of Breeze's six-week fall series running Saturdays through November 7; single-class dancers can drop in using a regular Denver Dance Center class card. (Text/Info: Maureen Breeze Dance Theater)
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HOLDTIGHT Company — Process + Express
Saturday, October 24 | 4:15–6:15 p.m.
Where: Denver Dance Center, 2496 W. 2nd Avenue # 3, Denver
Cost: Sliding scale $20–$30
Level: All bodies and experience levels welcome
HOLDTIGHT Artistic Director Gwendolyn Gussman leads a two-hour version of the company's Process + Express practice — an interdisciplinary experience combining movement, meditation, prompted writing and open dialogue.
Rather than functioning as a conventional technique class, the workshop explores how personal lived experience can generate creative material and how individual narratives connect with larger collective and environmental questions.
HOLDTIGHT specifically notes that participants do not need to be dancers or artists, making this a compelling option for movers interested in creative process rather than traditional technique. (Text/Info: HOLDTIGHT Company)
AERIAL TRAINING
Frequent Flyers — Adult Aerial Drop-Ins
Frequent Flyers also has two public intro-level aerial opportunities this week for dancers interested in taking their movement off the floor:
Wednesday, October 21 | 6:45–7:45 p.m. — Intro to Aerial: Sling
Sunday, October 25 | 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. — Intro to Aerial: Fabric
Location: 3022 E. Sterling Cir. # 150, Boulder, CO 80301
Classes are open to ages 14+ and beginners are welcome. Frequent Flyers' current fall schedule lists Intro to Aerial drop-ins at $30, with discounted session pricing also available. (Text/Info: Frequent Flyers)
AUDITIONS + OPPORTUNITIES
This week was much quieter for true professional concert-dance auditions than it was for performances and classes. I did not find a Denver/Boulder professional company holding a traditional open audition between October 19 and 25 that I felt comfortable presenting as current and local.
I did, however, find a few ongoing opportunities worth keeping on dancers' radar.
Kim Robards Dance — Company + Apprentice Auditions
Denver's Kim Robards Dance is currently accepting audition materials for paid Company Member and Apprentice positions. The company is seeking technically strong, mature dancers, with professional experience preferred, and allows candidates to submit electronically or arrange an in-person audition.
Required materials include a letter of interest, résumé, recommendations, headshot, full-body photo and dance video; a $25 audition fee applies. (Text/Info: Kim Robards Dance)
Colorado West Ballet — 2026–27 Company Auditions
Colorado West Ballet is accepting video submissions for dancers interested in its professional company and trainee program.
The company is looking for dancers with strong classical technique and contemporary experience and offers approximately a 28–30 week paid contract for company artists. Selected applicants may be invited to audition in company class. (Text/Info: CO West Ballet)
Where to Take Adult Dance Classes in Denver + Boulder
Looking for even more ways to move? Here are some of the Denver–Boulder area's ongoing adult, open and professional dance-training options.
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DENVER
Ballet Melange Academy — Southeast Denver
6740 E. Hampden Ave. # 309, Denver
Ballet Mélange offers an ongoing adult program for dancers ranging from newer students to experienced dancers, including ballet technique and pointe. BMA Denver
Best for: Adult classical ballet.
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Bboy Factory — Denver
6401 Broadway, Denver
Bboy Factory specializes in breaking and Hip Hop, including adult, intermediate and advanced breaking classes, with an emphasis on the cultural foundations of the form. Bboy Factory
Best for: Breaking, hip hop and street-dance training.
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Bella Diva World Dance — Denver/Glendale
Bella Diva specializes in adult dance, particularly global and cultural forms including Belly Dance, Samba, Bollywood, Bhangra, Hula, Tahitian, Persian dance and Latin/Caribbean styles, while also offering Ballet, Hip Hop, K-Pop and fitness/wellness classes. Bella Diva World Dance
Best for: World dance, adults wanting something beyond traditional concert-dance technique, and performance opportunities.
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Colorado Ballet / Colorado Ballet Academy — Denver
1075 Santa Fe Dr., Denver
Colorado Ballet Academy operates an Adult Dance Program open to the public, with offerings that can include multiple levels of ballet as well as Contemporary, Broadway Jazz and conditioning. Programming changes by session, so readers should check the current adult schedule. Colorado Ballet Academy
Best for: Ballet and structured training within a professional ballet organization.
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Colorado New Style — Denver
4860 Broadway, Denver
Primarily a Latin dance school, with adult training in Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton, Latin styling and Ballet, plus performance/competition teams and periodic guest-artist residencies. The studio explicitly offers both drop-in classes and progressive course formats. Colorado New Style
Best for: Latin dance, Salsa/Bachata technique and performance-focused Latin training.
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dance2b — LoDo, Denver
1917 Market St., Denver
An adults-only dance studio with beginner through advanced classes in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, lyrical, modern, tap, musical theatre and conditioning. dance2b was specifically created around the idea that adults should have access to substantial dance training whether dancing recreationally, pre-professionally or professionally. The studio offers single-class drop-ins and multi-class passes; check the booking system for current prices. dance2b
Best for: Adults wanting a traditional multi-genre dance-studio schedule.
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Denver Dance Center — Denver
2496 W. 2nd Ave. # 3, Denver
One of the area's strongest resources for adult and professional-level dance training. DDC hosts ongoing open ballet along with contemporary, jazz and classes from independent Denver teachers and companies. Programming ranges from beginner through advanced/pro, and pricing varies depending on whether the class is a DDC class or independently produced. Denver Dance Center
Best for: Ballet, advanced/pro training, independent workshops.
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Elemental Studios — Denver
4668 Glencoe St., Denver
Drop-in-focused teen/adult programming in Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, K-Pop, Reggaeton, Heels, R&B, Latin Fusion, Brazilian Funk, Shuffle, Femme Funk and related commercial styles. Most classes are 16+. The studio regularly accommodates dancers coming simply to take individual classes rather than enrolling for a semester. Elemental Studios
Best for: Commercial styles, choreography, hip hop and accessible drop-in training.
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EVQ Dance — Denver
1591 W. Alameda Ave., Denver
EVQ has one of the broader adult schedules I found, with Jazz, Jazz Funk, Hip Hop, Femme Hip Hop, Latin Fusion, Ballet, Contemporary, Heels, Pro Dance, Commercial Dance, GROOV3 and K-Pop. Classes accommodate multiple experience levels, including dancers interested in commercial/pro training. Current drop-in pricing isn't clearly published on the public pricing page, so I would simply direct readers to the live schedule. EVQ Dance
Best for: Commercial dance, hip hop and dancers wanting variety.
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The Hideout Dance — North Denver
2531 W. 62nd Ct., Denver
A newer adult/teen-focused studio offering styles including Contemporary, Technique, Hip Hop, Heels, Femme, Jazz Funk, Latin Fusion, Reggaeton, K-Pop and pro/choreography-focused classes.
Current pricing:$20 single class$180 / 10 classes$340 / 20 classes$200 / unlimited month The Hideout
Best for: Commercial dance, Hip Hop, fusion forms, contemporary and choreography-based training.
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Thrive Ballet Studio — Denver
120 Bryant St., Denver
Thrive offers a real adult/open ballet program, including multiple levels and pointe/pre-pointe options. Thrive Ballet
Best for: Adult ballet, returning dancers and dancers wanting consistent classical training.
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Blissfully Yours Ballet — Englewood
4840 S. Broadway, Englewood
An adults-only ballet environment. Programming ranges from absolute beginner through experienced/advanced adult ballet. Blissfully Yours Ballet
Best for: Adult-only ballet, especially beginners and returning dancers.
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LITTLETON + SOUTH METRO
Littleton Ballet Academy — Littleton
1169 W. Littleton Blvd., Littleton
A dedicated Adult Division currently includes:
Beginning/Intermediate Ballet
Beginning Ballet
Ballet Fundamentals
Intermediate/Advanced Ballet
Beginning Pointe
Beginning Tap
Broadway Boot Camp
Yoga
The adult program runs year-round. Littleton Ballet Academy
Best for: Serious adult ballet, including intermediate/advanced dancers.
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BOULDER
Boulder Ballet — Boulder
2590 Walnut St., Boulder
Boulder Ballet School offers adult/open programming alongside its professional company and academy. Depending on the session, offerings can include multiple levels of ballet from absolute beginner through advanced, pointe and occasional contemporary/jazz. Boulder Ballet
Best for: Adult ballet and dancers wanting proximity to a professional ballet company.
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Streetside Dance — Boulder
6681 Arapahoe Rd., Boulder
Ongoing adult-friendly training across Hip Hop, Breaking, Contemporary, Jazz, Modern, Heels, African and Ballet, with beginner through intermediate/advanced options. Streetside Dance
Best for: Broad multi-genre Hip Hop training in Boulder.
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Boulder Dance Collective — Boulder
2704 28th St, Boulder, CO 80301
Offers adult dance programming including intermediate/advanced classes and professional-rate options. Particularly worth monitoring for contemporary, jazz and rotating independent instructors. Boulder Dance Collective
Best for: Intermediate/advanced Boulder dancers and independent/open training.
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LAFAYETTE
Colorado Movement Lab — Lafayette
9910 Wadsworth Pkwy # 100, Westminster, CO 80021
Adult drop-in programming includes styles such as Ballet, Jazz and Modern, and the studio offers free trial opportunities for new dancers. Colorado Movement Lab
Best for: Boulder County dancers looking for concert-dance technique without driving into Denver.
SPECIAL/SEASONAL TRAINING TO WATCH
Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop — This is an excellent professional/advanced resource, but it's a seasonal summer intensive, not a weekly studio. Its 2026 workshop offered Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Jazz Funk, Hip Hop, House, Ballroom, African and more for ages 13+ at advanced/pro levels. Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop
Presenting Denver — Definitely worth monitoring for master classes, workshops and professional opportunities. Its 2026 festival included professional master classes in Ballet, Afro/House/Hip Hop and immersive dance theatre. Presenting Denver
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