About - The Dance Archive

About Us

Founded in 1972, The Dance Archive is a special collecting area with the University of Denver’s Special Collections and Archive.

OurVision

To be the most comprehensive and significant dance resource center in the American West.

OurMission

To advance education and engagement with resources across all genres of dance and movement.

OurValues

Documentation
Preservation & Access
Interpretation/Education

StaffOur Team

Kate Crowe

Curator of Special Collections and Archives

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Kate Crowe

Curator of Special Collections and Archives

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Kate Crowe is Curator of Special Collections and Archives, which includes oversight for the Dance Archive, at the University of Denver. Kate oversees the acquisition and curation of collections, as well as all instruction, reference, and outreach for the department. Kate’s research interests include: gaps and silences in the historical record, exhibitions as archival outreach, and critical pedagogy utilizing primary sources.

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Nathalie Proulx DeSalvo

Reference Archivist

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Nathalie Proulx DeSalvo

Reference Archivist

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Nathalie Proulx DeSalvo is the Archivist of The Dance Archive at the University of Denver. Nathalie works with the community to provide reference services, acquire and process archival collections, and create educational exhibitions and documentaries through archival research and materials.

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Nancy Clark

Community Relations Manager

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Nancy Clark is the Community Relations Manager for University Libraries at the University of Denver. Nancy oversees events for external audiences that take place in the Academic Commons, and works with volunteers, donors and friends of the library.

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Nancy Clark

Community Relations Manager

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Woody Colahan

Music and Performing Arts Librarian

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Ellwood Colahan holds a B.M. in Classical Guitar Performance, an M.A. in Music Theory, and an M.L.I.S. in Library Science, all from the University of Denver, where he now serves as Music and Performing Arts Reference Librarian and teaches a graduate music bibliography course under a separate adjunct appointment. His research interests are varied; he has presented nationally and regionally on the bibliography of classical guitar repertoire, on gamified library and classroom instruction, on diversification in academic music library collections, and on issues in contemporary Balinese gamelan music. Before receiving his appointment at DU, Mr. Colahan taught classical guitar and guitar ensemble at Adams State University, Colorado State University (Pueblo), Pikes Peak Community College, and Pueblo Community College. Mr. Colahan serves as media review editor for Soundboard Scholar, a peer-reviewed journal of guitar studies. He is Program Director of the Denver Chapter of the American Recorder Society, and served from 1993-96 as a United States Peace Corps volunteer in the West African nation of Guinea. Mr. Colahan lives in Denver with his wife, Ni Nyoman Erawati, and their two children.

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Woody Colahan

Music and Performing Arts Librarian

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The Board

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Elizabeth Bragg

Elizabeth Bragg, a Colorado native, trained with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and Colorado Ballet. She returned to Denver in 2019 after spending 14 years in NYC. In New York, she danced with Paul Taylor Company, where she toured nationally and internationally as a performer and teacher. She also danced with Red Wall Dance Theatre, Bardos Ballet, and Mazzini Dance Collective, among others.

Elizabeth holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University. She earned her MBA in Finance and Management from Fordham University. Elizabeth currently works as a Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Manager for Huntington National Bank. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Hannah Kahn Dance Company.

Elizabeth Bragg

Joan Brown

Past President

Joan has undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance from the Universities of Utah and Colorado, respectively. She has extensive teaching and choreographic credentials in the public schools, in private studios, and in the NEA Education Program as well as having helped write the dance curricula for Denver schools and the state of Colorado, and serving on the state Department of Education Arts Advisory Board. She owns JB Decorating, was co-founder of Colorado Contemporary Dance, served 4 years on the Colorado Council on the Arts and Humanities Artist-in-Residence program, is a long-time Board member of The Dance Archive serving as president for over 10 years, and was selected as a Legend in Dance in 2010. Joan serves as the Coordinator for The Dance Archive Legends in Dance program.

Joan Brown

Past President

Christin Crampton Day

Board President

Christin is Executive Director of Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA). She has over 30 years of experience in non-profit and for-profit leadership and management, including experience in strategic planning, communications, public relations, marketing, sales, development and fundraising. Christin previously served as Executive Director of Ballet Nouveau Colorado. For 13 years she served on the Board of Trustees for Colorado Ballet and today serves on the Emeritus Board. In 2018, she was appointed to the Private Sector Council of Americans for the Arts. Christin is the President of The Dance Archive Board.

Christin Crampton Day

Board President

Kathi Crum

President-Elect

Among other professional experiences, Crum trained with the Joffrey Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem. She honed her teaching skills at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teacher Workshops and Vail International Teachers Conference as well as completing the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive through Levels 6/7 and Partnering. In over seven years with Colorado Ballet Academy she has taught classes, developed curriculum, supervised the development of children’s programming, and created choreography for the students. She is past President of CoDEO, served as an adjudicator for the 2020 Presenting Denver Dance Festival, former teacher and representative of the Houston Ballet Academy for area scholarships, and is a 2018-19 alumni of the Colorado Business Committee Leadership Arts course.

Kathi Crum

President-Elect

Ann Hunt

Ann holds a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah where she received the prestigious Elizabeth R. Hayes dance scholarship. While in college, she taught creative movement for the Salt Lake City School District and ballet and jazz at Elite Dance Studio. She performed with the university’s Performing Dance Company as well as well as with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s 2002 Olympic performance. After finishing her degree, Ann became the Artistic Director of the Juan Diego Catholic High School Dance Department in Draper, Utah, where she taught contemporary, jazz, ballet, ballroom, and choreography. She was a member of the Utah Dance Education Organization and the National Dance Education Organization. Ms. Hunt has been on faculty at Leap Dance Studio for six years, was a guest artist at Denver School of the Arts, is a member of the National Dance Education Organization, serves on the Colorado Dance Education Board, and currently volunteers her time in the dance department at Denver’s South High School. Ann most recently produced her own show Pairings and looks forward to creating more shows in the future.

Ann Hunt

Sandra Minton

Chair of Education Committee

Minton was a tenured, full professor and Dance Program Coordinator at the University of Northern Colorado, 1972-1998. Following her tenure, she taught dance education courses for teachers, was a dance specialist in the public schools and currently is Co-Coordinator of the Dance Education MA at UNC. Minton has published her research and written books including Choreography: A Basic Approach through Improvisation, 4th edition, and Thinking with the Dancing Brain: Embodying Neuroscience, with co-author Rima Faber. She was on the 2014 state dance certification committee, twice helped write the state dance standards, is a Fulbright recipient, and graduate of UCLA and Texas Woman’s University.

Sandra Minton

Chair of Education Committee

Nancy McElroy

Nancy received a Master of Arts in Dance degree from CU in 1979 and worked in administration of the CU dance program until her retirement in 2010. During the 80’s and 90’s she taught a variety of movement classes in Boulder, Arvada, and Louisville, and continues to take a weekly ballet class and regular Zumba classes. She was a long-time Board member of the former Colorado Dance Alliance and was president for two terms. She serves as the editor of The Dance Archive Foot Note newsletter.

Nancy McElroy

Michael Ritchie

Michael owns an architectural salvage business, Unassimilated, and he renovates and restores buildings in Curtis Park Historic District. He is an arts activist, philanthropist, and long-time member of The Dance Archive Board. Michael organizes and hosts the annual trip to the Vail Dance Festival.

Michael Ritchie

Rhetta Shead

Chair of Marketing and Events Committee

Rhetta Shead has worked in the Denver Metropolitan area for over 30 years as a Marketing Specialist, Public Relations and Special Event Consultant. During her career Rhetta has worked in radio, television, special events and non-profits. Rhetta has worked with Denver area cultural organizations including the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, The Children’s Museum of Denver, the Denver Botanic Gardens, The City of Lakewood (Heritage Culture and the Arts) and currently at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. She is currently Chair of the Dance/USA Manager’s Council for Organizations 750k-2m, which also provides a seat on the Board of Trustees. At Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Rhetta is the Director of Administration handling the management of the office and theatre and overseeing production on the Annual Gala and Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum.

Rhetta Shead

Chair of Marketing and Events Committee

Sheila Sharpe

Sheila has taught International Folk Dance (FD) in Colorado for 25 years. She’s taught classes through or for Denver Free University, Colorado Free University, Synagogues, at camps, and given FD workshops in and out of state. She’s also taught at wedding receptions, birthday parties, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, and special school and life events. She is a member of the One World Folk Dance Group performing in schools, libraries, retirement homes, care facilities, festivals, and at various business events. Currently, Sheila is active in folk dance clubs in Colorado and continues to attend folk dance workshops when they become available.

Sheila Sharpe

Julia Wilkinson-Manley

Chair of Development Committee

A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Julia Wilkinson Manley is the Artistic Director of Colorado Conservatory of Dance (CCD). Julia trained with the Corpus Christi Ballet, Houston Ballet Academy, and the Boston Ballet Center for Dance Education before receiving her BFA in Ballet Pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma under the direction of Mary Margaret Holt. Prior to beginning her career with CCD (then Ballet Nouveau Colorado) in 2002, she was a professional dancer with Ballet Ireland, David Taylor Dance Theater, and BNC. Passionate about dance history and education, she has served on the Dance Archive board since 2012 and is currently the Chair of the Board’s Development Committee.

Julia Wilkinson Manley

Chair of Development Committee

Susan Tracy

John "Mr. Tap" Williams

John “Mr. Tap” Williams is from Harlem, New York. He is the creator of the “Original Tap Barre” Harlem Mix Tap Dance Style. He holds his Associates of Arts Degree in Education/Speech & Drama and a BFA Degree in Education/Musical Theater. He has appeared in several theater, commercials, dance, film and television productions. Appearances include: PBS special “Jazz for Orchestra” with the Colorado Symphony & Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Bourbon Street Straight Up with the Denver Brass & Hot Tomatoes Dance Orchestra, How We Got Over (from The Spirtuals To Duke Elington) with the Spirituals Project Choir & Orlando Otis & His Jazz Orchestra. John was honored to perform the renowned Morton Gould’s Tap Dance Concerto with Scott O’Neil and The Colorado Symphony Orchestra. He performed in The Wiz, Harlem The Musical, Black Nativity as Joseph, Hello Dolly, Harlem Sweet Harlem, Guys & Dolls, My Three Angles, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Giselle, Jesus Christ Superstar, Show Boat, The Great Sebastians, and Shoes produced by Amy Anderson. He has appeared on the Animal Planet Television Series of “Busted” and performed with the Carnival Cruise Magic Legends Show. John has danced with the Movement Free Dance Company for 10 years under the Artistic Direction of “Jo Button Keel” and was a member of The Eulipions Theatre Company. He has performed with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and Colorado Ballet. John “Mr. Tap” Williams was featured in the Magazine, “In The Black” as Denver”s Own “Mr. Tap”. John has performed for the Aspen Dance Connections children and adult educational workshops and shows in the western slope. Currently, John “Mr. Tap” Williams is a proud member of The International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) who have received the 2021 National Medal of Arts Award. John “Mr. Tap” Williams has received the 2020 Denver University Legends of Dance Award and the 2022 Loretto Heights College Distinguished Alumni Award.

John "Mr. Tap" Williams

Susan Tracy

Elizabeth Bragg

Elizabeth Bragg

Margaret Ziehm

Reports

2020 Annual Report

The events, successes, news, and financials from 2020

Strategic Plan

Looking forward: goals & initiatives

Support Our VisionContribute

Looking for a way to contribute? Our patrons are vital to the work of The Dance Archive. Learn how you can help us be the most comprehensive and significant dance resource center in the American West.

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