Colorado Ballet Academy Launches Mountain Retreat Experience for 2026 Choreographic Workshop in Aspen, CO
Academy Announces Dates for Audition Tour and New Locations for 2026 Summer Programs
Denver, CO (November 11, 2025) – Colorado Ballet Academy (CBA) announced that the 2026 Choreographic Workshop will offer students a mountain retreat experience in Aspen, CO. Audition registration is now open for the Choreographic Workshop and the rest of Colorado Ballet Academy’s 2026 Summer Programs, which will be held at various locations in Denver and Aspen as Colorado Ballet invests in expanding summer programming and conducts renovations at the Armstrong Center for Dance.
“I am thrilled to announce that this year, we are moving our Choreographic Workshop program to Aspen, CO, for an immersive mountain retreat experience,” said Academy Director Erica Fischbach. “As a nature-lover myself, I can’t wait for students to experience the awe-inspiring beauty of the mountains that only Colorado can offer, while training and performing in a company-style environment. It is truly a unique experience.”
After training rigorously during the CBA Summer Intensive, students participating in the Choreographic Workshop will learn several new works, culminating in a premiere performance in Theatre Aspen, a gorgeous theatre location in Aspen, Colorado.
Fischbach added, “At CBA, we believe live performance is where artistic and technical growth happens. Through the Choreographic Workshop, students will learn new works and classical repertoire will be choreographed, set, and tailored to the students' ability and talent while pushing their boundaries.”
All students in the Choreographic Workshop will have the opportunity to take a master class with Colorado Ballet Artistic Director Gil Boggs, who will assess students for possible Trainee and Colorado Ballet Studio Company positions. Throughout the duration of both the Summer Intensive and Choreographic Workshop, students will also be eligible to be considered for CBA's Pre-Professional Division.
CBA’s 2026 Summer Intensive and Young Dancer Summer Intensive will be held across four various studios at the Auraria Campus and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, including The Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Two-, three- and five-week sessions are offered to accommodate summer schedules.
As Sean Omandam, former Colorado Ballet Demi-Soloist and current CBA Director of Summer Programs, described, “We are ensuring the same level of high quality student experience and training that our Summer Intensive is known for, in a few different locations this year. This is a really exciting and limited-time opportunity for students to experience other performing arts venues while exploring more of Downtown Denver,” he declared.
Students in all programs have the opportunity to train with CBA’s esteemed faculty and guest instructors. The two-week session will conclude with an informal demonstration in the Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The three- and five-week sessions will conclude with a performance at the King Center located on the CU Denver campus.
Meanwhile, over on Santa Fe Drive, the Armstrong Center for Dance is getting a makeover. Colorado Ballet Executive Director Sameed Afghani explained, “We will be renovating downstairs to make room for more studio space for the Academy, while also completing necessary maintenance and improvements throughout the building.”
Adult Dance classes and Children’s Division classes will continue as normally scheduled and will also be held in studios at the Auraria Campus. “We look forward to seeing CBA students, faculty and staff showing up across Colorado this summer!” said Fischbach.
Colorado Ballet Academy 2026 Summer Programs
Summer Intensive
A dynamic and supportive program for intermediate to pre-professional level dancers to refine their technique, grow artistically and expand their versatility.
Ages 10-20, by audition only. Female-identifying students must be en pointe.
June 10 – July 10, multiple dates and sessions available.
Choreographic Workshop
An immersive experience, set amongst the mountains of Aspen, CO, designed to simulate the life of a professional dancer.
Ages 14-20, by audition or invitation. Female-identifying students must be en pointe.
July 13 – July 22
Young Dancer Summer Intensive
A program for students to reinforce strong ballet technique in a focused and encouraging environment.
Ages 8+, by audition only. For students not yet en pointe.
July 13 – July 31
Children’s Division Summer Classes
Summer classes that allow students to discover their creativity through dance, music and creative storytelling.
Ages 3-9, no audition required.
Dates coming in Winter 2026
Audition Information
CBA will hold a national audition tour in early 2026. Auditions qualify students for both CBA’s Summer Intensive and Choreographic Workshop, and CBA’s year-long Pre-Professional Division. If unable to attend an in-person audition at one of the tour locations, students are also able to submit an audition by video as well. CBA gives the same priority to those who audition in person or via recorded video audition.
Female-identifying students ages 12-20 must be en pointe to participate in Summer Intensive. Students ages 10-13 who are not en pointe and attending a Summer Intensive audition at a location other than Colorado Ballet Academy will be considered for our Young Dancer Summer Intensive. In addition to CBA’s Summer Intensive Audition Registration, confirmation emails will also contain a link to an NSIA audition form, which must be completed immediately upon receipt to participate. For more information on NSIA, please visit their website.
For full 2026 CBA Summer Programs descriptions and audition requirements, schedule, and registration, please visit our website.
2025/2026 Colorado Ballet Company Performances
THE NUTCRACKER | Presented by PNC Bank
November 29–December 28, 2025
The Nutcracker returns to the stage for Colorado Ballet’s 65th season to delight audiences of all ages. This timeless tradition and audience favorite captures the festive spirit of the season, replete with mischievous dancing mice, sweet Sugar Plums, a symphony of swirling snowflakes, and Tchaikovsky’s beloved score performed live by the Colorado Ballet Orchestra.
THE GREAT GATSBY | Presented by Mary Ellen and David Wright
January 30-February 8, 2026
Continuing to bring new and innovative works to Denver, Colorado Ballet presents The Great Gatsby. Originally premiered by Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2019, this acclaimed ballet now makes its long-awaited Colorado Ballet debut. Initially scheduled to appear at The Ellie in 2021 during the pandemic, The Great Gatsby transports audiences back to the Roaring Twenties through cinematic sets, an original score by Carl Davis, and dramatic choreography by Jorden Morris. Experience the decadence of history’s most carefree decade as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel unfolds through dance.
Plus, save the date for Saturday, February 7, 2025! We are excited to partner with our fellow Denver Arts Complex friends at jazz club & restaurant Dazzle between our matinee and evening performances of The Great Gatsby on February 7, 2025 for an exclusive *all inclusive* Roaring Twenties-style party filled with champagne, small bites, music, and revelry! Costumes and a Jay Gatsby attitude highly encouraged!
March 6–15, 2026
Returning to the home of its 1997 inception for the first time in a decade, Colorado Ballet presents Christopher Wheeldon’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. With new sets and costumes designed by Robert Perdziola, our dancers of today breathe fresh, new character into this iconic work, which Colorado Ballet originally commissioned Wheeldon to create on the company. Shakespeare’s comical play comes to life alongside Felix Mendelssohn’s score performed by the Colorado Ballet Orchestra.
MASTERWORKS | Sponsored by Denver Ballet Guild
April 10–19, 2026
MasterWorks, Colorado Ballet’s annual repertory production, returns with a captivating trio of powerhouse masterpieces that put artistic excellence and innovation on full display—Concerto Barocco by George Balanchine; The Rite of Spring by Glen Tetley with the Igor Stravinsky score that revolutionized and radicalized original audiences; and the world premiere of a new contemporary work by Yoshihisa Arai commissioned by Colorado Ballet, choreographed to Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2.”
TICKETS
Please contact Colorado Ballet’s Patron Services team online at ColoradoBallet.org, via email, or over the phone at (303) 339-1637, from Monday–Friday from 10am-4pm.
Visit our website at coloradoballet.org and follow us on social media to remain up-to-date on all Colorado Ballet’s latest announcements, events, media, and more.
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ABOUT COLORADO BALLET ACADEMY
Founded in 1951 by Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker, Colorado Ballet Academy (CBA) is the official school of Colorado Ballet. Under the leadership of Colorado Ballet Artistic Director Gil Boggs and Academy Director Erica Fischbach, the Raydean Acevedo Colorado Ballet Academy (CBA) is the region’s premier source for ballet training and currently serves more than 1,200 students from toddlers to seniors each year. CBA’s unique relationship with the professional company and artistic staff of Colorado Ballet provides superior faculty who are dedicated to developing and inspiring each child to reach their full potential. Aspiring pre-professional students along with those who simply enjoy dance and wish to gain the benefits of studying this classical art form receive the highest caliber ballet instruction in an environment that fosters excellence, individuality and creativity. CBA’s curriculum is grounded in formal classical ballet technique and follows the traditional classical sequence of training intended to increase each student’s technical skill, stamina and artistry. Elements of the Russian, French and Italian schools are taught according to age and physical development, resulting in finished dancers with clean and virtuosic technique, brilliant artistry, stylistic versatility, and the prowess to thrive in the diverse choreographic demands of today. Colorado Ballet Academy also offers focused training for male dancers starting at age 6, with specialized technique and conditioning designed to support the physicality and athleticism necessary to succeed in the professional field of ballet.
ABOUT COLORADO BALLET
Presenting exceptional classical ballet and innovative contemporary dance through performances, training, education and community engagement, Colorado Ballet continues to inspire and grow an increasingly diverse audience base in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1961 by Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker, Colorado Ballet is a non-profit organization celebrating 65 years of excellence. As a world-class professional company serving more than 100,000 national and international patrons, Colorado Ballet presents 58 performances annually to sold-out audiences in the 2,000-seat Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The Company’s 40 professional dancers and 19 studio company dancers come from all over the world. Colorado Ballet’s The Armstrong Center for Dance, a 35,000-square-foot building, boasts eight state-of-the-art professional dance studios and amenities for the professional Company. Under the direction of Artistic Director Gil Boggs, Colorado Ballet performs classical ballet masterpieces, full-length story ballets and its critically acclaimed repertory production MasterWorks, featuring varied works from neoclassical ballets to world premieres. The Raydean Acevedo Colorado Ballet Academy serves more than 1,200 students from toddlers to seniors each year. Colorado Ballet’s Education & Community Engagement offers programs to students and community members, making more than 25,000 contacts and reaching over 200 schools and organizations annually. Participants come from a variety of backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses including youth, families, teachers and people with and without disabilities. For more information, please visit coloradoballet.org.
