Today we’d like to introduce you to Debbie Stark.
Debbie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I can’t imagine my life without dance. As a little girl, I played “dance class” whenever I had free time. I spent very little time in actual dance classes due to financial restraints. I auditioned for the Dance Dept. at Colorado State University and was accepted. Although I loved the performing arts, I knew my calling was to teach. After college, I studied with my mentor, Darlene Handler and began my teaching career. Fifty years later, I have taught dance to literally thousands of young people and I am now teaching children of my past students. I have also been fortunate enough to choreograph for many local theaters in our community. That leads me to the highly acclaimed Theater Company Phamaly. Phamaly is a one of a kind theater company that gives artists with disabilities a vehicle to perform and educate audiences around the world. I have been their choreographer for the past 31 years. I am still teaching 8-10 classes a week at the studio and I am so proud to offer quality dance classes to all children including those with special abilities and celebrate every child’s uniqueness.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would say that my road has been very smooth. I always wanted to teach dance and to motivate young people. To cultivate a love of dance for my students. Even though my dance education started a little later than most, my passion for the Art pushed me harder to learn and “catch up.” Due to COVID-19 the past seven months have been the biggest challenge creatively and emotionally for me. Dance Kaleidoscope is open however due to COVID-19, I can not go in and teach. We have come up with creative ways to allow me to still teach but I miss connecting with my students and their families in person.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Dance Kaleidoscope is a unique place. I believe it is unlike any other dance studio. We are a non-competitive studio that strives to give the students top quality technique and to stress the ART of dance. Each of us has a story to tell and that is what audiences want/deserve to see. Our choreographers and teachers encourage the dancers to dig deep and perform with their hearts no matter their age. We are known for being an inclusive studio. Our students have a broad range of abilities and reasons they want to dance. We have young people at the studio that major in dance at Denver School of the Arts and have set their sights on becoming professional dancers. We have some that love dance and come to stretch and do something positive for their minds AND bodies and others come to dance to have fun and de-stress. Perhaps my favorite students are those with different abilities that can come and feel safe and included. I am proud to offer quality dance classes for ALL who want to dance.
The definition of a “Kaleidoscope” is ever-changing shapes and colors. To me, that is dance. Even our youngest dancers learn how to create art with their bodies and appreciate the beauty of working together and what can be accomplished when we do.
I always tell my faculty that, “we are given the opportunity to change lives. Don’t think of that as a responsibility, think of it as a gift.” My proudest moment was when a young dancer I had taught since she was two years old, dancing with many challenges, years later told me, “I saved her life”. So now I tell my teachers, “not only can we change lives, if we do our job right, we can save a life.”
Contact Info:
- Address: 6883 S. Dallas Court, Greenwood Village, CO 80112
- Website: dancekstudio.com
- Phone: 3037688909
- Email: info@dancekstudio.com
- Instagram: danekstudio
- Facebook: facebook.com/dancekstudio
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