Meet Trailblazer Caitlin Brozna-Smith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Brozna-Smith.

Caitlin, from Denver Colorado, began her dance and music training at an early age as a supplement for competitive figure skating, studying classical ballet and jazz. After obtaining her B.F.A. in Musical Theatre and Dance from the University of Colorado at Boulder and traveling the world on Semester at Sea, her love of dance and world cultures inspired her to branch out to study more world forms of dance, including Belly Dance, Salsa, African, Brazilian Samba No Pe, and Bollywood. Caitlin went on to receive her Master of Arts in International Affairs & Communication from the University of Denver in 2005.

Caitlin first started her training of Samba no pe in Salvador, Bahia Brazil during her travels in 2001. From there she continued studying the past 13 years with Kaya & Sadie of Groove du Monde, Samba Ottawa, & and currently with Luciana da Silva. Caitlin has also studied Samba with Rodrigo Marques, Roseangela Silvestre, Marcelo Chocolate, Alvaro Reys, Mayara Santos, Carlinhos do Salgueiro, and Preta Nascimento.

Caitlin started her Middle Eastern Dance training in 2004, originally studying with internationally renowned belly dance artists Sadie & Kaya while also performing as a member of their dance company Groove du Monde from 2004-2009. More recently Caitlin has trained with Shadia in Ottawa, Ontario during 2010, and Suzanna Del Vecchio in Denver 2011.

Caitlin began her Bollywood training in 2009 & became a teaching associate and troupe performer with Bollywood West dance company under the tutelage of Renu Gupta.

In addition to Bella Diva Dance, Caitlin is currently an Adjunct Professor on faculty at the University of Denver in the Theatre Department and the Lamont School of Music instructing Musical Theatre dance, World Dance, stage movement and choreographing for shows.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Life does not tend to send us passions and dreams that follow the straight and narrow path, and what ultimately makes it worthwhile are the challenges and struggles we are presented with that we are able to overcome. Being a small business owner in the arts presents its own form of challenges by way of needing to marry business street smarts with creative energy, staying true to your art form. Advice for other women, especially young ones just starting their journeys is to surround yourself with your ideal energy and people. An amazing team built with other leaders is what keeps a company and team growing and learning together. You can’t be afraid of sharing the spotlight and highlighting others because in the end, especially in a niche market, we need all of our strengths to not only survive but flourish.

We’d love to hear more about Bella Diva World Dance.
The work we are currently known for in Denver is owning a world dance studio and school in Glendale that offers weekly dance instruction in addition to professionally themed shows. We are most proud of creating a microcosm of what the world could be like when a group of diverse talented women come together and work for a greater good, whether that be feeling more at home in one’s body, building team performance projects, using dance and performance art as a means of social justice standing up for the rights and protection of all women. Students at our studio learn what it means to identify as a global citizen.

Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
Finding good mentors always happens when you put yourself in a position of following your passion and finding like-minded individuals you share your values and ideals. I have been blessed with amazing mentors on my journey that were there to teach me hard lessons at the time, but ultimately helped craft me into the person I am today. My goal is to always pay it forward, realizing that life is a set of stages we all go through and will come across individuals who are in a place you once were. What kind of wisdom can you impart to help them on their way?

Pricing:

• $15.00 for a drop-in class
• $52.00 for a 4 week monthly series
• $150.00 for the Unlimited Monthly Dance Passport

Contact Info:

• Address: 4309 E. Mississippi Ave.
  Glendale, CO 80246
• Website: www.belladivadance.com
• Phone: 3033599414
• Email: info@belladivadance.com
• Instagram: @belladivadance
• Facebook: @belladivadance

Image Credit:
Matt W. Smith, Frank LeBeouf, and Britton Murrey

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.