Colorado Dance Education Organization
Recognizing excellence in
Dance Education
Nominations can be for dance educators who are:
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K-12
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Studio
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Independent
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Higher Ed
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Arts Advocates
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Arts Administrators
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Self-Nominations are accepted, but 2 letters of recommendation must be sent to Leslie Williams: leslie.codeo@gmail.com in addition to the initial nomination form.
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Nominees may be contacted for additional information for a 2nd round of adjudication.
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Nomination Deadline is August 31, 2025
2025 Winners
Elizabeth Ellis
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Elizabeth Ellis started teaching dance in 2002 and loves engaging her students’ learning process.
After growing up dancing in Rapid City, South Dakota, she moved to New York City and graduated from The Ailey School with a concentration in ballet and modern dance.
Elizabeth later completed a BA in Dance from SUNY’s Empire State College, where she focused her studies on child development and dance education, including graduating from the Dance Education Laboratory. During her ten years in New York City she performed in musicals, danced with the Amir Levi Dance Company, choreographed shows, and taught ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, creative movement, and modern at multiple studios.
She loves teaching, as well as managing Leap Dance Studio!
Mindy Ellis
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Mindy Ellis is a seasoned dance educator with over 30 years of teaching experience. Her extensive repertoire includes jazz, tap, lyrical, hip-hop, ballet, and creative movement classes, catering to dancers of all ages and skill levels. Mindy’s journey began at Barbara Ellis Studio of Dance and continued at Mesa State College, where she had the privilege of learning from the esteemed principal ballerina and professor, Anne Saunders.
Year after year, Mindy's choreography remains innovative and distinctive. She has a unique talent for arranging and staging her pieces, enhancing performances with visual flair while maintaining a dynamic flow for her students. Mindy has received numerous awards for her choreography, including best choreography, and several overall accolades.
Incorporating an all-inclusive approach, Mindy emphasizes mental health in her teachings. She recognizes that a dancer is a person first and foremost, and she is dedicated to nurturing both their physical and emotional well-being. Through her guidance, Mindy Ellis continues to inspire the next generation of dancers, instilling in them the values of camaraderie, artistry, and self-care.
2024 Winner
Christina Noel
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Christina Noel has been teaching ballet 52 years, apprenticing first under the tutelage of her grandmother, a former soloist with the Brussels Opera. Christina received both her ballet training and her teacher training from Finis Jhung principle dancer with the Harkness Ballet; Richard Ellis & Christine DuBoulay, soloists with the Royal Ballet, Patricia Stander from the London Festival Ballet and ballet mistress for Stars of American Ballet Theater, Patrick Franz from the Paris Opera and Hilda Morales soloist with American Ballet Theater. In 14 years as a professional dancer, Christina performed with Chicago Ballet, Tucson Ballet, San Diego Ballet, Nevada Dance Theater, and Colorado Ballet, and taught for the companies’ affiliate schools as well as guest teaching in Vermont, California, New Mexico and Colorado. Since 1987 Christina has taught at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, developing their program and directing and choreographing for their youth company, Arvada Center Dance Theater. She has been the Dance Coordinator since 2004. Ms. Noel has taught company class for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble since 2009. Most recently, Christina presented at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Sciences international conferences about proper teaching techniques for ballet.
2023 Winner
Paige C. Farlow
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Paige C. Farlow, a midwest native, began her dance training at the age of 3 with the Janet Lang Dance Studio in Rochester, MN. Paige has trained across multiple genres, making her a knowledgeable, versatile, and well rounded dancer and choreographer.
Professionally, she began teaching dance in high school and has taught at multiple dance studios in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado. She directed and choreographed for two Denver High School Dance Companies - Noel Dance Company and East Dance Company where she has directed both choreographically and artistically, costumed, and choreographed for over 20 full length dance productions. As a licensed special educator, her specialty is creating dance opportunities for students with emotional/behavioral and cognitive disabilities. She has created multiple programs with specialized dance curriculum to make dance accessible to all.
Paige served as a Regional Team Specialist where she trained other dance educators and provided them with valuable resources to implement dance curriculum into their school-based dance programs. She is the founder of P.Christine Choreography, LLC, which allows her to fuse her three passions together - dance, mentoring, and teaching.
