Colorado Dance Education Organization

Submissions are now open for the 2027 CoDEO 13th Annual Dance Education Conference for Educators and Students. Visit www.co-deo.org for more information.

January 15, 2027 Kick-off Dance Party followed by the weekend of dance education January 16-17, 2027 at the Pueblo, Colorado, Convention Center!

Presenter Submissions are due by August 31, 2026. Submissions for Performers, Dance Educator of the Year and Student Film Festival are DUE NOVEMBER 1, 2026

Presenter Applications are welcome for:
-Movement sessions in any dance style, for any or all levels
-Educator toolkits - ideas to take back to the classroom and use right now
-Improvisation and choreography
-College and career workshops
-Or: share what you are passionate about in the world of dance or dance education and want to share!
Sessions can be geared toward students grades 8-12, University Students, or Dance Educators.
All sessions are 60 minutes in length and include compensation.

Performers: Open to all attending schools, studios, and professional companies.
Submit a piece which showcases the best of your dancers to share with all conference attendees on Saturday evening January 16!
CoDEO Board will review all submissions and contact selected performers by December 20th.

All performing students must be registered for the conference. Professional performers (18yrs+) are invited to attend Saturday conference classes for free.

Dance Educator of the Year: Recognizing excellence in Dance Education
Categories for nominations include:
K-12 Teachers
Studio Teachers
Independent Artists and Teachers
Post-Secondary Educators
Arts Advocates
Arts Administrators​

CoDEO Student Film Festival:
Open to 8th grade, High School and University Students
What is a Dance Film?
In order to be considered for the Dance Film Festival a work must be:
1. defined by choreographic intention in dancing or movement
2. defined by camera work, cinematic form, and/or editing techniques
All submitting students must be registered for the conference. Selected films will be shown during Conference events.

That’s right!! The dates are set for the 13th Annual Colorado Dance Education Organization Conference for Educators and Students (students Grades 8-12 and University) for January 16-17, 2027, with the Dance Party Kick-off Friday night, January 15!!!

Held at the Pueblo Convention Center that can comfortably serve the close to 300 attendees! Pueblo is a beautiful Colorado city including a Riverwalk, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America right next door, a community skating rink, fabulous restaurants, architecture and history! So much more plus plenty of free parking by the convention center too!!

Our 2025 conference had students, teachers, educators, presenters & colleges from across Colorado, Wyoming and NEBRASKA!!!! We hope to see New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma represented at the 2026 conference!

Keep posted here, Facebook and our webpage for submission dates for Presenters, Performers, Dance Educator of the Year, Student Film Festival, and Colorado All-State Dance Ensemble! www.co-deo.org

Did you love what CoDEO brings to Colorado and the midwest and would like to support our mission through our sponsor program? More information at: www.co-deo.org/sponsors

Forgot to buy CoDEO swag? Check out our in our header

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National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) is a nationally recognized honor society that acknowledges dance students for their artistic merit, leadership and academic achievements.

There are three NHSDA programs:
Junior Program - Grades 6-8
Secondary Program - Grades 9-12
Collegiate Program

There are 45 active NHSDA chapters from Junior to Collegiate in the state of Colorado!

NHSDA Mission:
To recognize outstanding artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement in students studying dance in public and private schools in K-12 education, dance studios, cultural/community centers, performing arts organizations, and post-secondary education.
To foster an appreciation for dance as a true art form and one worthy of recognition and prestige.

Check out www.ndeo.org/nhsda/ and click through all the hotspots to learn about all the NHSDA opportunities, resources and how to set up a chapter!!!

Check out Dance Arts Now! The official newsletter of the NHSDA Junior & Secondary Programs The publication gives student inductees and their chapter sponsors a chance to be published and recognized!

An ANNUAL Scholarship Opportunity! Dance students who have been inducted into the NHSDA Secondary Program and are current juniors & seniors in High School are eligible for the NHSDA Artistic Merit, Leadership and Academic Achievement Award and Scholarship, the highest student dance award in the nation. The National Winner of this dance scholarship will receive up to a $1,000 monetary award/scholarship & a certificate. The 3 National Finalists will each receive a $250 monetary award/scholarship & a certificate. Honorable Mention Recipients will receive a certificate.

CoDEO wants to support the Colorado NHSDA Chapters! Send us updates with your program for promoting your achievements! Send info or questions to [email protected] or through DM on IG or FB.

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CoDEO so enjoyed being part of Cleo Parker Robinson’s Dance for the Healing Arts second weekend of events marking the opening of their new beautiful extension that includes 4 new studio spaces and a theatre! Together with our colleagues from The Dance Archive we met many students, parents, dancers, teachers and dance enthusiasts!

Join us tonight from 7:00-8:00pm in the Heroes Pavilion of the Pueblo Convention Center for the Kick-off Dance Party and Student Film Screening! Casual dress.
Free parking directly across the convention center at the Central Main Street parking garage.

Find the full weekend schedule at www.co-deo.org for the 12th Annual CoDEO Dance Conference.

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Educators need or want professional development credit for attending the CoDEO Dance Conference?!! We’ve got you! Contact Sandra Minton, PhD Dance Education, Professor Emeritus, to inquire about the opportunity through University of Northern Colorado Extension Campus! Meet her in person Saturday morning or contact for complete requirements at [email protected].

2-day attendance is a base requirement – this opportunity is available yearly. Completion of all requirements you’ll earn 1 graduate credit!

Course Description:
DNCE 508 is provided by the Extended Studies Division of the University of Northern Colorado as a professional development opportunity for dance educators and other types of educators.

Professional development opportunities are provided by attendance at the in-person Colorado Dance Education Organization (CoDEO) Conference, an annual event. The goal of attendance at the CoDEO conference is to provide opportunities for dance teachers to update skills and knowledge in terms of dance education and movement-based content and curricula. This course will require educators to attend the annual CoDEO conference sessions designed specifically for movement and dance teachers and the dance performances presented during the conference.

Those receiving UNC credit will also be expected to attend the performance on day one and closing performance at the end of the second day. The monitor or presenters for each session will sign the educator attendance sheet as evidence of attending a session or performance.

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PBT for EVERY dancer - strength, alignment and injury prevention!! Natsuho Noguchi, a certified Progressing Ballet Technique instructor, presents this workshop using Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) as a tool to help dancers of all styles build strength, stability, coordination & body awareness. Whether you train in ballet, contemporary, jazz, or other forms, PBT helps improve alignment, coordination & control, making your movement cleaner & therefore more confident across the board.

Explore exercises that strengthen the core & support healthy movement habits with correct muscle memory, so that they can be brought into the dance class right away. Check out the complete schedule for the 12th Annual CoDEO Dance Conference at www.co-deo.org

The class also offers practical strategies to prevent injuries while enhancing performance quality.
Dancers will leave with tools they can use in any dance setting—from studio classes to auditions to performances—feeling stronger, more balanced, & more confident in their own bodies.

You’ll walk away with:
- Simple exercises to strengthen your core & improve alignment for any dance style.
- Tools to make your movement more controlled, expressive, & versatile.
- Ideas for keeping your body healthy & preventing injuries.
And confidence to carry strength & presence into any class, rehearsal, or stage performance!

Natsuho Noguchi is a Principal Dancer with Canyon Concert Ballet, Fort Collins. She began her ballet journey in Milan & continued her training at Showa University of Music in Tokyo, graduating with honors in Ballet. Natsuho has since performed with companies across the U.S., including City Ballet of San Diego, Atlantic City Ballet & Ballet Theatre of Indiana, in roles ranging from classical favorites to contemporary works. Natsuho loves sharing her passion for dance both on stage & in the studio.

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Horton… Who? Seriously… Terri Jo Englund presents a Horton Modern Dance class for this weekend’s 12th Annual CoDEO Dance Conference, January 17-18, with a dance party on Friday Jan. 16!

If you missed the online registration window - join us anyway! For a small additional fee you can walk-up day of and register – we’ll be glad to see you educators & students alike! Check out the schedule at www.co-deo.org

Modern dance is a staple of dance study. Going to college for dance or just want to be well-rounded? Be prepared with Horton modern basics!

The Lester Horton modern dance technique is a very structured style. This class will introduce the beginning level movements in the warm-up & beginning level sequences including fortification, one, coccyx transitions, across the floor, elementary balance, & others as time permits. This technique focuses on strength & stretch together. Dancers who utilize this technique regularly develop long thigh muscles & a very flexible lower back.

Terri Jo Englund received her BFA in ballet & her Master of Arts in modern dance from University of Cincinnati. There she studied with Denise Warner Limolli, Oleg Sublime & James Truitte. After graduation, she became the principal ballerina for the Springfield Ballet Company then moved on to Chicago to be on scholarship with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago dance company. After performing with several companies in the area, she created her own company, TJ and Company Dance Theater. She was the Artistic Director, primary choreographer & performer with her company for 12 years. Terri Jo has taught at numerous studios in the Chicagoland area including Northwestern University. She has taught ballet for Canyon Concert Ballet for four years & was on the dance faculty at Front Range Community College. Currently she is teaching ballet & pointe at Immersion Dance Center in Fort Collins, CO. In addition to teaching ballet, jazz & modern dance, Terri is also certified in & teaches Gyrokinesis, Pilates & Aerial Yoga.

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Countdown to the 12th Annual CoDEO Conference!!! Next Saturday & Sunday, January 17-18, a weekend of dance and comradery!!! Dance educators & dance students, grades 8-12 & collegiate we welcome you!!! Arriving early and want to unwind from the week? Join us for a free Dance Party Friday night, January 16!

Go to www.co-deo.org for the full schedule and registration. Online registration is open until midnight Sunday, January 11! Walk-in day of is AOK (but with a small additional fee…)

Pack your dance bags!
– jazz shoes, ballet shoes, tap shoes, pirouettes, socks, character shoes – whatever you got!
– basic black leggings, tees, leotard for the final performance
– hair supplies: clips, elastics, hairpins, etc.
– cover ups for keepin’ warm!
– water bottle
– notebook
– Fab attitude to DANCE!!

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Lorenzo J. Ramírez is the 2026 CoDEO Dance Educator of the Year! Lorenzo will also be presenting Danza Azteca Mexica at the conference, register today!

For over 50 years, Lorenzo Ramírez has exhibited the highest professional & artistic standards for Mexican indigenous & mestizo dance in Colorado. Mr. Ramírez has worked diligently to educate his students, not only about the dance form, but also about the historical significance & rich cultural traditions of Mexico where the dances originated. His perseverance is admirable, but perhaps his greatest qualities are his dedication to youth & his belief that art & culture nurture the spirit of an individual, a family & community.

Mr. Ramirez began his journey as a student of La Danza Folklorica Mexicana with Maestra Diana Herrera of Ballet Folklorico de East Los Angeles. From 1973-1980 he began dancing with Ballet Chicano de Aztlan as a student, graduate & instructor at Escuela Tlatelolco. Mr. Ramírez continued his journey & development in traditional folklórico & Indigenous dance of Mexico when he joined Ballet Mexicano de Colorado 1980-1985. Mr. Ramírez established his own 501c3 cultural arts organization, Grupo Folklorico Sabor Latino, Inc. in 1987. Mr. Ramírez & his late partner, Dr. Steven Marshall, designed & built a beautiful dance studio in historic northwest Denver that Sabor Latino has called home for over the past 20 years, hosting numerous folklorico dance intensives & master classes with professional dance instructors from Chicago, San Antonio, TX, Guadalajara Jalisco, Tampico Tamaulipas, Xalapa Veracruz & Mexico City, MX.

In the spirit of collaboration & educational outreach, Mr. Ramirez has partnered with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Denver & Boulder Public Schools, Museo de Las Americas, La Raza Youth Leadership Institute, CU Boulder Dance Dept., Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities, Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, GLBT Center of Colorado, Aurora Global Fest, Aurora Historic Fox Theater, Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, Cole Arts & Sciences Academy, Boulder Dairy Arts Center, CU School of Public Health, DCPA, Arts Alliance for Health Equity & In Lak’ech Denver Arts Program.