Dance is for everyone…
Our diverse community of students, teachers, and staff is a testament to our dedication to creating a space where differences are celebrated. We actively promote an environment where mutual respect, understanding, and acceptance thrive. We believe that embracing diversity not only enriches our artistic experiences but also empowers our students to grow as individuals.
Join us at Centennial State Ballet and become part of a community that values diversity, acceptance, and the transformative power of the arts. Together, we’ll dance to the rhythm of unity and creativity.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2023/24 SEASON
MORIAH SULLIVAN – PRESIDENT:
Moriah Sullivan chose to volunteer her time with CSB because she LOVES ballet! She also loves the “professional” ballet experience and the opportunities CSB brings to the community. She has a long history with ballet. Moriah started her ballet education in 1976 in Maryland with Frederick School of Classical Ballet and performed with Maryland Regional Ballet. She danced and performed there for 13 years. Then, after a 10-year absence from ballet and moving all over the country, she landed in the Boulder area. She revisited her love for ballet and started taking local and company classes again. Eventually, Moriah moved to Longmont and happened upon Longmont Dance Theatre Academy which later split to become the performance sector and non-profit, Centennial State Ballet. Moriah co-founded CSB along with Kristin Kingsley and has stayed involved for the last 12 years, she is currently the sitting president of the BoD and is also currently serving as Interim Executive Director. She continues to take adult ballet classes, perform in supporting roles for CSB and two of her three sons are actively involved with ballet and currently performing at CSB as well. They love it! The youth company members she has worked with and watched grow over the years she considers her other ‘kids’. “The organization fosters and supports such amazing humans!” Moriah is a successful local business owner in the Longmont community, a mother of three children who have come to love the rewards that go hand-in-hand with performance and ballet, and a true and long-time lover of the performing arts. She currently uses her additional spare time to promote and support the inception of a performing arts complex within the city limits of Longmont as well! Ask her about the details, next time you see her around!
Moriah’s future vision for CSB includes a supporting professional company, to round out the pre pro training and performing for the youth population. A well-rounded company that touches every single piece of the puzzle from Studio to Stage!
EILEEN HICKEY – VICE PRESIDENT:
Eileen is an Engineer by trade and Costumer and consummate Centennial State Ballet Board Member by choice.
She first became engaged in the incipient Longmont Dance Theatre (LDT) studio when Kristin Kingsley (CSB’s founder) arrived in Longmont. Her 4 year old daughter had already spent a year in ballet at another local studio, but with Kristin’s arrival in town, her daughter, Kiera, switched to Kristin’s tutelage. That was the beginning of a 14 year relationship with an awesome studio, incredible instructors, serious discipline and entertaining performances several times a year, always including the Nutcracker at the holiday season. Because of or despite Kiera’s health issues; ballet, modern, and the family relationships of performers with whom she grew up, Kiera survived to adulthood. Eileen’s many other family members have also enjoyed time with this ballet program. Kiera’s success in life, as Eileen believes, are a direct result of the confidence, the personal presence, and the ease with hard work that Kristin inculcated in her dancers.
While Kiera danced Eileen was introduced to the entertaining and interesting world of costuming and is still CSB’s head costumer after all these years.. Joining an incredible group of dedicated parents, Eileen learned about sewing for costuming and enjoyed years of companionship that the ever changing group of seamstresses provided.
When LDT’s performance sector turned to a non profit and then rebranded as CSB, Eileen was a founding member of Centennial State Ballet’s (CSB) non-profit board of directors. EIleen was on the original board for many years until her incessant engineering (work) travel limited her practical use. Fortunately for CSB, the advent of COVID’s travel restrictions, and the organization’s focus on keeping the performances ‘on stage’, even if streaming, brought her back.
Eileen very much hopes to support other performers and students along the way. The contributions from dance including health-strengthening, personal comfort on stage, and a very real sense of personal presence in any circumstance keep Eileen engaged. Eileen believes in strongly supporting the dance environment that encourages anyone to embrace
CANDY CAMPBELL – TREASURER:
SARAH BURROWES – SECRETARY:
JOAN REED:
Joan started volunteering with the ballet in 1997 (then known as LDT) when her 3-year-old daughter decided she wanted to dance. She had volunteered in many different groups around Longmont and when her daughter started dancing she took it upon herself to once more put on her volunteer hat. As a jack of all trades when it came to the arts and including being a well-trained seamstress this seemed to be a perfect fit. Long after her daughter had to leave because of an illness, she stayed on to volunteer with whatever needed help but mainly costumes. As her daughter nears 30 years of age Joan is still doing a small amount of costuming and recently joined the CSB BoDs in order to help in other ways. As she remains actively engaged she is interested to see the organization grow and change according to what the world brings.
LAZLO HUNT:
Lazlo Hunt has an MA in Special Education and Educational Leadership. He began his career in education teaching special education with a focus on students with emotional disabilities. He has spent the past 15 years serving as Director of Special Education and Principal. He has extensive experience in budgeting, human resources, and strategic planning. He relies upon his education and leadership experience to support as a board member.
Lazlo has two daughters that have danced with LDTA and CSB over the past 5 years although his since they were each about three years old. Before joining CSB, his daughters had mostly competition dance studio experience. His family was excited to join the CSB family when they moved to Longmont in 2018. Lazlo has been volunteering for multiple opportunities from load out to front of the house. Lazlo is committed to the mission of CSB for our performers and our community.
STEVE JACOBSON:
Steve reprises the role of grandpa annually from his successful stints in years past. In addition to performing as grandpa in CSB's presentation of the Nutcracker, Steve also serves on the Board of Directors for the Centennial State Ballet. Mr Jacobson has enjoyed success in both business and government, as well as the founding of two thriving nonprofits to benefit inner city youth sports.
HEATHER BOYLAN:
CENTENNIAL STATE BALLET FOUNDER
Kristin Kingsley
Co-founded Centennial State Ballet in 2012, making it one of the first pre-professional youth ballet companies in Colorado.
LOVE OF DANCE FROM THE BEGINNING
Kristin Leah Kingsley was born in 1974 and grew up in Kansas City, MO. Kingsley had a rich family history in music and the arts – her father, David, played French horn in the United States Army Band, and while stationed in Hawaii, met Kristin’s mother, Dolores (Dolly), when they both were singing in the choir at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Andrew in Honolulu. After graduating from the University of Hawaii, Dolly performed in Showboat and My Fair Lady at the Diamond Head Theatre (formerly Honolulu Community Theatre).
Kristin’s parents introduced her to music and diverse performing arts at a very young age. “I took piano lessons and thought briefly about learning to play the organ. I was always 2nd chair flute in the band, dabbled in the high school jazz band on keyboard bass, and even tried the french horn until someone told me my neck would get thicker from using those muscles. Truly, taking ballet six days a week took over my extra-curricular life. Ballet was my passion, my place, and just, my thing.”
Kristin began taking ballet lessons at the age of 2. “I was born with my hips turned in and the doctors wanted to break open my hips as an infant so I would walk normally. Well, mom was not impressed with that thought so she had another idea. Since she had also taken ballet as a child, my mom new that ballet opened the hip joints as it emphasizes turn out. So I wore leg braces for a bit and took ballet classes as a form of physical therapy.” This therapy led to her love of dance. “At nearly every point in my dance development, my mom would ask if I wanted to do anything else. Once, I didn’t want to sing in a theater class or audition for a jazz competition group, and there was one time I didn’t want to do musical theater (which is my mom’s love) and I chose ballet classes. ‘How about riding horses?’; ‘What about pointe shoes; those things hurt. Don’t you want to quit?’ mom asked on numerous occasions. My response was, ‘No, everything feels right when I am in my pointe shoes. I love ballet!’.”
“At a Milwaukee Ballet Summer Intensive Program, my mom was sitting in the waiting area watching an audition for the end of the program’s performance with other patrons. As the story goes, some man beside my mom went running down the stairs and pointed to me. He said, ‘I want that one for my piece.’ That man was John Taras, prominent choreographer and ballet master for New York City Ballet from 1959-1984. I think my mom knew from that moment, that it was going to be ballet for the rest of my life.”
As a young performer, her talent for teaching and choreography began to shine through. “When I joined the Kansas City Ballet, I didn’t know anything about teaching a ballet class. I took ballet classes and performed repertoire but it was foreign to turn it around and teach others. I was asked to substitute some classes to one of the youngest groups at KCB. I was given a class plan and was able to work with an accompanist. It was a blast but little did I know that first class set me up for my future. I loved my training from Allegra Kent, Melissa Hayden, Sandra Jennings, Maria Tallchief, and Todd Bolender. I cherish my very formative instructors in Una Kai, Flo Klenklen, Lisa Dillinger, and James Jordan. Their spark and love of ballet shines through me when I teach my students. It is only by their collective legacy that I can pass the ballet tradition to the next generation.”
CREATING FROM THE GROUND UP
In 1998, Kingsley founded the Longmont Dance Theatre, a pre-professional dance studio with a focus on ballet in the Balanchine technique. She acquired the original company, Backstage Danza, from Salli Gutierrez, a longtime Longmont dance instructor. Kingsley was teaching a few ballet classes a week at Backstage Danza and eventually became their office administrator. “When Salli decided to close the studio to pursue other career opportunities, I felt like I had been building a home and really loved training the students. I just didn’t want it to stop. So I offered to purchase the studio and its assets, changed the name to Longmont Dance Theatre, and with 40 families began a full-time position of training ballet dancers in Longmont, CO.”
With a desire to expand performance opportunities for her students, and with a goal to bring classical ballet to a larger community, Kristin co-founded Centennial State Ballet in 2012 and renamed the original training studio Longmont Dance Theatre Academy.
From the Company’s creation, Kingsley was primarily in charge of almost every task, no matter how mundane. She ran warm-up classes and conducted rehearsals for Youth Company members, and then stayed after to clean the studios. She chose the repertoire, guest artists & choreographers for the Company, as well as choreographing, casting the performances, and organizing the costumes. Occasionally you could find her picking up bobby pins in the dressing rooms after a show to keep the venue custodians happy.
Here at CSB, we cherish Kristin’s legacy that she built, and are pleased to continue her vision as we look towards the future. While she is missed, she is not far! Merde for Kristin and the company’s next act!