Meet Kate Walsh | Artistic Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Walsh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Since the moment my Mom took my older sister and me to see Miami City Ballet’s The Nutcracker, I knew at seven years old I wanted to be on the stage dancing. Of course that is every little girls’ dream to become a ballerina, but I was determined to make that dream come true. My parents were big proponents of following your dream, as long as you work hard to get it. I auditioned the following year and got the role of angel in Miami City Ballet’s The Nutcracker, then the year after I got the lead children’s role of Clara at the age of nine. You could say that ever since then I felt like I belonged onstage, and could not imagine myself doing anything else for the rest of my life.
I ended up dancing professionally for The Sarasota Ballet for nineteen years, ten of those years as a principal dancer. I love performing, and the idea of getting to play different characters, telling a story through dance, and connecting with the audience.
I believe I chose this artistic career most of all to inspire children to follow your dreams. Now that I am the Artistic Director of Colorado Ballet Society I have that opportunity more than ever to help pass on my knowledge of dance and pursue a professional dance career.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a retired professional ballet dancer, and now Artistic Director of Colorado Ballet Society. It is rare to dance with one ballet company for your whole career, and I danced for nineteen years with The Sarasota Ballet. I started as a trainee and worked my way all the way up to Principal dancer and Assistant Ballet Mistress. I was the longest tenured dancer in the company before I retired. I believe I am most proud of dancing for as long as I did and being able to dance so many different roles in so many unbelievable ballets. I danced lead roles in ballets choreographed by George Balanchine, Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp and Christopher Wheeldon and many more. I was a very versatile dancer known for my strong technique, my comedic roles, my stamina, as well as being able to dance all different styles of dance.
I got to where I am today by training very hard and at some of the best ballet schools such as School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre in New York City as well as Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Sarasota Ballet School. That intense level of professional training is what I am passing on to my students currently at Colorado Ballet Society.
I learned throughout my career to never give up. Even when I was put in third cast of a role, which usually means you won’t get to perform, I would practice as if I was going to be performing onstage. That work ethic, drive and passion gave me more opportunities than just natural talent alone.
I never gave up, I took care of my body, and learned that you had to be comfortable being out of your comfort zone. I also I peaked at my career late, in my thirties, and felt the best at the end of my career. If it wasn’t for a bad injury (tearing my ACL) I would have probably kept dancing.
That injury led me to where I am today teaching and directing at CBS (Colorado Ballet Society) because it taught me that I loved helping other dancers succeed and passing on all that I learned throughout my career. I want to prepare the young dancers for a professional career, and that it is challenging, both mentally and physically, and I have all the tools to help them through my experience.
I want the community to know that I am passionate about helping children and students at CBS achieve their dreams just like I did!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My friend and resident choreographer and principal dancer of Sarasota Ballet, Ricardo Graziano, is visiting in August and going to choreograph a piece on my students from Colorado Ballet Society in a few weeks and this will be good for planning his trip here to the Springs!

First, to adjust to the altitude change, I would take him on a drive through Garden of the Gods, then take him to Marigold Cafe! I love their friendly service and delicious creme brulee.
Next day, I would take him downtown to my favorite store, Redoux, for some consignment shopping, and then out for tapas, wine and charcuterie at Vine and Wheel.
By that point, I think we are ready for a hike through Seven Bridges followed by a visit to the Principal’s office at Ivywild for a refreshing cocktail and some empanadas.
Just to get out of the Springs, I would take him on the Royal Gorge Train for beautiful sightseeing and lunch.
The last day, I would take him on a walk around the lake at the Broadmoor and for some delicious sweets at Cafe Julie!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As I mentioned before, my parents and my family in general have been my biggest support throughout my whole career. They didn’t push me to pursue another career, even knowing how challenging it is to maintain a dance career. My family, including my parents, Matt and Lisa Walsh, grandparents, David and Ruth Beliles, my older sister, Emily Walsh, and younger brother, Brian Walsh, were my biggest fans in the audience. They still continue to cheer me on today, even though now I am not in the spotlight, but in my new role as Artistic Director of Colorado Ballet Society. I would not be in my position today without their encouragement and love. My directors at The Sarasota Ballet, Iain Webb and Margaret Barbieri, were my mentors throughout my dance career. They gave me amazing opportunities and roles, and some of the most special memories of my ballet career. I am now able to pass on the knowledge they gave to me to my students at Colorado Ballet Society.
FInally, my partner, Dex Honea, has also been so supportive of me throughout my career, and I would not have been able to transition from the stage to my new position without him by my side as School Principal and Director of Colorado Ballet Society.

Website: www.danceinthesprings.com

Instagram: coloradoballetsociety

Facebook: Colorado Ballet Society

Image Credits
Gene Schiavone, Vutti Photography, Joel Selva, Kayla Coburn, Ted Mehl and A Better Image Photography, Katherine Marie Photography