With great enthusiasm Janelle joins The Colorado Conservatory of Dance as Director of
Community Education! A Colorado native, Janelle’s passion for dance was fostered by her family
from a very young age. She trained in multiple dance disciplines including classical ballet, tap,
jazz, classical Spanish dance and Mexican Ballet Folklórico. Her strict formation by master
instructors from Colorado and Mexico, prepared her for a lifelong career in dance and the arts.

In 1993 Janelle travelled to Mexico City to audition with the world renowned Ballet Folklórico
de Mexico de Amalia Hernández. For more than 15 years, Janelle performed three times a week
in Mexico City s Palacio de Bellas Artes and toured internationally. She is the only American ́
artist in the 70 year history of the institution to dance as a principal and soloist, and also work as
an artistic coordinator, public relations representative and tour manager.

In 1999 with The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and the Gates Foundation, Janelle piloted a free after
school program in Mexican Folk Dance for K-12 students in Aspen, Basalt and Carbondale,
Colorado. Today the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico serves 500 plus students in The Roaring
Fork Valley of Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Since 2009, Janelle has created works and programming for The Denver Art Museum, The
Colorado Symphony Orchestra, The Denver Botanic Gardens, The Longmont Museum and
Cultural Center, Denver International Airport, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and The Kennedy
Center’s VSA Arts, Very Special Artist program. As a master instructor of the Amalia Hernández
style and approach to enhancing traditional folk dance with classical and contemporary
techniques, Janelle has been a guest artist with multiple universities and dance academies in the
U.S. and Mexico. In collaboration with numerous community driven organizations, foundations
and schools, she has implemented programs in dance and history to promote diversity, cultural
appreciation and sensitivity across demographics. Janelle’s commitment to equity in providing
opportunities in the arts, aligns with the elevated standard of Community Education programs at
Colorado Conservatory of Dance.