Super cute and family friendly | Arts & Entertainment

DanceAspen continues to expand the boundaries of the company by venturing into new spaces and trying things it’s never done. 

On Monday, it will hold its first-ever production incorporating children with “A Snowy Soirée,” a holiday show at the Wheeler Opera House. There are two performances, one at 3 p.m. and another at 5 p.m. The show is roughly 30 minutes long to accommodate the attention span of young attendees. 

Cookies and hot chocolate from Paradise Bakery will be served in the second-floor Vault space after the show.

“The after-show is an opportunity for the kids to get to know the dancers and enjoy some cookies and some hot chocolate,” said DanceAspen Executive Director Laurel Winton. “We’re putting the performance and the after-party gathering into one-hour-long experience.” 

DanceAspen performed “A Snowy Soirée” at the Vault space in 2024. They were unable to do it last year, but Mike Harrington, executive director of the Wheeler, invited the company back for a 2025 Christmas performance. Winton jumped at the opportunity and decided to incorporate some young dancers into the production. 

DanceAspen held an open audition for young dancers in the valley in November and ended up casting five dancers in the 8-9 age range: Jenny Patricelli, Emi Brown, Ava Turchin, Alena Goldberg and Violet Nemirow.

“These dancers are originating their roles in the show,” Winton said. “We’ve created these parts for them specifically. We took into account their personalities and their talents and their strengths. They serve as the narrators of the evening. Each dancer has a cameo where they come out and dance with one of the members of the company. It’s going to be super cute.”

Winton remembers drawing inspiration from professional dancers when she was a child. 

“As someone who became a professional dancer, I remember what inspired me when I was young and it was the experience of performing in professional productions at the San Francisco Ballet School, like “The Nutcracker” and “Romeo and Juliet,” where I really found my passion for dance,” Winton said. “I’m hoping this will give these little ones an opportunity to explore that and see if that’s something that inspires and motivates them.”

“My favorite part has been dancing with [DanceAspen] and getting to watch them dance up close because I think they’re really good dancers,” said Goldberg, 8. 

“I’m looking forward to performing with them which I think is going to be really fun,” said Brown, 9.

“A Snowy Soirée” consists of a series of vignettes built around holiday themes. The entire show is produced and choreographed by the artists of DanceAspen. 

“Whether you’re a serious, devoted lover of dance or you’re just into the holiday spirit, it’s going to be fun for everyone,” Winton said.

“A Snowy Soirée” is the last production in what has been a strong year for DanceAspen. The company did more outreach than ever into Roaring Fork Valley schools, and its winter and summer performances at the Wheeler — “Ember Glow” and “Shifting Forms” respectively — were well-received. 

Winton hopes to build on that momentum in 2026. 

“Being around for half of a decade, starting from zero and now being a million-dollar-budget company is really exciting,” she said. “We’ve only been able to do that with community support. So as long as the community support continues, we’re going to keep bringing it to the next level.

“I think we’re on a roll. We’re just going to keep going and hopefully more and more people will come behind us and help us get there,” Winton added.