DANCEMANDO

Hello my name is Armando and I’m a dancer. I know it’s not how I usually introduce myself but this is where a lot, if not most of my creativity comes from. I have been dancing for 32 years and it all started in the town I was born in, Sombrerete, Zacatecas, Mexico. My dad was the Monarca (a leader of the dance group representing moctezuma during the conquista) of a danza (indegionous style of dancing) group in Sombrerete and as soon as I could walk, my dad had me dancing. 

Armando about age 5.

When my family moved to the United States in 1990 I discovered dance in a whole new way. Hip Hop, top rocks, pop&lock. Cable TV and English radio were opening me up to a different universe that I was eager to understand. I began to be influenced by Disney movies and the hype around two MJ’s (Micahel Jackson and Michael Jordan) . The creative genius from one and the competitive nature of the other. I found ways to express myself at school dances and recreated all the moves I saw in music videos. Adding my own twist and later in life realizing a lot of that twist was coming from the beat of the drum my dad had instilled in me while in Mexico. Dance became my native tongue and what I could always rely on when needing to process emotion. Yes, more than drawing or painting. Dance is in me and it’s in all of us. We just have to know how to embrace it and use it as a tool for self expression. 

This is just a small version of my story as a dancer, you can get to know many more people like me in our community. Such as, our very own Colorado Dance Collective (CDC)

Colorado Dance Collective (CDC)

 The CDC was established in July, 2009, by a small group of dedicated dancers (myself included) and later that year, qualified for non-profit status under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Now in our 13th year, our dance collective has grown to include five separate auditioned companies, each specializing in a different dance style: Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, and Swing. Our dancers are adults, 18 and older, in all stages of life, who find common ground in their passion for dance as a performing art. Over the years, under the guidance of our volunteer Artistic Directors and Board of Directors, the CDC has broadened its scope to include several community outreach programs and multiple performance opportunities per year.  

One of our community programs is Hip Hop Madness, which has been produced by the CDC since 2014. In 2020, 155 dancers, both children and adults, came for a free day of dance classes culminating in an evening performance by hip hop groups from around Colorado.

Additionally, our performances are well attended by a broad range of community members, who appreciate the diverse dance and music styles, presented in a dynamic multimedia format. Our two annual productions feature each of our dance companies, in addition to local dance groups. The Hot Chocolate Collective in the winter provides an evening of holiday festivities and a cup of hot cocoa!  In the spring, our Showcase offers thought provoking and fun loving dances focused on a theme, and is well attended by local dance enthusiasts.

While we had planned to present "Wanderlust," in the spring of 2020, it was canceled due to Covid-19. In the wake of the pandemic, we moved to an online format, producing numerous dance compilations on social media platforms, and reimagining and streaming our popular Hot Chocolate Collective for audiences online.  We were thrilled to get back on stage with “Emerge” in the spring of 2021, a socially distanced, masked performance at the Union Colony Civic Center.

In the fall of 2019, the CDC moved to what we affectionately call The Greeley Warehouse. Our new space is also home to artists and musicians, as well as independent dance and fitness teachers with whom we share our studios. Many of the CDC classes are open to the public for a nominal charge of $5 per class, with dancers coming to the studio for weekly classes from within a 60 mile radius. 

Our Vision Statement is: "A dance company that represents a diverse group of prestigious dancers that exists to serve and enhance the community through quality instruction, positive influence and collaboration with our Northern Colorado partners. We strive to build relationships to enrich our community by sharing our passion for overall health and wellness, dance and the performing arts." We work hard to achieve this vision each day.

THANK YOU

I am the director for the Hip Hop company and I am honored to have shared the dance floor with so many great artists because of it. I hope you had the opportunity to learn something new about myself and this wonderful non-profit I get to call my dance family. We perform for our community right here in Greeley at the UNION COLONY CIVIC CENTER. We would love to see you at our spring showcase on May 14th.

Armando Silva directs this group of dancers.

To learn more about the Colorado Dance Collective visit their website at https://www.coloradodancecollective.com/