The Academy of Kim Robards Dance
Faculty
Kim Robards
Artistic Director/CEO Kim Robards Dance
(Modern, Pilates Reformer, Repertory, Composition)
Kim is respected as a teacher of her own technique which provides a solid technical base for dancers. As a leader in dance education, she founded The Academy of Kim Robards Dance in 1990. She has previously served as a guest faculty at Denver Ballet Theatre, taught on the faculty of The Academy of Colorado Ballet for 15 years and formerly taught at Colorado College in Colorado Springs for five years. She has been a leading Dance Teaching Artist for the Aesthetic Education Institute of Colorado, and has presented hundreds of residencies throughout every corner of Colorado through her own company’s educational programming, as well as through various artist-in-residence programs including those sponsored by Young Audiences, ArtReach, and Denver Ballet Guild.
For her full biography, please see The Artistic Director page
LaRana Skalicky (Associate Executive Director) (Modern, Creative Movement, Boys' Class, Ballet, Jazz, Tap) has been a Company Member since 1988 and a Teacher at The Academy of KRD since it was founded in 1990. She teaches all levels of modern dance as well as tap and modern repertory. In addition to her work as a teacher, LaRana also serves KRD as a dancer and administrator. She was selected for an Associateship with the Rocky Mountain Women's Institute, has been a Dance Teaching Artist for the Aesthetic Education Institute of Colorado, serves on The Scen3 Denver SCFD Tier III marketing committee, the CAST3 Leadership Team, and the Board of Directors for The Aurora Cultural Arts District. LaRana teaches at The KRD School, in KRD's educational outreach programs, and at the Denver Ballet Theatre. She graduated cum laude with honors as one of four $20,000 Four Years Honor Scholars from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Philosophy. LaRana is originally from Salina, KS. She plays the cello and has a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do. LaRana wishes to thank her mentor Kim Robards.
Abril Gonzalez joins KRD as a Summer Intensive Company Project Scholarship recipient. Originally born in Argentina, she grew up in Florida. Abril received her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Florida Southern College in May of 2022, where she trained in various dance styles. During her time at Florida Southern College, she participated in works by Doug Gillespie, Leah Pinder, Alex Jones, Stefan Dolbashian, and RAKR Dance. Upon graduation, she performed with Emotions Dance Company in Orlando, Florida while completing internships with Parsons Dance Company and AIM by Kyle Abraham Dance Company. Abril recently moved to Denver from Florida and is very excited for this new artistic chapter.
Rebekah Griffin joins KRD as an Apprentice in her first season. She received most of her dance training at Premier School of Dance in Thornton, Colorado where she danced for 11 years. After graduation she continued her training at the University of Northern Colorado where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Education and a Minor in Dance. She danced and choreographed in student-led dance productions over the years. Then took her knowledge to Commerce City Rec Center where she taught dance to children ages 3-8. She is beyond excited to start her professional dance career with Kim Robards and KRD. Rebekah would like to thank her family and her partner Chase Newburn for their continued support.