Crested Butte School of Dance (School of Dance) has spent more than 40 years teaching dance to Crested Butte-area residents, from kindergartners taking their first hip-hop class to adults dancing in the school’s own performance company.

Founded in 1983, the nonprofit hosts classes from kindergarten hip-hop through adult aerial, plus much in between. The organization gets creative when it comes to finding studio space, using the Pump Room in the old Fire House as well as Crested Butte Center for the Art’s Jones Performance Hall and Schaul Children’s Music Hall

That range provides valley residents an indoor recreation option that runs through the winter, when outdoor options narrow. The school works to keep tuition and scholarships accessible in a community with variable household incomes, ensuring all who want to participate can participate.

The school’s community shows draw its widest participation. More than 140 local dancers performed in the 2025 Move the Butte, an annual community production often featuring first-time dancers. “Nutcracker! Rated CB,” staged in December 2025, featured dancers ranging from age 2 to 19. And more than 120 dancers, including graduating seniors performing for the last time, took the stage for 2025 May’s Spring Into Dance shows.

Between those productions and the Harvest Mother Celebration each fall, the school’s calendar gives Crested Butte several points a year where students, families and the wider community gather around a stage.

For a town built around outdoor recreation, School of Dance offers something different: a year-round, indoor creative outlet that scales from kids to adults to seniors.