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Studio Owner, Ballet Instructor

Jessica Larson

Blissfully teaching you ballet and how to find mental and physical freedom in movement! Jess returned to dancing after about a 5-6 year hiatus in her 20s. Her mother passed away and she felt that if she couldn’t share that passion anymore, it was time for her to stop. She found Broche Ballet once she moved to Colorado from California and has never regretted a day back to dancing. Coming back was hard work but so incredibly joyful. She loves to share her expertise and discovery of ballet with the adults she teaches.

BIOGRAPHY — Jessica began dance at the age of 4 and has been teaching ballet for kids and adults since she was 16 years old. Her extensive training focused heavily on classical ballet and encompassed other forms of dance such as jazz, contemporary, modern, and social salsa dancing. Along with earning her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in California, she continued dancing with several professional-level companies. Gilbert Reed Ballet, Theresa Slobodnik’s Ballet Theatre-San Luis Obispo, Variable Velocity, and Orchesis Dance Company.

Under the guidance and instruction of Gilbert Reed of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, she was able to learn and understand the deeper design of ballet and pointe technique. Dancing soloist roles in Reed’s ballets such as Remembrances, Peter and the Wolf, Rhapsody in Blue, Vignettes, and A Christmas Carol. She also danced some principle roles in other ballets such as Percussive, and Children’s Toys. In congruence with training with Reed and Slobodnik, Jessica participated in two summer intensive programs, San Diego City Ballet and Ballet Pacifico, being chosen to perform the role of the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty. Upon Reed’s retirement, she took on a principal role in Theresa Slobodnik’s Ballet Theatre-San Luis Obispo, leading in original ballet works by Slobodnik such as Simple Gifts, Bach Prelude, Winter Suite, 12 Days of Christmas, and more.

Most recently has been a full-time teacher at Broche Ballet. The joy it brings to see adults progress is truly inspiring to her and as she continues to educate adults, she continues to advocate for the continuation and development of classical ballet education. It was a dream of her mother’s to one day start a ballet scholarship for the youth of her community, so they would experience ballet summer intensives. Jessica’s family began that scholarship shortly after the passing of her mother in 2012. They have awarded approximately 12 dancers so far and continue to share in ballet education.

Adult Ballet Instructors

Katie Jenkins, Instructor

Katie Jenkins is a native of Kansas City and began her training at Graves Talent Company. She was a scholarship recipient at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in New York City as well as the Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. She started her professional career with the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company out of Kansas City and has had the opportunity to work with world renowned choreographers such as Donald McKayle, David Parsons, Milton Myers, Kevin Iega Jeff, among others. Katie has been a member of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, City Dance Ensemble in Washington DC, TILT Contemporary Dance Company in Maui, HI, Malashock Dance Company in San Diego, and spent four years with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble here in Denver. She has performed, taught, and choreographed for studios, universities, dance intensives, and dance festivals throughout the United States, as well as Canada, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, and Poland. Jenkins graduated on scholarship with a BFA in Dance from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri—Kansas City and is thrilled to be joining the Davis Contemporary Dance Company Board

Gwen Schwartz, Instructor

Gwen has dedicated her life to dance and she is versed in classical ballet, modern (Limon Technique), contemporary, character, jazz, lyrical, and composition. She began dancing at age of 3 at the Hartt School Community Division Dance Department. At the age of 11, she was cast as Clara in their full-length production of The Nutcracker, which was when she truly fell in love with ballet. She then entered their Pre-Professional program and began training more intensively. While at The Hartt School, she trained under Samantha Dunster, Eddy Tovar, and Susannah Marchese. Additionally, she trained in the Limon Technique with Libby Nye. During her time at the Hartt School, she performed both soloist and corps de ballet roles in The Nutcracker (Snow Queen, Dew Drop, Ballerina Doll, Arabian, and others), Symphony #8, Paquita Suite, The Red Shoes, Swan Princess, Peter Pan, Snow White, Faust, Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, The Winged, variations from Sleeping Beauty, among others.

At 15, she was invited to join Boston Ballet School’s Pre-Professional Program. While there she trained primarily in the Balanchine Technique under Margaret Tracey, Kathleen Mitchell, and Miranda Weese. There she performed in Boston Ballet School’s Next Generation, Double Concerto, and The Nutcracker. She has attended numerous summer intensives including Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and The Hartt School under guest directors Angel Corella and Laura Alonso. 

In late 2018, she suffered a career-ending injury. Because ballet often requires injured students to observe class, the injury lent her the opportunity to step to the other side of the studio. While injured, she discovered a new way to express her love for the art and she began coaching peers. Though she had previously assisted and taught Pre-Ballet (ages 3-5) classes at both the Hartt School and Boston Ballet School, working with older students was something she quickly found herself especially captivated by. At the end of the 2018-2019 school year, she decided to step away from the ballet world and moved to Vermont. After a year hiatus, she was ready to come back to ballet. She decided to move to Denver, CO, and was honored to accept a position at Blissfully Yours Ballet. The philosophy of the studio resonates with her on a personal level and she is thrilled to have the opportunity to teach adult ballet. As a teacher, she is passionate about cultivating an emotionally and physically safe environment, where individuality is celebrated. 

Rebecca Wright, Instructor

Rebecca Leslie Wright was born in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pa. and moved to Virginia at the age of three.  Shortly after moving to Virginia Rebecca started dance lessons at the local YMCA and was bitten by the Dance Bug.  She begged her mother for more classes and spent several formative years at the Martinique School of Dance where she performed many lead roles in recitals and was a part of The Night Before Christmas for two seasons. When she knew she was serious about dancing Rebecca began her training at The Richmond Ballet where she performed in The Nutcracker for four years and one season of Coppelia. In her first year at VCU Rebecca was chosen to take part in a restaging of Martha Graham’s “Panorama” and performed with the company at the Carpenter Center.  She has studied under many guest artists such as Ron Brown, Nicolas Leichter, Gus Solomons Jr., and had a number of performing experiences while in the Dance and Choreography Department.  Rebecca was also fortunate enough to be a part of works chosen to go to two American College Dance Festivals. Much of Rebecca’s eclectic nature is a product of her world travels and working with children for over 25 years. Over 10 years ago Rebecca moved to Colorado and found it abundant with Arts opportunities and got involved performing, teaching, and choreographing with such organizations as Ascential Dance Theatre, Your Soul’s Movement, and Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids. Rebecca has attended two annual IABD Conferences participating in panel discussions and continuing her training in master classes.  Rebecca is hungry for the creative aspect of teaching and looks forward to engaging this community while bringing the passion and dedication of dance into your lives. 

Kristen Poppe, Instructor

Kristen Helen Poppe is an interdisciplinary dance artist based in Louisville, Colorado. She started tap dancing at 19, but didn’t begin serious training until she was 32. Soon after, she quit her day job to become a dancer. Now she studies tap, ballet, Irish, flatfooting, and contemporary dance, and teaches tap and ballet to adults. She has made half a dozen dance films, some of which have been official selections in film festivals around the country. Her 40-minute solo-show, “Shoes” has been selected for three Fringe Festivals around the world. She is also the artistic director of Terpsichorean, a loose collective of adult students of dance who perform annually at a theater in Denver.