Kris Walsh
Artistic Executive Director
At the age of 19 Kris moved to NYC to pursue her dreams of dancing professionally. At the age of 20 she landed her first job with the Knicks City Dancers, dancing at Madison Square Garden for the NBA's NY Knicks. This job provided her with her first opportunity to teach dance to children, through TASC, an after-school program, up in the Bronx. It was then she knew this is what she was meant to do; share her passion of dance for children who may otherwise not have the resources to study dance at a "studio".
However, it would be almost 15 years later the Universe would bring her back to her mission. She went on to have a 12+ year career performing and teaching dance in and around NYC, taking her studio dancers to win many National awards. During that time, she also worked corporately teaching dance for The Early Learning Center, where she was responsible for writing dance curriculum for ages 3-8, and within a year found herself as the business manager, managing payroll for 30+ staff, profit and loss spreadsheets and cash flows. Towards the end of her career, she started her own professional dance company, performing in the top NYC comedy and cabaret clubs, producing over 100 shows in her first year. Finally, she finished out her professional career with a year contract singing and dancing with the Almost Angels in Atlantic City.
Prior to moving out to Colorado, she spent 18 months back in Rochester NY, where she grew up, working as the program director for the Rochester Association of Performing Arts, where Kris was the lead choreographer for the ROC City Singers, a citywide show choir. In addition to overseeing the arts programming, she managed their 250 seat theater, and curated their first annual Rochester Fringe Festival. In Spring of 2014, Kris made the move out to Summit County Colorado to become the Program Director for Celebrate the Beat in Eagle County! She first met the Founding Director Tracy up in Crested Butte to see the program in action, and right away, they both knew this was the right fit for Kris. It was that full circle moment as she remembered the chills she felt back in 2000 the first time she taught those children after school up in the Bronx.
That first year she also directed the 2015 US Cheerleaders for the FIS World Ski Championships in Vail Beaver Creek, and has continued to honor her personal passion of Musical Theatre, working with the high schools she has choreographed over a dozen productions including; Annie Jr, Footloose, Grease, Legally Blonde, Little Shop of Horrors, AIDA, Shrek, Rapunzel, and most recently Pippin. She is honored to take on the role of Artistic Executive Director of Celebrate the Beat and is excited to help keep the Beat pumping into the next 25 years together with you!