1970’s EARLY DAYS
With a desire to provide the local community dance opportunities, Patty Noel (lovingly known as “the Johnny Appleseed of Dance”) began offering modern and contemporary dance classes for both adults and children in Jackson Hole in 1971. She applied for a grant to create a collaborative production of The Little Prince, in which she explained her vision: a dance center where everyone could learn, teach, experiment, perform, and collaborate with other artists. From this concept, and with the help of co-founders Nancy Lee and Jinny Chick, Dancers’ Workshop was born in 1972. Over the course of a few years — and a constellation of creatively- utilized spaces for classrooms including the basement of KeyBank, St. John’s Parish Hall, the Wilson School cafeteria, and among the washing machines of the Soap Opera Laundromat — over 150 dancers were associated with the young organization. Among other classes, the Country Western Swing Program was developed, inviting locals to learn new moves and look great on the dance floor. In 1978, the Denver Ballet came to Jackson Hole and performed The Nutcracker at Walk Festival Hall; Dancers’ Workshop dancers played the roles of mice and toy soldiers, and tickets cost $4.50.
Sue Meyers Lundy DW Teacher and Choreographer
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