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Tutus. Tradition. The Nutcracker. Ballet is all of those things, but there’s a new Boulder-based dance company rooted in classical ballet that wants you—and as many new audiences as it can reach—to experience an updated take on the nearly 500-year-old art form.
Last year, dancer Emily Speed founded AVID (Artistic Ventures in Dance), which splits its time between Colorado and New York City. Drawing on the Big Apple’s depth of international talent, as well as Colorado’s wealth of collaborative opportunities, Speed (who serves as both AVID’s artistic director and a company dancer) has created a touring company that performs a more approachable style of ballet that jibes with modern audiences. While classical ballet is, at its core, a blend of dance genres like Flamenco and Hungarian folk dance, AVID meshes styles in a whole new way.
“Some of our works are very inspired by other types of dance,” Speed says. “We’re taking from hip hop and contemporary and styles that might be a little bit more approachable, especially to younger audiences today.” Translation: less fairytale, more appeal to a wider audience.
Tapping into a broader range of spectators is threefold for AVID. First, after a successful inaugural season last year that paved the way for company growth, AVID curated a performance lineup to reach mountain communities that may not have regular access to professional dance performances, with plans to add more high-country stops on tours in 2026 and beyond. AVID’s “Boundless” Colorado tour launches this month in Avon (August 30 at the Avon Pavilion), followed by Ouray (September 3 at the Wright Opera House), Telluride (September 5 at the Michael D. Palm Theatre), and Boulder (September 7 at Macky Auditorium Concert Hall).
No two stops will be the same, as the repertoire will transform with the inclusion of different choreographers, scores, and works on each stage. For example, Ouray’s show will include original scores by AVID’s resident composer Anne-Marie Keane, plus excerpts from a variety of works by innovative choreographers, including Ursula Verduzco’s Untamed Women. Or catch Daniel Ojeda’s Persona with music by Marc Mellits at Telluride’s stop.
Second, Speed and her team have prioritized forging partnerships with local organizations in the places they perform. That might look like a free outdoor concert, outreach to nearby elementary schools, or a masterclass for area dancers. To wit, don’t miss AVID’s collaborative interactive performance with Dillon-based Celebrate the Beat (a nonprofit that brings dance programming to students) in Avon, a guest performance by Boulder Ballet at Macky Auditorium Concert Hall, and a rendition of Cherice Barton’s highly-acclaimed Human with live music played by local experimental music nonprofit, Playground Ensemble, also at the Macky. “The really interesting part of this score is that us dancers participated in it, and our voices were actually used,” Speed says. “We’re trying to get dancers involved in ways they wouldn’t be normally.”
Lastly, as part of AVID’s efforts to demystify ballet, it always offers open rehearsals for a fully transparent look at the pre-curtain creative process. “Sometimes it’s publicly announced,” Speed says, but not always. Speed encourages the public to contact AVID if they’d like to see a behind-the-scenes look.
AVID’s exponential growth since its founding (the company went from four performances last year to 25 in 2025, including a two-week run at the Joyce Theater in NYC, the nation’s biggest presenter of dance), is due in part to Speed’s ambitious vision stemming from a simple goal: to get more eyes on dance. “There are so many dancers out there who are really talented and amazing,” she says, “and so few opportunities for them to perform.”
Speed, who was raised in Texas, discovered ballet after her mom signed her up for a class as a child in hopes that she would burn off an endless well of energy. These days, in addition to her freelance dance career in New York City, her résumé is crammed with professional dance achievements, including solo and principal roles for Colorado Ballet and guest performances for Boulder Ballet, Wonderbound, and Kim Robards Dance. We recently caught up with Speed to see what it takes to be dancer, director, and, well, human, all at once.
Editor’s note: The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
When I’m not dancing or running AVID, I am… getting out and seeing nature. Luckily, this summer, I’ve had quite a few beach days. That’s rare—not typical for me. I love exploring, and if I’m in Colorado, getting into the mountains.
If dance wasn’t my passion, I might be a… chef. I love to cook, especially for other people. It’s that idea that you’re having that shared experience together with someone else. My best meals are things where I can loosely follow a recipe but be creative with it, so if I can go to the farmer’s market and get veggies and then use what I have around at home rather than exactly what the recipe calls for—that’s my way of cooking.
When I travel, I can’t live without… my compression socks. I sound like an old lady, but I always wear my compression socks when I fly. My calves and feet get so swollen on airplanes, and it’s truly a lifesaver. Often I have my to-do list that I’ve already created for my flight. And I often travel with my dog. He was on tour with me for five weeks in spring. Everywhere we went—train, car, plane—he was on the road. His name is Rocky.
My biggest career challenge is… being an artist and an administrator. Trying to keep up with our growth and having so many demands as a dancer in the company—it’s a real challenge to wear both hats effectively. We’re figuring out how to use my leadership skills in a way that allows me to uplift the group and still have the ability to focus on myself as a dancer when needed. The only way that’s possible is because our team is such a high caliber of artists, dancers, and choreographers.
My craziest performance moment was when… the fire alarm went off while I was performing Clara [in The Nutcracker]. It was one of my first years doing Clara so I was still pretty nervous about it. I was like, “Do we leave the stage? Do we keep going?”
What I wish non-dancers would understand about ballet is… that ballet is something a lot of people haven’t seen outside of maybe The Nutcracker. A lot of people don’t understand how many different types of dance would be considered classical ballet. Personally, I love the big classics. But if you’ve seen something like that and it wasn’t your thing, maybe the more contemporary, edgier stuff is more approachable, or maybe something that has more of a story is more relatable. We kind of pigeonhole ballet into this one very small niche, but it’s actually a lot more diverse than people think it is.
In my dance bag are… Salonpas [pain relief patches], a tin of Altoids, several pairs of pointe shoes, my laptop, a water bottle, a protein bar, my AirPods, leg warmers, and electrolytes.
My biggest advice to aspiring young dancers is… to try to avoid limiting beliefs. “I can’t do this,” or, “I can’t get this role, so I’m trying for this other one”—those are the places we get stuck. A lot of young dancers are extremely hard on themselves. The more you can try to find the joy in dance—the reason you probably started dancing to begin with—the more that will show through your work. The best compliment I’ve ever been given: “It really looks like you love what you do.”
Find the schedule and purchase tickets for AVID’s “Boundless” Colorado tour online.
