Crested Butte Dance Collective

03/04/2026

Level up your movement with a master of the craft. ✨

We are beyond thrilled to host Zoe Jakes (), fusion bellydancer and musical composer of Beats Antique for an immersive 3-hour journey into Technique and Storytelling. 🐍

Zoe has been a trailblazer since 2000, known globally for a signature style that is as technical as it is soulful. This workshop is a rare opportunity to learn her unique methodology, which seamlessly weaves together:

- Intentional focus and gesture
- Dynamic theatrical pauses
- Powerful, emotive phrasing

This isn’t just a drill class… it’s a once-in-a-lifetime masterclass in stage presence. You’ll begin with Zoe’s signature razor-sharp drills for arms, hips, undulations, and footwork. Then dive into dynamic phrases. Finally, you’ll learn to layer that movement with intention: using focus, gesture, and powerful phrasing to tell a story that resonates.

Zoe’s mission is to create an inclusive, playful environment where every dancer can find their own “grace in the training” and embody true fluidity.

The Details:
📅 Thursday, March 12th
🕐 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 The Pump Room
💰 $60

Space is limited for this intimate session, and it’s already filling up quickly. Don’t miss the chance to learn from years of world-class onstage experience.

Register at dancecrestedbutte.org/workshops



Send this to someone you’d love to bellydance with! 💌

02/27/2026

02/26/2026

Join us! This weekend, we’ll have a special screening of our Fall Show, Echoes of the First Laugh, at the at 6:30 PM. 🍿

It’s open to the public 🆓 with donations graciously accepted. We’d love to see you this Sunday!

02/25/2026

Thank you to the most amazing choreographers, dancers, volunteers, community members, and sponsors for making this year's 2026 Move the Butte a beautiful production. We love you all! 💃🕺

Join us for the movie showings on 3/29 at the Majestic Theatre and 4/4 at the Gunnison Arts Center.

02/19/2026

Get ready, Crested Butte! ✨💃🕺✨ Move the Butte 2026 is officially here!

We are so excited to showcase 140+ local dancers as they take the stage for four shows of COMPLETELY SOLD OUT performances. And we can’t wait to feel the energy of our amazing community in the audience!

To make sure the shows run smoothly, we need a little help from you:

🚗 PARK SMART: Please be a good neighbor! Avoid parking on 7th Street or residential blocks. Instead, take a leisurely 4-minute stroll from the 4-Way Stop (6th & Elk) or the Community School (8th & Red Lady).

🚫 STAY CLEAR: Do NOT park at Academy Place, Ace Hardware, Majestic Plaza, or in the fire lane on 6th St.

♿ ACCESSIBILITY: The Center lot is strictly reserved for those with handicapped placards or limited mobility. If you need an ADA seat, please let us know ASAP!

🎟️ DOORS & SEATING: Doors open 1 hour before showtime. It’s General Admission and a packed house, so please arrive early (at least 30 mins!) and fill in every seat—no gaps, please!

Let’s celebrate the joy of dance responsibly. And with enthusiasm!! See you in the theater! 🏔️✨

Photos by .photo 📷

02/13/2026

Didn’t get tickets to this year? No sweat! 🎬

We’re showing the official show video at the and at the .

These screenings are donation-based and always a blast—many of the dancers show up to watch, so come hang out and cheer them on with your friends!

Grab your popcorn and join us! 🍿
- Sunday, March 29th - MTB 2026 Movie Showing in CB
6:30pm @ The Majestic Theatre

- Saturday, April 4th - MTB 2026 Movie Showing in Gunni
6:30pm @ The Gunnison Arts Center

02/10/2026

Meeting the Magic Behind the Curtain ✨

Ever wonder how hundreds of dancers, lighting cues, and quick costume changes happen without a hitch? Meet our Volunteer Stage Management dream team!

What does a Stage Manager actually do?

Think of them as the “Air Traffic Controllers” of the theater. They oversee everything from dress rehearsals to the final curtain call, ensuring the safety of the performers, managing the timing of the show, and calling every lighting and sound cue you see.

The Veterans on Deck:
- ABG (Stage Manager): An original pillar of our production team! For the past 16 years — with this year being the 17th year — ABG has traveled back home to Crested Butte to lend her expertise for every single show. When she’s not helping us with Move the Butte, she’s busy executing massive, large-scale events across the country. We are so lucky to have her heart and her hustle!
- Rex! 😻 Our honorary crew member and mascot. The kitty who keeps things running smoothly right by ’s side.
- Josh Henry (Backstage Manager): Joining ABG on deck for his fifth visit to town and third MTB! Josh is a seasoned pro who produces major productions nationwide alongside ABG. Fun fact: despite growing up on a lake, he’s never been skiing (water or snow)... though we think the charm is starting to win him over!

Shoutout to The Tech Titans!
- Jack Mullen (Lighting Designer): Jack is the visionary behind the glow. He designs the intricate lighting that sets the mood for every piece.
- “Dead Head” Ed (Sound & Projection): The man behind the vibe! Ed manages our soundscapes and runs the projections that bring the stage to life.

These two are Center for the Arts staples and have been making this show shine for years. We quite literally couldn’t do this without their ears and eyes!

Join us in giving a huge “Thank You” to the crew that keeps us moving! 👏👏👏

01/29/2026

Revealing this year’s official Move The Butte design (and we’re obsessed)! It’s eyecatching, bold, and it’s about to be everywhere!

Want to see your brand or business logo integrated into this year’s masterpiece? Here is how you can make MTB history while snagging the most coveted seats in town.

🌟 WHERE WILL YOUR LOGO BE? 🌟

When you sponsor at the $500 or $1,000 level, you don’t just get guaranteed tickets, your brand becomes a permanent part of the MTB legacy:
🖼️ Official Posters: Your logo on the 2026 artwork displayed all over the valley!
👕 Cast Apparel: Printed on the back of every cast t-shirt worn by our dancers.
📽️ Pre-Show Slideshow: Your brand on the big screen at the Center for the Arts for 1,200+ attendees to see.

⚠️ URGENT DEADLINE: JANUARY 30th ⚠️
The printers are waiting! To ensure your logo makes it onto the official 2026 posters and cast t-shirts, you must make your pledge by tomorrow, January 30th.

Ready to support the magic? 🔗 Visit: www.movethebutte.com/sponsorship 📧 Questions? Email: [email protected]

01/23/2026

Move the Butte is about more than just a performance. It’s about the 150+ locals who show up every week to move, create, and connect.

In a world that moves fast, dance is where our community finds its balance. For our performers—your neighbors, community members, and friends—this stage is a vital outlet for:

🧠 Mental Health: Finding joy, release, and presence through movement.
🎨 Creative Expression: Telling stories that words can’t reach, expressed in every genre you can think of.
🤝 True Connection: 150+ people coming together to build something beautiful, supportive, and uniquely “Buttian.”

With only 355 seats per show and 150 dancers (each needing a couple of seats for their own families!), the math is simple: Public tickets are a rare commodity. 🎟️💨

Want a guaranteed seat? Become a Partner or Contributor Sponsor. Sponsorship isn’t just a ticket… It’s the heartbeat of this production.

Your tax-deductible donation helps the entire dance community, ensuring that participation remains affordable for our dancers, that our production stays sustainable, and that dance is accessible to our community members of all ages and income-levels.

When you become a sponsor, you aren’t just buying a ticket; you are investing in the well-being and creativity of the Crested Butte community and the entire Gunnison Valley.

The Perks: ✨ Guaranteed VIP Tickets (Skip the public sale stress!) ✨ Marketing Visibility to our 1,400+ audience members. ✨ Supporting local art that features everything from Aerial and Hip Hop to Tap and Burlesque.

🚨 DEADLINE: To receive full marketing benefits, pledges must be in by Friday, January 30th—exactly one week from today!

Don’t wait for the public sale scramble on February 6th. Join us now in celebrating the power of dance.

🔗 Visit the Sponsorship tab of our website to choose your level of sponsorship.

CrestedButteCO

11/21/2025

11/10/2025

To all of the community members who came to support Echoes of the First Laugh—thank you!
Thank you for arriving with open hearts. Thank you for witnessing, for feeling with us, for meeting the dancers in the tenderness and the laughter and the deep exhale of it all. What we made together felt real and nourishing and very much alive.

This show was born from an invitation inward—to remember who we were before the world told us who to be. You’ll see a little Inner Child Reflection exercise in the post images attached. If you feel called, take a moment this week to sit with it. Be gentle. Be curious. Be playful. Your younger self is still right there and wants your attention.

This production is the result of countless hours of artistry, collaboration, and devotion from our choreographers, dancers, and production team. Their commitment and heart are woven into every moment of this show. Thank you to these incredible artists:

Directors & Choreographers:
Adge Marz Lindsey, Ailee Larson, Allie McFarland, Carie Mitchell, Corinne McKeever, Jessica Carroll, KT Joy, MJ Pickett, Ruby Laemmel, Stephanie Marziano, Tarah Taylor, & Taylor Randoll

Dancers:
Ailee Larson, Alice Jennison, Allie McFarland, Amanda McDowell, Amanda Whiteford, Annalisa Dietz, Avery Forsythe, Bailey Hosier, Bethany Holton, Carie Mitchell, Christina Fortin, Corinna Donovan, Corinne McKeever, Emma Chase, Hailey Loeffler, Jackie Just, Jenna Reis, Jessica Carroll, Jessica Noll, John Elm, KT Joy, Krystal Brown, Madeline Martinez, Maeve & MJ Pickett, PJ Brown, Rachel Clark, Rachel Ledesma, Ruby Laemmel, Stephanie Marziano, Taylor Randoll, Tim Yindeepit, Tracy Brooks, Xeyla Mason

Stage Manager:
Shannon Mujica

Lighting Designer:
Jack Mullen

Tech Manager:
Deadhead Ed

It is an honor to create in a community that believes in art not just as performance, but as healing, remembrance, and a return to ourselves.
May we keep remembering.
May we keep dancing.
May we keep choosing wonder.
And may we all be fat with the good sh*t!
❤️🫶🔥✨🌕

PS. To answer the most-asked question all weekend:
The song is “Fat With The Good Sh*t” by The Bengsons.
Here’s the link:
https://youtu.be/GBL5ogfFKcU?si=DhHbjyXr0o-v4iLy