The RISE Story
At RISE Dance we are guided by four fundamental principles that are embodied in our name:
Respect, Integrity, Strength and Excellence.
We strive for our students to achieve all of these, not just in dance but also in their personal lives. Dance is empowering; it builds confidence and character, and it is our mission to provide instruction that promotes positive self-image, personal growth and love for dance. We provide a strong, fundamental foundation rooted in ballet but we expose our students to all styles of dance from tap to jazz to hip-hop. Our goal is to create the opportunity for our students to connect to and develop a lifelong passion for dance, in a comfortable, nurturing and fun environment.
RISE Dance Co. opened its doors in Applewood in August of 2014, welcoming all ages to become involved in the art of dance. Whether you or your children want to acquire a new talent or to pursue your existing love for dance, RISE is proud to promote a positive family environment and strong sense of community. We would love for you to become part of our family we always offer 1 week free to try as many classes as you would to try.
RISE owner Karen Cassel has been teaching dance in the Applewood community for over 30 years. In addition to teaching generations of Applewood children at Little Theatre Culture Centre, she has choreographed for the Colorado Children's Chorale, Golden High School, Wheat Ridge High School, Fairview High School and Colorado Academy and recently won the Colorado 2015 Bobby G award for Outstanding Achievement in choreography. Karen is an Applewood Native, attended Maple Grove and Tanglewood Elementary schools, Manning Jr. High, Wheat Ridge High School and Metropolitan State University with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Karen's two children, Caitlin and Andrew also teach at RISE.