More Than A Ski Town
by Elizabeth King
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Art with Altitude.
Lori Biagi found and joined Steamboat Dance Theatre as a way to reconnect with her love of dance as a new resident in Steamboat. It didn’t hurt that the annual membership fee and class structure worked well on her tight budget. “Finding Steamboat Dance Theatre was a godsend,” says Lori. “It’s that community-centric approach that makes SDT so unique and lovely.”
Lori has been with the organization since 2002. First as a dancer, then as a board member and finally, in 2023, in what Lori describes as the universe coming together at the perfect time, she took on the Executive Director position at Steamboat Dance Theatre. “I was so fortunate to find it and am grateful to give back to the organization that gave so much to me,” Lori says of the organization where she’s made some of her closest friends and made strong ties to the Steamboat community.
Steamboat Dance Theatre has been elevating dance in the Steamboat community for more than 50 years. As the new Executive
Director, Lori wants to build on that legacy to do even more. She’s beginning her tenure by investing in the community, creating more partnerships, connecting more dancers and bringing the joy of dance to more people. “Part of the vision behind my hire is to give the organization more roots and avenues for bringing dance into the community. Dance can be so helpful in fostering quality of life, in so many areas,” says Lori.
Steamboat Dance Theatre’s new programs will bring dance to the young (with World Dance in Schools and summer camp programs), the old (Lori’s excited about a new initiative called Dance Vitality), the scholarly (look for their film series at the library that is restarting soon), and the athletic (they’re currently looking into a partnership with local athletics and winter sports-based clubs). “By creating more avenues for people to dance, we hope our dancing community will continue to grow and thrive,” Lori shares.
“Let’s face it,” says Lori, “dance is innate in all of us…it can bring us joy, serve as an outlet, or a tool for mental and physical well-being, and is fun. We want Steamboat to be seen not just as a ski town, but a town rich in the arts and where anyone can find their place.”
Elevate the Arts: Dance! Improve both your core strength and your mental health with a local dance class. Visit Steamboat Dance Theatre to download a voucher to take your first class for free. To make dance a more regular part of your routine, sign up with a studio or look for Steamboat Dance Theatre’s class punch card to take advantage of classes across town. For those non-dancers out there, Steamboat Dance Theatre is always looking for new faces in the audience at shows, volunteers for their various community events and committee members with skills from web development to grant-writing. EK
