INSTRUCTORS
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Mr. Donovan
Since the age of three, Donovan Helma has been dancing under the direction of his family operated dance studio in Aurora, CO. He currently continues his education through multiple dance conventions and tap festivals throughout the year. Donovan teaches and choreographs for multiple competitive studios in the Denver metro area and across the United States. He has performed on a Monday Night Football halftime show with the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and for Montreal’s Danse Encore International Festival in a production by Tap’d Out. Donovan has taken the stage with modern tap legends such as Jason Samuels Smith and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards in a Greorgy Hines tribute show, Thank You Gregory. He is honored to have toured the United States, Europe and South Africa for 7 years as a lead tap dancer in Tap Dogs. He looks forward to continuing his dancing career and inspiring audiences and students nationwide.
Heading
Ms. Kynzie
Mackynzie has danced for over 20 years. She started her training at Peak Academy of Dance in Conifer, CO. After several years, she then transitioned to being a competitive dancer with Shelly True Dance Academy. During this time, she also performed as a soloist with David Taylor Dance Theater for their annual Nutcracker performance for 3 years. She has since danced as a Wild Bunch Dancer for the Colorado Mammoth and is now on her second year as a Denver Nuggets Dancer. In addition, she mentors young students through the Junior Denver Nuggets Dancers program as well as being an active volunteer in the community as an ambassador for the Denver Nuggets franchise. Such events include supporting the Special Olympics Organization, Children’s Hospital, Food Bank of the Rocckies, and many other charitable organizations. Academically, she is pursuing a bachelor’s in Biochemistry with further aspirations of becoming a physician with a specialty in Anesthesiology.
Heading
Ms. Kathi
Heading 1
Kathi Crum is delighted to bring her enthusiasm for teaching ballet to all students at X-treme Dance Force. Kathi’s goal is to guide each student to reach their personal potential and become a better ballet dancer than they already are. Kathi is known for fostering a positive atmosphere while guiding each student to develop a clean foundation of technique with strength, energy, and artistry. As a previous ballet teacher at Colorado Ballet Academy, Houston Ballet Academy, and several smaller reputable dance schools in Colorado and Texas, Kathi has had extensive experience teaching and coaching students from beginner through to high-intermediate levels, including pointe, in preparation for professional employment, collegiate level programs, premiere dance schools, and Youth America Grand Prix.
Kathi’s inspiration for quality teaching for all developed from her professional training at Joffrey Ballet School and Dance Theatre of Harlem, performing with Connecticut Ballet under Artistic Director Brett Raphael, and teacher training including Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Vail International Teachers Conference with Gilbert Mayer of the Ballet School of Paris Opera, Anne Green-Gilbert, trained pointe shoe fitter by Gamba, Ltd., and as an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Levels 6/7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. Kathi continues to be active on the board of Colorado Dance Education Organization as former President from 2016-2019.
Ms. Katrina
Heading 1
Ms. Shayna-
Acro teacher
dsfd
Ms. Natalie
Natalie is originally from Lawrence, Kansas where she grew up participating in gymnastics and later, dance. She attended Kansas State University where she studied Business, Dance, and Anthropology. She earned a minor in dance at KSU and was involved in Tap To Togetherness (T3) as an undergraduate researcher; she is still a board member of T3 to this day! T3 is a nonprofit arts-based community organization that uses tap dance to bring populations together. Natalie currently works within county government and has a passion for public service. In her free time, Natalie enjoys working out, snowboarding, hiking, and camping. Natalie’s favorite style of dance is tap!
Mr. Ivan
Ivan has been dancing for almost his entire life. He danced with Soulfully Driven Dance from when he was 9 till he was 15. He was also apart of their company for hip hop and competed for 6 years. Aside from dance he also does theatre being in shows such as Les Miserables playing Enjolras and Chicago as Harry. He currently is in school studying computer science.
Ms. Bridget
Bridget Frakes started training in gymnastics when she was 2 years old. By age 7, she wanted to try dancing, and she fell in love with the art form. For the next 5 years she danced for the Broncos as a junior Broncos cheerleader. It was in that program that she was mentored and taught by many Broncos, Nuggets, and Cowboys dancers. In addition to cheerleading, she started dance classes at a local studio. When she was 14 she transferred studios and began training and assistant teaching for the Owner/Director of the dance academy. During her dance training, she had the amazing experience of being taught by the granddaughter of Lester Horton, an infamous modern choreographer and dancer. Bridget also had the opportunity to dance in a short film about human trafficking for a non-profit, where she felt drawn to helping spread the word about the issue. She has performed in many dance productions and shows as well as competed for various competition teams. Her passion is to give each dancer confidence in all they do while at the same time teaching technique. She enjoys teaching poms, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and hip hop. She is very excited to join the XDF staff and family!