Hanya Holm

Hanya Holm hikes in the Rocky Mountains, circa 1950

“I am attracted to the West. I love the clear skies, the light, dry air, the open spaces, and the majestic mountains.” – Hanya Holm

Holm’s first visit to Colorado was in 1933, when she taught at the Perry Mansfield Dance Camp in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This visit would prove to be significant - several of the students in that class (most significantly Martha Wilcox) would arrange, three years later, for the Denver debut of Holm's company. Hanya's Colorado compatriots also played an important role in the early success of her summer dance school at Colorado College. 

These early connections were the beginning of lifelong relationship with the West. After 1941, Holm would spend the next forty-three summers teaching, working, and living in Colorado. Her summer dance school made the state a destination for anyone who wanted to learn about modern dance. Her influence on performing arts in the region as an educator, mentor, and friend enabled future generations of dancers, choreographers, and educators to find their own voices and learn to tell their own stories.