The Adventure Begins!

Hi Everyone!  I am writing to let you know about a big adventure that has just begun. This month I am fulfilling a lifelong dream of traveling the world with my husband, Zach. Throughout our travels, I will be looking at the world through the lens of dance, taking classes, attending performances and meeting dancers throughout the world. Each week I look forward to sharing what I learn with you! Before I tell you more about that, here’s a bit of what I’ve been up to since moving to Colorado.

What an incredible year and a half its been! In January of 2018, my husband and I took a gigantictic leap of faith and moved to Colorado from New York City. After living in NYC for 12 years, it was terrifying to think of living anywhere else, but we were both ready for a change and the mountains were calling to us.  Having only lived on the east coast, I was unsure of what to expect, but was immediately blown away by the natural beauty of Colorado and it was literally a breath of fresh air that I needed. Exploring this amazing state was a huge part of our year. Weekend adventures took us to places like Vail, Steamboat Springs, Telluride, Santa Fe, Moab and South Dakota. My husband and I got married in the mountains and just celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary!  

The dance community in Colorado was so welcoming and after a few months I found my “home” at Colorado Conservatory of Dance.  As the Conservatory Manager, my main duty was to oversee all day to day activity at CCD including student enrollment, tuition, studio rentals, residency programs, and the wellness room. In addition, I supported the Artistic Director in assessing and evaluating new students, and developing new creative programs. One of my main goals was to create consistent communications between parents, students, faculty, staff and volunteers. In addition, I taught various levels in the Conservatory and directed the Young Children’s Summer Camps. Throughout this year, we broke records in ticket sales, fundraising and summer enrollment.  My proudest accomplishment was helping to create a new summer intensive called, Movement Lab. This program was designed for contemporary dancers interested in choreographic thinking. In its inaugural year, this program was a great success and the dancers got to work with phenomenal master teachers including Dominic Walsh, Mario Zambrano, Tina Bohnstedt and Sarah Hillmer. It was an incredible year of learning and growth for me and I am so grateful to be a part of the CCD family. 

To begin our adventure, we road tripped across the US, making stops in Chicago, Pittsburgh, DC and NYC to visit friends and family.  Along the way, I took a class at the famous Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago and was happy to be in my old stomping grounds at Steps on Broadway in New York City.  If you are looking for a place to continue your training, I’d recommend taking Elena Kunikova’s class at Steps. She is tough, but her generous spirit is encouraging and inspiring.  Both classes were accompanied by live music which is always a joy to dance to. 

Now, it is time to say goodbye to the USA!  First up on this adventure, The Netherlands and Germany. Look out for my next newsletter as I will share my discoveries from Amsterdam and Berlin. I hope you will follow me along this journey! 

Best, 

Ashley Kohl Adler

Travel Tip #1

Pack light! This 40L eagle creek bag pack holds everything I need and only weighs about 25 lbs. This makes getting through airports, trains and buses a breeze! Don’t forget to pack your ballet shoes!