Staff
DENISE DANZO, OWNER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Denise has been teaching dance for over 30 years, and has spent the last 20 years teaching dance in one of Denver’s most prestigious dance schools. She received her dance training in Steamboat Springs, CO, and spent many summers training at the famous Perry Mansfield School of the Arts. Denise is a previous company member of Ballet North West, was Director and Choreographer for the Denver Nuggets Professional Dance Team and has performed in and choreographed two Ford Truck commercials, a Ford Car commercial, and a dance video “Reality” for Cabana Boy Records. She has spent the last couple of years working with many cheerleading and pom squads in the Denver Metro area choreographing state routines and musical theater for high school productions. She specializes in children’s dance and is excited to bring the highest quality of dance to the Castle Rock/Castle Pines community.
NICOLE O’FARRELL, INSTRUCTOR
Nicole is an accomplished performer from the Denver area and currently the assistant- director and a performer of The Schiff Dance Collective in Boulder, CO. Nicole can be seen in such shows as “Dreamlife”, “Unsilenced”, “Project Joy/Full”, “How We Found Hope”, “fits like a gLOVE”, “She Is…”, and “The Edge of Us”.. She has spent her career studying, performing, and competing in a variety of styles including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, Pointe, Contemporary, Hip Hop and more. She has had the honor of training with talents such as Jenny Schiff, Kit Andree, Thommie Walsh, Bill Hastings, Chet Walker, Jacob Mora, and Doug Caldwell to name a few. In August of 2008, she was a featured artist in two different studios in Oregon for summer workshops. Nicole is in high demand as she teaches and choreographs at multiple competitive level and pre-professional studios throughout Colorado. She attended the National Dance Teachers Summit in New York in the summer of 2009. In addition, Nicole was a featured performer with Danca Nova in Boulder. Nicole is a very fun and quirky teacher, a favorite for all ages!
JUSTIN “DTM” OLIVER, INSTRUCTOR
Justin “DTM” Oliver’s drive, love and passion for Hip-Hop dance came at the young age of 11. From the moment he saw his future friend and mentor dancing in one of the studios, he was in love. Justin began dancing at Centerstage Starz in Littleton in the autumn of 2004 and adored it. Justin auditioned for Centerstage’s competition team in 2008 and made it onto one of the top teams. During this time, Justin began showing interest in teaching, so he began substituting and assisting at Centerstage. In 2010, Justin landed his first teaching job at Streetside South, also in Littleton. After taking some time off for personal reasons in 2010, Justin has exploded back into the Hip-Hop scene and is diving headfirst into the choreography/teaching world. Justin has been teaching for a little over 2 years and has previously taught at Centerstage Starz, Streetside South, Artistic Fusion Dance Academy, and has choreographed an end-of-the-year piece at DCS Montessori in 2010. Justin has also taken classes from various professional choreographers such as: Dave Scott, Wade Robson, Leslie Scott, Chase Evered, Skye Edwards, Danza’s own Kevin O’Keefe, and many others. Justin is extremely excited to be a part of the Danza family and would like to thank Denise for the opportunity to be a part of such an awesome studio!
JULIE STWALLEY, INSTRUCTOR
Julia Stwalley began her dance training at the age of two and a half years old and over the course of 15 years, she dedicated herself to studying a diverse range of dance forms, including ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and tap. After deciding to further her dance education, Julia began pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Colorado State University. Throughout her time at CSU, Julia had the privilege of choreographing and performing in many dance concerts and films, including works by guest artist Vincent Thomas. Julia not only trained in but also helped assist in teaching modern and ballet classes, as well as working with Lisa Morgan for BRAINY (Bringing Arts Integration to Youth), a program that provides arts education to Title 1 Elementary Schools. Beyond her academic pursuits, Julia has been a company member with Davis Contemporary Dance Company since 2019 and Hannah Kahn Dance Company since 2024. Working with choreographers Hannah Kahn, Terrell Davis, Aubrey-Klinger Fearns, Rachael Harding, and Christopher-Page Sanders, Julia has honed her skills as a performer and collaborator for five years. She has also participated in various dance festivals in the Denver and Boulder area. With a focus on ballet and contemporary styles, Julia prioritizes inclusion and strives to ensure each student feels seen and supported in their dance journey. She is excited to be working with the students of Infinite Dance.
KATHY DRNEC, INSTRUCTOR
Kathy has been dancing and performing for over 45 years, during which time she had extensive training from dance masters in all art forms. Kathy has danced professionally with the Y108 Team, the Denver Nugget Dance Team, and the Jazzin’ Dance Ensemble located in Utah. Kathy’s first love was the art of Tap dance which began at age 5. She has studied with great tap masters including Steve Condos (The Condos Brothers), Charles “Honi” Coles, Eddie Brown, La Vaughn Robinson, Chuck Green, Arthur Duncan, Brenda Buffalino and Jimmy Slyde. She also took intensives from Gregory Hines, Bunny Briggs, Henry Le Tang, Jason Samuel-Smith, and the original Tap Dogs. She has danced for many benefits and organizations throughout the U.S. and has training in voice, theatre, acrobatics/gymnastics, and modeling. For 19th years she operated her own studio and had the privilege of training thousands of dancers, many have taken State and National honors and Scholarships including Critics Choice Awards. Some of these dancers now dance professionally with the Miami City Ballet, Carnival Cruise Lines, Dragon Tales Live, and The Rockettes. She loves introducing young dancers to the art of dance and self-expression and can teach multiple genres. Kathy has a master’s degree in healthcare administration and is presently getting certified in Pilates. Kathy’s most gratifying experiences are when her students perform and accomplish their goals and dreams.
ASHLEY PRITCHARD-JOHNSON, INSTRUCTOR
A native to Colorado, Ashley grew up in Aurora where she was a competitive dancer for
Starstruck Dance Academy from age 3 to 12 years old. Ashley was a part of the
dance studio’s company dance teams and also appeared in various half-time shows,
such as the Denver Nuggets and Denver Broncos. She joined Michelle Latimer
Dance Academy at age 12, continuing her dance career within their competitive dance
teams. She worked with many talented choreographers and won multiple scholarships
throughout her youth at several dance conventions and was able to pursue her dreams as
a choreographer at The Edge Performing Arts Studio in Los Angeles, California. Ashley
also lived and danced in Los Angeles in 2005. Ashley is a Parker/Castle Rock resident where she lives with her three children Charlie Dean, Rhiannon, and Casey Walker. She has been a Medical Sales Executive in the Colorado area for almost 20 years, continuing her love for the performing arts as a model, voice-over actress as well as an Intuitive Life Coach.