One of Denver’s sweetest holiday traditions — Colorado Ballet Auxiliary’s Sugarplum Ball — marked its 25th year by presenting 22 second-grade girls at a dinner ceremony held Nov. 27 at the Brown Palace Hotel.
The Sugarplum program was founded by Anna Bates, chairwoman emeritus of the Colorado Ballet board of trustees. Her goal was to introduce more young people to the art of ballet while generating additional income for the award-winning dance company.
The program has been successful on both counts, according to Denise Sanderson, a past chair of the Colorado Ballet board and mistress of ceremonies for the 2015 ball.
“In addition to raising over $1 million, we can credit the Sugarplum program with inspiring several to join the board of trustees, take leadership positions in the auxiliary and facilitate corporate support for the ballet,” Sanderson noted.
The 2015 Sugarplums are Lauren Becker, Finley Bell, Eliana Carr, Caroline Clark, Chanel Cooper, Greta Denler, Carlene Eiseman, Natalie Furgason, Margaux Giordano, Georgia Gutsch, Katherine Heitmann, Katherine Klebe, Alexandra Koren, Genevieve Louis, Theodora Mechem, Tessa Morgan, Caroline Mulvany, Ava Rank, Julie Ryan, Charlotte Smith, Ella Swanson and Avery Thisted. They were introduced again the following night when Colorado Ballet opened its 2015 Nutcracker season at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
During the Sugarplum year, the girls take part in mother-daughter, father-daughter and art appreciation events led by program chair Katy Brown and her 20-member committee. These activities, Brown said, help each class of Sugarplums to “Learn the value of friendship and giving.”
The experience also helps boost the self-confidence that has carried several former Sugarplums to some very interesting careers.
Hayley Kortz, for example, is now a television producer who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. and works on the TLC hit “Cake Boss.” Previously, she was a producer on Bravo’s “Real Housewives of New Jersey.” Brittany Bowlen, daughter of Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and his wife, Annabel, works for the National Football League in New York City. Also in the Big Apple: Caroline Gart, an actor/producer, and Annika Backes, who is a fashion model.
Claire Sanderson lives in Washington, D.C., where she is a legislative assistant for U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Claire’s sister, Jessie Sanderson Massey, taught in Colorado’s Mapleton School District for five years and now coaches other teachers while completing studies for her administrative license.
Leigh Armstrong Young, whose parents, Liz and Bill Armstrong, are the namesakes for Colorado Ballet’s new home, the Armstrong Center for Dance, resides in Sydney, where she is a buyer for Industrie, the largest maker of menswear in Australia.
