Owner & founder of Bella Diva World Dance, Caitlin Brozna-Smith, has teamed up with Rachael Harding, owner of Miss Rachael’s Dance, to expand right next door into the space formerly occupied by the beloved Bookies Bookstore. The new space will offer three new beautiful (and larger!) dance studios.
The expansion will be a multi-cultural & multi-generational studio for students to learn dance, take fitness classes, explore world cultures, practice self-care and connect with others through shared experience.
The expansion will not only allow us to offer new & different classes on different days, there is also a growing need in Denver for affordable and available rehearsal space for artists. Our space will present multi-purpose use opportunities for various artists including dancers, yoga/pilates instructors, visual artists, musicians, actors and digital media.
What We Still Need and What You Get
Due to recent increases in material costs and inflation, the initial savings for the buildout has fallen short of what is needed to complete the project. We still need financial backing in order to purchase & install the dance floors. Our funding campaign through Indiegogo is aiming to cover the costs of 2,900 square feet of professional, sprung dance flooring that will go into the 3 new studio rooms and become the foundation for our many years of dancing to come!
We will welcome any donations you feel able to give (see the “Huge Thanks” item on the list!). We are also offering perks in return for funding, including entry to our opening weekend gala, limited edition T-Shirts, pre-recorded dance classes in the style of your choice, massage therapy sessions & private lessons with Bella Diva instructors.
Bella Diva: Our Story and Our Impact
After traveling abroad and studying in 35 different countries between 2001-2006 through the Semester at Sea program and the University of Denver, Bella Diva founder, Caitlin, received her Masters in International & Intercultural Communications. Caitlin passionately believed that to in order to expand your personal horizon, stepping out of your own experience was essential to connecting with others. By doing this, one discovers human identity transcends geography and national borders. Connection across cultures can become a crucial component in fostering empathy & cooperation on a global scale, and what better way to connect to another’s life experience than through the universal language of dance and music?
Bella Diva World Dance was born in 2010 with Caitlin teaching one weekly belly dance & samba class, with the intention and mission to create a safe space for women and girls to enjoy moving in their bodies while learning about various cultures outside their own.
Over the past 14 years, Bella Diva has continued to grow, building out the first Glendale location in 2014 with Communitas Movement which consists of 2 dance studios. Today, Bella Diva not only offers weekly Belly Dance & Samba classes, but also offer Bollywood, Bhangra, Polynesian, Persian-Iranian, Hip Hop, Adult Ballet, Brazilian & Middle Eastern Drumming, Tai Chi/Pilates and Kids’ World Dance.
Bella Diva is now home to 16 faculty members and 150 weekly students from over 25 different countries and it is this community we are MOST proud of. Our students are the daily proof our vision has come to life!
Bella Diva’s Studio Showcase opportunities, which often feature over 100 students hailing from over 25 different countries, are a microcosm of what the world could possibly look like if we came together to embrace our uniqueness as strengths: a community that exemplifies what it means to be a global citizen. Through global learning, we are able to effect meaningful change on both a small & large scale. At Bella Diva we want to continue being the change we want to see in the world!
Other Ways You Can Help
Even if you are unable to contribute financially, that doesn’t mean you can’t help!
Please help us get the word out and make some noise about our campaign, forwarding our campaign to friends, family, and lovers of the arts.