DENVER — Colorado Ballet Principal Chandra Kuykendall will take her final bow at the conclusion of the company's season in April.
Kuykendall has called Colorado Ballet and Colorado Ballet Academy home for 31 years, including 22 seasons dancing professionally with the company.
Kuykendall will dance in principal roles in Colorado Ballet's season-ending productions Tour de Force and Ballet MasterWorks.
"Dance has not only enriched my life, dance has been my life," said Kuykendall. "To be able to share that passion on stage has made me feel like I haven’t worked a day in the last 23 years."
Originally from Parker, Kuykendall began training at Colorado Ballet Academy in 1988 and was promoted to principal dancer in 2007.
"We are sad to see Chandra retire," said Colorado Ballet Artistic Director Gil Boggs. "She has been a strong leader in the company for many seasons. Her artistry is very moving and it’s been a joy to be a part of her journey as a professional dancer."
"I could not have had the career I did without the love and support of my family," said Kuykendall, who met her husband Rob Kuykendall at the Colorado Ballet.
Kuykendall says she looks forward to having more time to spend with her two children and taking on a larger role at the ballet school that she and her husband own in Centennial.
“Performing is why we are in this profession,” said Kuykendall. “When I perform, I transform and all the nerves go away. Then I get to go out on the stage and be in front of the audience, sharing my passion. It is just simply the best feeling and definitely what I will miss the most. Performing has been my life for so long that it’s hard to let it go, but at the same time I feel like there’s a whole other life waiting for me, and I’m so excited for what the future holds.”
The Colorado Ballet's production of Tour de Force runs Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 8 and Ballet MasterWorks runs Friday, April 3 through Sunday, April 12 at Denver's Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
Single tickets for Colorado Ballet's 2020/2021 season go on sale July 15, 2020, ranging from $35 to $160 at ColoradoBallet.org. Season tickets go on sale in March 2020.
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