A Chicago native, Colette began ballet training with Edward Parish. She also trained at the Boitsov School of Classical Ballet and danced on scholarship with the Joel Hall Jazz Dance company. In 1991, she discovered flamenco with Dame Libby Komaiko and the Ensemble Espaņol Spanish Dance Theater.
She relocated to Minneapolis in 1996. There she has performed with the local groups "Rincon del Flamenco", "Zorongo Flamenco", and "Trio Flamenco". She started her own group "FUEGO Flamenco" along with guitarist Scott Mateo Davies in the year 2000. Also in that year, Colette and Mateo created "RaiAction" a group, first of its kind in the Midwest, which explores the similarities of North African music and dance and flamenco.
Colette and FUEGO Flamenco have produced many works including: "Simply Flamenco", "Corazon Flamenco", "Splotches of Spain" and "Caravan: From Cairo to Cordoba". All of these productions earned glowing reviews and sold out houses.
She has received numerous grants in recognition of her work from institutions including; Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, St. Paul Companies, COMPAS, Jerome Foundation and the Minnesota State Arts Board. She has performed in the prestigious Walker Center's Choreographer's Evening. She and Mateo were featured finalists on Fox Television's "30 Seconds to Fame" in Hollywood, CA.
In 2006 she received the McKnight Artist Fellowship for dancers.
Colette is a sought-after performer, instructor and cultural arts producer.
Her dedication to multi-cultural awareness through the art, feeds her passion of flamenco.
Incorporating her academic background in social work and elementary education, Colette has a deep commitment to youth and community empowerment through the arts.
She served on the Ordway Theater's Cultural Advisory Committee and is a founding member of Flamenco Minnesota. She currently is Artistic Liaison for the City of Minneapolis' MOSAIC: Festival of Arts Celebrating Cultural Diversity.
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