Louise Leise Oral History, 2022

Interview with Louise Leise conducted by Nancy McElroy. Louise Leise, born and raised in Boulder Colorado, was a theater major at Mesa College and the University of Colorado, Boulder. She was instrumental in forming the Theater in the Park theatrical company in Boulder, where she performed for several summer seasons. For the past 37 years, she has been the owner and artistic director of Dance Dimensions in Longmont, Colorado. Starbound, the studio's competitive performance company, was formed in 1983 when she headed the Boulder Colorado parks and recreation dance program. During her 3 year tenure as director of the Boulder dance program, she expanded it by 5 fold, going from 65 students to over 400. Although she has provided a liberal arts dance education environment where many professional dancers have received their foundational training, her focus has always been on making an emotionally safe space in which children and young adults can experience the joy, development and personal expression of dance. Developing balanced, polished dancers, versed in all of the major dance styles, is what she is known for in the industry.