Be Beautiful Be Yourself Dance Class Instructors

Julie Anderson
Company Ballerina, Colorado Ballet

Julie Anderson

Julie studied Dance Education at Arizona State University and the University of Idaho where she earned a B.S. in Dance in 2005. She studied modern, ballet and jazz dance technique through an internship/scholarship program at Broadway Dance Center in New York City with Bill Hastings, Kat Wildish and others. She has studied and danced with Bill Evans, a world renowned modern and tap dancer, since 2003. In 2009, Julie completed the Bill Evans Dance Technique Certification Program. Julie currently performs with the jazz and modern company, Louder Than Words Dance Theater in Denver, and teaches for various studios and outreach programs in the Denver metro area.


Pat WindersPatricia C. Winders
Director of Therapies and Senior Physical Therapist, Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome

Patricia C. Winders is the Director of Therapies and Senior Physical Therapist at the Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome, the medical care center for the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome.

Patricia joined the Sie Center because it allows her to fulfill her dream of creating a comprehensive program of physical therapy for children with Down syndrome and collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team of clinical care specialists and researchers dedicated to people with the condition.

Since joining the Sie Center in December of 2007, Patricia has seen nearly 1,000 patients and has launched several programs with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation including the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Dance Class with the Colorado Ballet and Global’s Dare to Play Football Camp with Ed McCaffrey. Her position at the Sie Center has allowed her to mentor other physical therapists, participate in important gross motor skills research, and update the definitive book that she researched and wrote – Gross Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals (Second Edition).

Over the last three decades, Patricia has captured important gross motor information for children with Down syndrome that informs the best practices outlined in her book. From crawling, to walking, to participating fully in exercise and sports, Patricia has helped thousands of individuals with Down syndrome reach their gross motor skills potential.

Take a look at video from Global Down Syndrome’s Be Beautiful Be Yourself Dance Class filmed by Aurora 8 TV.

Patricia is thrilled with the results of the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Dance Class.  She has enjoyed learning from the program in Boston and from the instructors and dancers at the Colorado Ballet. She is most impressed by what the students learn in just a few weeks and she is very proud of each student’s performance at the end of class recital. To read Patricia’s full bio, please click here.