Colorado Ballet's Artistic Director Gil Boggs celebrates 20th anniversary

Colorado Ballet is celebrating some major milestones. The company recently achieved Tier 1 status in the ballet world mostly due to the leadership of Artistic Director Gil Boggs, who is celebrating his 20th anniversary with the company.

"He brings an artistic vision at a very high level," said Sameed Afghani, Executive Director of Colorado Ballet. "Whether you're dancing on stage or working every day on the computer, you feel that idea of what you're doing is important."

"What are some of the major accomplishments in the last 20 years?" asked First Alert Meteorologist Lauren Whitney. 

"We're a top ten company now, from a budget standpoint, in the country ... so pretty excited about that," Boggs replied. 

The company was struggling when Boggs took over in 2006, then almost immediately he had to weather a recession. 

"I said to my wife, who also works with me here, 'It's going to be 24/7 for a few years,'" he explained. 

Over the years, Boggs has grown the company from 17 to 40 dancers. He's grown the season to include "Masterworks," which is a performance of masterpieces that showcase the dancers' artistic excellence. He's also grown the repertoire to include full-length productions of some of the most popular ballets. 

"I promise you an incredible performance from this company. It's so well put together. It's so well rehearsed, and the productions that we do are so well presented," Boggs said. 

Boggs honed his expertise at the American Ballet Theater, one of the best companies in the world. He rounded out his knowledge with a stint running the golf academy at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. That is where he learned about budgeting and managing people. 

"He always listens to people. It's nice to work with him. He values people and their opinions. He's thoughtful and that makes this working process interesting," said Maria Mosina, a Ballet Master with the company. 

Mosina came to Colorado from Russia as a dancer. When her dance career was ending, Boggs made her a Ballet Master. 

"I love this. I'm still passionate about the art of the ballet. I love to give my knowledge and my experience to the new generation," she said. 

"We're at the 20th year, what are you hoping for the future of the ballet?" Whitney asked. 

"That it continues to grow. We've gotten to five productions now. All five productions are done with an orchestra, which is just unheard of for a company of our size," Boggs responded. 

A company that provides top-quality ballet every single time. 

Boggs sets the seasons every year, striking a balance between productions that will be popular with the dancers and with audiences. 

LINK: For Tickets & Information for Colorado Ballet's 2026/27 season

Here is a look at Colorado Ballet's 2026/27 season:

• Don Quixote               October 2 - 11 
• The Nutcracker           Nov. 28 - Dec. 27
• Romeo & Juliet           Jan. 29 - Feb. 7
• The Wizard of Oz        March 5 - 14
• Masterworks                April 9 - 18