Sole Merger

A Professional Percussive Dance Company

SOLE MERGER is a professional percussive dance company – a movement arts merger. Embracing the collaborative spirit by merging tap dance with artistic exploration and curiosity while honoring its history and traditions.

Sophisticated and playful.

Mystical and intelligent.

An authentically human approach to percussive dance.

SOLE MERGER is resident dance company of MOVE! Dance Space & Arts Center

Upcoming Performances

SOLE MERGER will be performing “Being Green”, choreographed by Karen Kleber, for the Performance Kick-Off on Saturday, February 1st! at the 2025 annual CoDEO conference in Pueblo, CO!

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SOLE MERGER presents

“Morse Code; art of communication”

March 7 & 8, 7pm

Hosted by MOVE! Dance Space & Arts Center

This hour long performance will curiously explore the art of communication. In both familiar ways and in ancient times, sound connects us to one another and, the heart beat of the Earth.

Tickets: $22.00, General seating

PURCHASE TICKETS BELOW!

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	Morse Code: Friday 7pm, March 7th - SOLE MERGER	$22.00	Morse Code: Friday 7pm, March 7th - SOLE MERGER quantity Add to cart
	Morse Code: Saturday 7pm, March 8th - SOLE MERGER	$22.00	Morse Code: Saturday 7pm, March 8th - SOLE MERGER quantity Add to cart

Company Artists

Alicia Karczewski graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loretto Heights/Regis University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Dance and later received her professional teaching licensure with Colorado Department of Education in Physical Movement and an additional endorsement in Dance.

While pursuing her degree, she performed in musical theatre (42nd Street, Oklahoma!, Peter Pan, Unsinkable Molly Brown) and toured West Side Story as dance captain. She went on to choreograph musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, Brigadoon, South Pacific, for numerous high schools. Continuing her career as choreographer she was selected for the 1996, 1997 and 2000 Colorado Choreographers Showcase. Concurrently, she danced with modern, jazz, and tap dance companies (Interweave Dance Theatre/Boulder Jazz Dance, Jan Justis Dance Company, Jumpstart Productions/Maureen Breeze) and worked in the entertainment and film industries (Step by Step; An Amateurs Guide to Choreography, Father Dowling Mysteries – Viacom Film Productions), Western Equestrian Magazine (dancer) – Hudson Theater New York, NY.

As a dance educator, Ms. Karczewski worked as instructor and office manager for over 15 years at Miller’s Dance Studio (Aurora CO). She has guest taught for Colorado Ballet, Glenwood Springs Dance Festival, the cast of Phantom of the Opera, David Taylor Dance Theatre Summer Intensive, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Summer Intensive, and a variety of studio’s nationally.

Ms. Karczewski participated as Colorado Dance Alliance board member; adjudication committee for Scientific & Cultural Facilities District New Grants program for dance; Colorado Dance Education Organization (CoDeo) advisory committee; and 2009/2010 Dance Standards review committee for Colorado Department of Education and was chosen to participate for the 2017/18 review.

Ms. Karczewski was Co-Director for the Department of Dance & Movement at Denver School of the Arts (6-12th grade arts magnet public school, Denver CO, DSA) 1995-2017 where her focus was teaching classical jazz, rhythm tap, modern, choreography and composition and school wide musicals. DSA Dance Department achievements included works by choreographers such as Larry Keigwin Caffeinated, Martha Graham Panorama, Steps in the Street, Heretic, Scott Putnam/Amaranth Dance Company, Hannah Kahn, Kim Robards, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. Guest faculty included 20 instructors from the Denver metro area. University recruitment with The Julliard School, Virginia Common Wealth University, Cornish College for the Arts, Adelphi University, Colorado State University, Colorado University, Boulder, . Students annually attended and performed in The National High School Dance Festival across the united states.

Ms. Karczewski enjoyed traveling all over the U.S. adjudicating dance competitions for many years with CoDance Competitions and Starlight Productions and locally was part of the adjudicating team for presentingdenver dance festival performance 2017/18.

Ms. Karczewski is currently artistic director of MOVE! Dance Space & Arts Center with a commitment to sustaining and continuing excellence in dance education within the Colorado community. MOVE! employs previous students, now adult dance professionals, as faculty for weekly classes; sponsors several local dance companies by providing rehearsal and class space as well as performance opportunities; collaborates with local professional dance companies; provides affordable rental studio spaces for approximately 15 smaller movement and artist organizations (including non-profits) creating a diverse CO-OP environment; TAP-IN to Colorado Tap Dance Festival an annual tap dance festival that includes both local and New York faculty; Youth Tap Showcase event for young tap dance students from the community; FALL FESTIVAL annual event showcasing local artisans and performers of all genre’s; and SOLE MERGER Percussive Dance Company: a movement arts merger that explores tap dance with a variety of dance arts.

Emily Jones has been teaching and performing tap in Denver for over five years, and is excited to return to the festival’s staff this year. She is a founding member of Sole Merger Tap Dance Company, and lead choreographer of the company’s breakout collaborative piece with Radical Love Movement, “Pulse”. In 2024, Emily and fellow Sole Merger company member, Kaitlyn Powers, began the Youth Tap Showcase to create a performance opportunity for up and coming youth tap dancers in Colorado. She also spoke with Danielle Heller on a panel for dance educators at the 10th Annual Colorado Dance Education Organization conference regarding creating and growing tap curriculum for various age and skill groups, as part of Danielle’s faculty for the Rocky Mountain Tap Teacher’s Training Program. Emily teaches on Thursday evenings at Move!, and on rotating Sundays each month. She is originally from Denton, TX, and has a degree in American Dance Pedagogy from Oklahoma City University. Her fun fact is that both her mom and her mom’s mom were professional tap dancers too!

Jada Minkin started dancing at the age of 3 in Greeley, Colorado. She loved performing and started dancing the Nutcracker with the Colorado Dance Theatre in the year of its conception and continued for many years after. She also performed in West Side Story and Will Rogers Follies with Oklahoma City’s professional theater company, Lyric Theater. Knowing that dance was her number one passion, she continued her education at the University of Central Oklahoma as a Dance Major. While earning her dance degree, Jada had many amazing opportunities including working with many internationally renowned choreographers and artists including Adam Parson, Malaya, Cindra Che, Loretta Livingston, Bill Evans and Jeff Amsden. Jada performed a tap and modern fusion piece with her fellow dance majors at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She also danced with the UCO Poms Squad which became Division II NDA national champions during her freshman year. The last year of school she became a dancer for the Oklahoma Arena football team. This being the only sports related dance team in Oklahoma at the time. After graduation, Jada missed those beautiful Colorado mountains and moved to Denver where she danced with some amazing and talented companies in the Denver/Boulder area including 7 Dancers, Dream Project, Rogue Co and Sole Merger. During this time, she started teaching and educating other young dancers. Jada was the Dance Activity Director at Dream BIG Day Camp for 8 summers and now trains up and coming dance teachers. She has been teaching in studio spaces since 2006. She has enjoyed many great years teaching young dancers and appreciates the sense of community and support dance studios have provided through all the years of life changes such as marriage and becoming a proud mother to her son, Leo.

Mary Martin began dancing at the age of three in her home state, Maryland. She studied ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, and contemporary extensively and earned a BFA in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University. Mary has danced with several dance companies, including the Chicago Honey Bears, traveling across the USA and abroad. Having studied under many wonderful teachers over the years including Robert Reed, Lyn Cramer, Mark Yonally, Marge Comey, and Lester Holmes, Mary has continued to hone her tap dance skills. She has also had the privilege of attending Master Classes from Michelle Dorrance, Gregg Russell, Sam Weber, Anthony LoCascio, Barbara Duffy, Anthony Morigerato, Steve Zee, Max Pollack, and the incomparable Dianne Walker. With over 20 years of teaching experience, Mary loves to pass on her passion for dance to students of all ages and levels. Mary also holds a Master’s degree in Somatic Psychology/Dance Movement Therapy from Naropa University and has a private practice, Growth in Motion Therapy, in Westminster, CO.

Kaitlyn Powers most recently was a company member of Kim Robards Dance Company. She has taught ballet, modern, tap, jazz, contemporary and lyrical at studios since 2016. She is originally from Hutchinson, Kansas, where she began her dance training at Artistree. Kaitlyn then received a BFA in Dance with a focus in Modern from Wichita State University where she performed in both the student and faculty companies. During her time in Kansas, she performed as a soloist with Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita and Ballet Wichita. Kaitlyn has toured internationally as a member of Wichita Contemporary Dance Theater and worked with Darrel Grand Moultrie, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Cheyla Clawson Chandler, Denise Celestin, and C. Nicholas Johnson. Kaitlyn has attended workshops and intensives with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Diavolo and River North Dance Chicago.

Jenna Roe started her professional career in Chicago as a faculty member of Lou Conte, home to Hubbard Street Dance Company. While in Chicago, Jenna tapped her way into being a company member for Especially Tap Chicago, Bam, and Rhythm Iss. Jenna then moved to New York City to study under the mentorship of Dereck Grant (Bring in Da’ Noise, Bring in Da’ Funk). Jenna also developed a relationship with Emmy-nominated choreographer Chloe Arnold which led to performing with The Syncopated Ladies. Additionally, Jenna managed Chloe Arnold’s New York City based tap company, Apartment 33. During the five years as manager, Apartment 33 was an Artist in Residency at The American Tap Dance Foundation, performed on Good Morning America, danced at Lincoln Center and the New York City Botanical Gardens. On top of this, Jenna taught aspiring young dancers at the American Youth Dance Theater. Jenna’s other accomplishments include: faculty member of Arthur Murray New York, an assistant choreographer with New York City Dance Alliance, and an ensemble member of Rhythm Is Our Business. She continues to focus on her craft in Denver, CO.

Karen Kleber’s folks always knew that she was born to dance, but it wasn’t until age 15 that she started studying seriously at the Carmichael School of performing arts in Northern California. Everyday after school studying and performing ballet, jazz and of course, tap. Two years later, a call back from A Chorus Line in San Francisco sends Karen to New York City to await an opening in the Broadway cast. In the meantime, she spies an open call for David Merrick’s 42nd Street in Backstage Magazine. She and her BFF Neva went, and long story short, they were both cast! Eight shows a week for five and a half years, and it was time to change it up. A tap concert with DancEllington, Mercedes Ellington’s company, was the perfect gig. Incredible choreography by Maurice and Gregory Hines, and a special feature by a young Savion Glover. That show led to a Broadway industrial production in Hong Kong, produced by the Tony Award winning choreographer, George Faison. Along the way, Karen met Dr. Bill Kleber, the man of her dreams, and soon they moved to Colorado with their four fantastic kids. She became known along the Front Range as ‘Dr. Dance,’ teaching tap, choreographing musicals and show choirs. (Most notably, Berthoud’s award-winning Bridge Between Show Choir.)

Enter tap legend Barbara Duffy, who suggests the Tap Teacher Training Program at The American Tap Dance Foundation in New York City, which literally changed Karen’s life! Karen currently holds two certificates in this challenging program that focuses on jazz rhythms, tap history, technique and the Copacetic Cannon. Creating choreography and teaching has always been her passion. She brings a sense of humor and joy to her classes, while always carrying a deep respect for the art form and the masters of the past.

Karen along with Sally Fortenberry created ‘KrampStamp,’ a company that produces tap videos and champions tap wherever possible. Realizing the need for fun tap merchandise in the marketplace, she and her tap student Marlene Cavanagh created TapTogs. An online shop just for tap dancers! You can check them out on Instagram @TapTogs.

Sydney Baker’s background in tap dance is rich and deeply rooted in both tradition and continued growth. Starting at an early age under the guidance of Beverly Pinkerton, Sydney developed a passion for tap that has only deepened over the years. Her training is expansive, drawing from a range of influential teachers like Professor Robert Reed and Barbara Duffy, and she’s consistently worked to hone her craft by attending tap festivals such as Tap City, the New York City Tap Festival, and The Big Apple Tap Festival. These festivals have not only connected Sydney with world-renowned tap dancers like Brenda Bufalino, Katherine Kramer, Ted Louis Levy, Ali Bradley, and Sam Weber, but have also helped her broaden her artistic horizon. Her experience performing with Tap 24.7 has allowed her to travel to various locations such as Arizona, Seattle, and Detroit, further deepening her appreciation for the versatility of tap dance and its role in bringing communities together. Sydney is excited to continue sharing her artistry through performance, always looking for new ways to connect with her audience and express the unique beauty of tap dance. She believes that live performance offers a special opportunity to engage with the crowd, creating a shared experience that highlights the artistry, rhythm, and emotional depth of the dance form.