The 5 Best Performing Arts Groups Around Summit County

The performing arts have deep roots in Summit County, where community theater dates back decades and orchestral music, dance and concert ensembles continue to bring people together. A stage here might hold actors in a musical one night, young dancers at a recital another or dozens of instrumentalists working through a symphonic program. These organizations also contribute beyond performances through education, training and opportunities for community participation. The Best of Summit recognizes the groups helping keep theater, dance and live music active across Colorado’s High Country.

Theatre SilCo

Theatre SilCo traces its roots to 1993, when the organization began as the Lake Dillon Theatre Company. Its work has since developed into a combination of professional productions, arts education and community programming in Silverthorne. The company stages plays and musicals while also creating opportunities for performers and audiences of different ages. Education forms a substantial part of its mission. Programs include School’s Out Camp, Broadway Bootcamp and other classes that introduce young people to acting, singing, movement and the process of creating theater. Theatre SilCo also operates the Vivo Dual Language Theatre Program, which uses theater to support bilingual learning and creative expression. Together, its professional productions and educational work make the organization both a performing company and a year-round resource for people who want to participate in the arts.

Breckenridge Backstage Theatre

Breckenridge Backstage Theatre has been part of Summit County’s performing arts community since 1976, when it became the county’s first nonprofit theater organization. Its 137-seat theater creates an intimate setting for professional productions, allowing audiences to experience plays and musicals at close range. The organization typically balances its mainstage season with community productions, youth theater, classes and camps, extending its work beyond performances for ticketed audiences. Young actors can develop skills through educational programs and summer camps, while community projects create additional opportunities for local participation. The theater’s programming has grown substantially since its early years, but live storytelling remains at the center. Actors, directors, designers and technicians come together to build each production, making the organization a continuing home for theatrical work in downtown Breckenridge.

National Repertory Orchestra

Each summer, the National Repertory Orchestra brings 80 young professional musicians to Breckenridge for an eight-week fellowship devoted to orchestral performance and career development. More than 800 musicians from conservatories, universities and graduate programs apply annually, and those selected receive full tuition, room and board while participating in the program. The organization dates to 1960, when it began in Estes Park as the Blue Jeans Symphony. It later moved to Keystone, adopted its current name and established its Breckenridge residency. Under Music Director Michael Stern, the musicians perform major orchestral works and chamber music while also working with guest conductors and artists. Their schedule reaches well beyond formal concerts. NRO presents more than 85 free community engagement events each summer, bringing musicians into libraries, parks, classrooms, neighborhoods and other gathering places throughout the area.

Alpine Dance Academy

Alpine Dance Academy teaches dance as both a performing art and a discipline that students can develop over time. The Frisco studio works with children from preschool age through advanced levels, offering instruction in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and other styles. Students can begin with introductory classes before progressing into more technically demanding training as their experience grows. Performance also plays an important role. Recitals give dancers the opportunity to take what they have practiced in class and present it for an audience, while the studio’s competitive program provides another path for students seeking additional training and stage experience. Classes emphasize technique, musicality and movement while allowing dancers to build confidence through continued practice. By combining regular instruction with performance opportunities, Alpine Dance Academy gives young dancers a structured way to participate in Summit County’s arts community.

Summit Concert Band

Summit Concert Band brings volunteer musicians together to perform concert band repertoire for audiences throughout Summit County. The ensemble draws players from the community, creating a setting where musicians can continue performing outside school, university or professional organizations. Its concerts encompass the broad range associated with the concert band tradition, bringing woodwinds, brass and percussion together in a large ensemble. Performances throughout the year give members a reason to rehearse challenging repertoire while giving local audiences access to live instrumental music close to home. The organization also reflects the community-oriented nature of ensemble performance: Individual musicians contribute their parts to a much larger sound, with rehearsals building toward public concerts. That structure gives experienced local players an ongoing musical outlet and keeps concert band music present in Summit County’s performing arts landscape.

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