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Tom Masterson
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Dr. Tom Masterson is a dance choreographer and master teacher living in Boulder, Colorado. He was born in Québec, Canada.
Tom started dancing while in grad school. He later moved to Europe then back to the United States.
He studied dance with the Bukovinian, Virsky, Iunist, Ivano-Frankivsk, and other ensembles in Ukraine both during and after the Soviet Union. He feels deeply about the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, and is doing everything he can to support the people, culture, heritage, and dance of Ukraine.
Dr. Masterson speaks several languages, teaches dance, physics, and math, runs ultra-marathons, climbs high peaks around the world, and is a master chef! He is the recipient of the "Legends of Dance in Colorado" award and the Boulder "Pacesetter of the Year" award.
Tom owns Danceophile Studio in Boulder where he teaches ballroom, swing, Latin, ethnic, character, and performance dance. He started dancing at the University of Wisconsin and has taught dance for many years. He has taught and performed extensively in Europe, Canada, Asia, and the United States.
Tom founded and directs Postoley Dance Ensemble, a professional company specializing in the dance, music, and song of Ukraine, Poland, and Russia. The group performs at weddings, festivals, and special events. He runs Boulder's very popular summer "Folkdancing on the Plaza" program beside the Dashanbe Teahouse (in 2011 it was in its 30th year!) and folk dancing in Nederland (some 18 miles west of Boulder). With Ingvar Sodal and Alex Wilson, he ran the every-other-Wednesday "Couple Dance Evening." He has also been an artist-in-residence in many schools and universities in Colorado and across the United States, and does wedding choreographies and special dance programs. He also has ongoing courses of study with many master dance teachers. Tom teaches weekly ballroom and folk dance classes.
Tom is the owner of Back Country Tours, a mountain guide service, ski and mountaineering school, recognized by the Professional Ski Instructors of America. Its activities are cross country, back country, telemark, mountain leadership, and avalanche courses in the winter, climbing and mountaineering skills in the summer, and guiding expeditions world-wide. He is a P.S.I.A. certified cross country ski instructor and mountain tour guide.
He has many years experience teaching mountaineering, skiing and wilderness survival skills. He was the principal instructor for Back Country Tours, instructor for the High Altitude Mountaineering section of the Colorado Mountain Club, Lake Eldora ski area, University of British Columbia mountaineering club, University of Wisconsin Hoofers, Deutscher Alpenverein in Germany.
In August of 2008, Tom choreographed a dance for the Duquesne University Tamburitzans.
Tom has a B.A. from Rice University, M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin (Madison), and tutors physics and math.
Some ten years ago, he was given an award by the City of Boulder for being a Pace Setter of the Year in the Arts.
In addition to dancing, Tom's interests include mountaineering, running, bicycling, skiing, climbing, hiking, hunting geocaches, and backpacking.
Dances Tom has taught include Ada's Kujawiak No. 1, Dudálás és Ugrós, Elijah-Khorovod, Boldog Hutsul, Chkrainskyi Pirichyeskyi Tanets, Dzek, Dudálá és Ugró, Epidzhka Shel, Hárfa Táncol, Holubka, Hora, Horehronsky Čardáš, Kak u Kluchika, Kirichyeski Yikrainski Yazik, Kiskanásztánc, Kondás Táncol, Körtánc, Kosa, Krakowiaki, Kujawiak Weselny, Malenky Tanets, Maleševsko, Moldoveneasca, Polka Cięta, Previt, Tompany, Vrtielka, and Vyesha Bukovina.
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