Some dance companies are formed with a clearly etched vision of what they want to do, and they just go do that over and over. Others grow like Topsy, evolving with the vicissitudes and needs of the company itself and of the community it serves. A prime example of the latter is the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, whose very name suggests a history of evolution and collaboration. Based in two cities at once, the 11-member company has grown from a modest group Bebe Schweppe founded in 1990 – in sleepy Aspen, Colo. – into a path-forging international powerhouse. It now performs at the major dance venues in the United States, and in Europe, South America, Israel and Canada. “Stark, sleek, and chock-full of moves that skirt the edges of contemporary movement,” wrote a critic in the Boston Globe. On March 31^st the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet returns to Kansas City for its second appearance on the Harriman-Jewell Series, in a program that includes two works the company commissioned.

The group has come a long way since Bebe formed the Aspen Ballet Company in 1990, to complement the arts scene that is such an integral part of Aspen life. “Bebe felt that Aspen was just such a rich cultural scene, with the music festival and the jazz festival,” says artistic director Tom Mossbrucker, the dancer Bebe brought to the company in 1996 along with executive director Jean-Philippe Malaty. “And it was her dream to have local professional dancers performing … high-quality professional dance.” But having formed the company, Bebe wanted Tom and Jean-Philippe to run it. In time, the two transplanted city lads found they were outgrowing their home base. (Aspen: Population 6,658.)

“When we first started the company we didn’t really know whether it would be a student company or what, we really had no expectations or stipulations,” says Tom, a longtime veteran of the Joffrey Ballet, where he was principal dancer in 70 ballets by the top choreographers of our time. “As the group started to grow, and the dancers and the work got better, we realized we needed more than just our little village of Aspen.” When the company does two shows in Aspen, he added with a laugh, “everyone in town who wants to see the work has seen the work.” So they began touring in the region, often in an unconventional manner. “We would look at the map and say, let’s see, how far is it to drive to Durango – or, how far is Santa Fe?” (Touring is still a central part of the ASFB season.)

Initially, Santa Fe was just another tour stop. But the company was drawn to the city, and the city to it. “People are always saying there’s something about the air in Santa Fe, there’s something about the light,” Tom says. “It’s really true. … So there were a lot of things that we connected with.” They were approached by a local presenter, “and one thing led to another,” Tom says. It became clear that the thing to do was to form a two-city company. In doing so, they also formed one of the highest dance companies – literally. Does the altitude affect the dancers? “They’re able to do everything,” Tom says. “The only difference is that when they come down off of it, they feel like Superman for about a week.”

In their early years the company did what many start-ups do: They called all their choreographer friends and asked them to create ballets for them. They also called the Balanchine Trust, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, and other well-established organizations, and as a result their first seasons contained plenty of familiar names. At the same time they began commissioning works by semi-known or up-and-coming choreographers. Interesting things began to happen. “The company came into its identity sort of organically,” Tom says. It soon became clear that “it was the commissioned works that started to give the company its identity. So we kind of shifted our focus to creating new work, and looking forward, and doing work by all living choreographers. But it took many years for that to happen.”

Now, with a staff of only seven, the company is perhaps one of the smaller world-renowned companies on the planet. It is now also one of the largest dance presenters in the country, offering major dance to both cities. Education is also a priority. Both cities have dance schools, and they have not ignored the cultures of these regions: One of their most popular offerings is the folklore program Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico, in which young people can learn the dances of their heritage.

Yet the cultivation of choreographers remains central, Tom says. “In 16 seasons we’ve commissioned 24 works. We’re really proud of that.” One choreographer the company has cultivated is Finnish-born Jorma Elo, whose Over Glow forms a part of the Harriman program. It is the fourth work that Elo has created for ASFB. “You develop a relationship with a choreographer,” Tom said, “and when you bring him back a second or third time it builds: He knows exactly what he wants to do when he gets here.” Also on the program is a commission Where We Left Off by Nicolo Fonte – the eighth work he has made for them. Jiří Kyliánrounds out the program here with his “tribal” Stamping Ground from 1983.

Bebe praises Tom’s and Jean-Philippe’s efforts, on the company’s website aspensantafeballet.com: “Their strength has been in their unique ability to perceive and design a repertoire that entertains all parts, whether it’s the audience or the dancer. … Never did I imagine that one day the company would be performing nationally and internationally and … performing works by internationally famous choreographers. Although I had the dream, I never imagined so much. I feel very lucky.”

The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet performs at 7:30 p.m. on March 31^st at the Kauffman Center. For tickets call 816-415-5025 or go to hjseries.org.

To reach Paul Horsley, performing arts editor, send email to phorsley@sbcglobal.net.