30 Flippin’ Years
![Dardano Family 1987](https://greaterparkhill.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/dardano-family-1987.jpg?w=240)
Dardano’s celebrates three decades on Kearney Street
By Erin Vanderberg, Editor
Since 1983, Dardano’s School of Gymnastics has operated as a family business from 2250 Kearney Street, serving over 170,000 kids along the way. This year, they’ll commemorate their anniversary with a block party-style event taking place August 18.
The family
Long ago Dardano ancestors were Italian circus performers. These days, the Denver Dardanos consider themselves a gymnastics family.
Owner Larry Dardano was a gymnast at North Denver High School in the mid 1960s. He attended CSU on a gymnastics scholarship. After college, he began teaching science at North High School while coaching the football and gymnastics teams at North and Manual high schools.
Two of Larry’s daughters, Gina and Donyella, came up through the program, learning gymnastics as they learned to walk and spending the majority of their adolescence as competitive gymnasts. Today, Gina is the program director and head girls coach, and Donyella is the assistant office manager.
Phyllis Dardano, Larry’s sister, was also a former gymnast at North High and has been the office manager and “Queen Bee” for 24 years. Her and Larry’s niece, Vita, also works in the office.
Dardano’s employees are also considered family; the majority of the 24-person staff came up through the competitive team. Boys head coach Kevin McMurchie began training working at Dardano’s in 1991. Another coach, Scott Poindexter, was an athlete on Larry’s North High team and helped to build the gym in 1983.
Gymnastic pioneers
In the 1970s, very few families had trampolines in their yards. But the Dardanos did at their house on 1901 Fairfax.
Over the years, they have modified the equipment in the gym to keep up with the evolutions of the sport and new safety standards.
“Balance beams were simply a polished plank of wood atop two metal posts, now the beams are wrapped in suede, minimally padded and have reflex spring to aid in tumbling on the beam,” said Gina.
The Kearney Street location has expanded from 6,000 square feet to 9,700 over the years to include a lobby, viewing areas, and a dance and martial arts studio.
The participants
Over 170,000 kids have participated in gymnastics at Dardano’s over the past 30 years. “The one thing they all have in common is they all like to go upside down,” said Larry.
Dardano’s course offerings have grown with the growing community, to include the young families. This fall, they will unveil a new class for crawlers.
“We want to get the kids into gymnastics as soon as possible,” said Gina. “We used to begin classes at walking through the advanced levels, now we will now include even the tiniest of tumblers into our Parent Toddler curriculum.”
From there, programming is grouped into the following categories: preschool, beginners, intermediate and advanced competitive team. Dardano’s competitive teams square off in both men’s and women’s USA Gymnastics sanctioned events.
Their proudest achievements
Larry and Gina list Dardano’s achievements of which they are most proud: “Sending several of our high level athletes to NCAA collegiate gymnastics programs; establishing relationships with the international gymnastics communities in London, France and Belgium and traveling to those countries for competitions; and seeing former members of our program bring their children to Dardano’s.
But the biggest achievement, she says, “is providing a fun gymnastics experience to so many children, and knowing that we, as a gym and coaches, are making a difference in the lives of everyone that is a part of our little neighborhood gym. So long as there are kids around to roll, flip, twist and bounce. . . there will definitely be another ‘30 flippin’ years’ at Dardano’s!”
Dardano’s School of Gymnastics will commemorate their 30th anniversary with a block party-style celebration on Sunday, August 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2250 Kearney Street, featuring food trucks, bounce houses, games and giveaways. For more information, visit dardanosgymnastics.com.