Contemporary dance can be a difficult to define art form, since it features elements of many different styles of dance.

For Nick Ross and his dance company, what matters is creating new works that are conceptual, emotional and passionate, which help increase appreciation for the art.

The Nicholas Andre Dance troupe will be bringing its “Kaleidoscope” performance to the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 18.

The performance is a personal one for both the Arvada Center and Ross, because the center is where he got his start dancing.

“Nick followed me here from a school in Aurora, and trained with us for many years,” Christina Noel, dance coordinator at the center said. “He’s worked and choreographed for some of our classes and occasionally does workshops.”

Ross moved to Colorado from Massachusetts during junior high and attended Smoky Hill High School in Aurora.

“I was an athlete first and foremost, so I design my dances to be very athletic and intense,” he said. “Our dancers are extremely athletic too, and we use all aspects of the stage during our performances.”

Ross established himself in New York, and has returned to Colorado to perform numerous times, but this will be the company’s first performance at the Arvada Center.

“It’s always special to come back to Colorado, but our past few performances have been in the mountains,” he said. “Its extra special to be back here because this is where my dance experience started. Christina gave me so many experiences along the way.”

“Kaleidoscope” is made up of several different pieces, from group performances to duets. Seven dancers will be performing as part of the troupe.

“We’ll be performing a wide variety of works, many featuring my signature athletic style, as well as some theatrical pieces,” Ross said. “We also have a world premiere piece called ‘The End is the Beginning.’”

The performance will close with “Until Blue,” which Ross created in 2008, and has been a staple of their shows ever since.

“We try to piece together a show that has something for everyone to enjoy,” he said. “I know that everyone has different tastes, so we want to provide different styles.”

Noel said that Ross’ performances are very cutting edge, but easy for people to understand who aren’t fluent in the language of dance.

“We’ve been working on getting him here for around a year-and-a-half,” she said. “He’s very inspiring for younger dancers, and for people who don’t get out to see what’s in New York, we’re bringing it to them.”

In addition to the “Kaleidoscope,” Ross will offer a one-time Master Class at 11 a.m. the morning of Jan. 18, at the center. This class is based in modern dance techniques and is recommended for intermediate and advanced dance students ages 13 to adult.

Tuition for the 90-minute class is $25. For more information and to register online go to https://arvadacenter.org/education/classes (class code AD427) or call 720-898-7200.

Early enrollment is encouraged since the class is size-limited.

“Colorado has always had great audiences, who have been so appreciative,” Ross said. “I think this show will be something different than most Colorado dance audiences have seen before — we’ll be opening a new doorway. It’s a journey and a rollercoaster.”

For more information and tickets, call 720-898-7200 or visit www. arvadacenter.org/nicholas-andre-dance-2014.