Boulder Dance Studio Owner Indicted for Staged Break-Ins and $567K Insurance Fraud

Cynthia Leigh Burdine, 50, owner of the now-closed Frequency Dance studio in Boulder, surrendered at Boulder County Jail on Thursday afternoon following a March 27 indictment on 21 felony charges. The indictment alleges she orchestrated two fabricated break-ins at her dance studio—one in April 2023 and another in July 2023—to fraudulently obtain over $567,000 in insurance payouts. For the July incident, Burdine reportedly hired two men to stage the break-in at the venue, then operating as Kinesis Dance, and submitted a damage estimate of $100,000. She faces multiple counts including theft, insurance fraud, conspiracy, attempting to influence a public servant, and forgery. Bail was set at $10,000, and she is scheduled for an arrest warrant appearance on Friday. Prior to the indictment, Burdine and Frequency Dance accumulated approximately $169,000 in unpaid debts, including loan lawsuits, an eviction order, and outstanding invoices. The studio has since ceased operations.