Lyndsey Knutson - Introduction

We are going to do a little series introducing our 2019 - 2020 staff. With the additional of a second location last season, we are excited to add to our staff this season! There are a lot of new faces both in the classroom and at our front desk.

Today we begin to introduce these staff members and we are starting with Ms. Lyndsey Knutson. Ms. Lyndsey is not new to our teaching staff, but is returning this season. She used to own a studio in Fergus Falls, MN and taught Hip Hop several years ago at our studio. She currently teaches Jazz, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop (and Tap). She is also the coach for our Premiere Team (performance team).

We did a little Q & A with our staff and this is what Ms. Lyndsey K has to say.

Q. What is your favorite part about teaching?

A. I really like seeing the growth of each dancer throughout the year. Not only as a dancer but as a person. I also love learning from the students as well. For instance- Sometimes they will say a fact I didn’t know or when doing a piece of choreography they will somehow do a movement differently that makes it look even better.

Q. What inspired you as a dancer?

A. My dance teachers growing up were my mentors as well. They always have inspired me and still do to this day. My family also inspires me to keep learning and bettering myself.

Q. Tips for our dancers?

A. Give your all in everything you do. Don’t hold back due to fear of failure or looking silly. Each day is a gift so soak up every minute of it!

Q. Favorite snack?

A. Popcorn or Cheez-its

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Ms. Lyndsey Knutson

Lyndsey Knutson is well versed in all styles of dance and performing arts. She is an alumnus from Elite Dance and Performing Arts, which was once named "largest and most prestigious dance studios in the Phoenix Metropolitan area." Lyndsey was a national competitive dancer for ten years and has been trained in commercial acting and musical theater. Appearing in numerous stage and televised productions, including a tour through Europe ending with a nationally televised performance in Rosa, Spain, she was also a featured dancer for Showstoppers Entertainment Company.

Lyndsey has trained with the most influential and sought after entertainers in the business such as: Mia Michaels, Dee Caspary, Mandy Moore, Eddie Stratchan, John Crutchman, Joe Lanteri, Rhonda Miller, Alan Sherfield, Desmond Richardson, just to name a few. Working closely with and growing up taking class beside some well known names of today, such as: Tokyo-Kevin Inouye (Master teacher/well known choreographer), Nick Torres (Played Billy Elliot on Broadway in Billy Elliot), Robert McKee (Gus Giordano Jazz Co, Chicago, IL), and Bridget Mc-carter and Ade Obayomi ("So You Think You Can Dance"), she is part of a legacy of professional success.

Lyndsey is originally from Fergus Falls MN, moved to Arizona as a child and has now currently lives in Moorhead MN. She is married to Kyle Knutson and they have a son named Chance. Her dream had always been to open a studio of her own that provided the highest quality instruction in a fun and nurturing environment. With the help of her wonderful husband and family support this dream came true for Lyndsey. Edge Dance and Performing Arts in Fergus Falls MN was open 2006-2018 . After a military relocation to Texas last year they closed the studio.

She is now excited to be working with Gaspers School of Dance and teaching again. Constantly evaluating the dance world of today and updating material accordingly, she helps provide her students with the tools they need to become a well rounded dancer and performer. She wholeheartedly believes in "Building Confidence-Making Memories-Inspiring All". Lyndsey adores her students and feels honored to be a part of their lives.

Lyndsey has been teaching and choreographing dance, both competitive and non-competitive, for over eleven years and takes pleasure in watching students not only progress in their training, but also grow as confident individuals.

New Season, New Faces

We are beyond excited to get our 41st season rolling at Gasper's School of Dance! Classes begin on Monday, September 2, 2019 (yes, we have class on Labor Day). This season we have a lot of new and of course familiar faces you will see at both our locations. We can't wait for you or your dancers to work with our staff.

If you haven't enrolled in classes yet, that is okay! We have Open Enrollment. We do have a few full classes already, but plenty of spots still open in many of our styles and levels. Register through your parent portal, or at the studio next week. We can't wait to see you!

Beyond the classroom, you will see some new faces at our front desk. Our Front Desk Assistant at our South Studio is a past Gasper's dancer, MacKenzie Larson. MacKenzie recently moved back to the area and we are so excited to have her part of our dance family again. At our Downtown Studio you will see a few new people throughout the week greeting you, including Concordia College students Megan Miller and Amber Hill, and GSD parent Carole Skalsky. These people are in place to assist your needs in the evening, schedule private lessons, and even help with payments. (Get to know the new faces on our website or at each of our locations. We have photos and bios hanging on the wall).

Now you are probably wondering, what about Ariel? Are we going to see her? Does she still work at GSD? YES! With the growth of our studio over the past year, we have transitioned Ariel into our Operations Manager. Her hours have changed and she will be mostly at the studio during the day and will pop in throughout the season in the evenings. We are excited to be able to offer this position and we couldn't think of a better person than Ariel to fulfill it. This will give her more time to focus on a variety of tasks that are difficult to do in the hustle and bustle of the evenings. She will be over seeing our front desk staff and still available to answer any questions you may have.

We cannot wait for another great season to start and for you to meet our new staff and welcome back our past staff members. We hope you are as eager as we are to learn and have a great time dancing!

July Intensive Guest Instructor

Today we want to introduce a second instructor for our July Summer Intensive. AND she is also celebrating her birthday today!! Coming back to the area is Aysha Upchurch. We met Aysha when she taught and choreographed at Trollwood many years ago and couldn't be more excited to have her energy at our studio for part of the July Summer Intensive.

Photo Credit: Ill-Digital

AYSHA UPCHURCH

Aysha Upchurch, the Dancing Diplomat, identifies as a seed planter, soil agitator, and curious and passionate artist. Professionally, this translates to her working as a dancer, choreographer, educator and arts administrator who is committed to social inclusion, community engagement and artistry development. While based out of Washington, DC, where she founded and directed the award-winning dance ensemble, Life, Rhythm, Move Project. Blending her dance training and professional backgrounds in youth advocacy and conflict resolution, she uses Hip Hop dance to entertain and educate audiences while supporting youth voices. Trained in Advancing Youth Development, she also facilitates movement and conflict resolution workshops for young people. The thread of Hip Hop culture and arts runs throughout her work as an artist, and deeply informs how she positions herself as a facilitator and instructor with students of all ages.

Aysha has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the White House and has been selected as a US State Department Cultural Envoy in Dance in Bolivia, Honduras and Guatemala. In 2007, she won the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Local Dance Commissioning Project and created Am I On?, an award-winning evening-length Hip Hop work about the space between youth and adult voices. Aysha holds an M.A. in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University and is currently on faculty at Salem State University – only the second college to allow dance majors to concentrate in Hip Hop. She received her Ed.M., concentrating on Arts in Education, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she has served as Teaching Fellow and Project Zero Classroom faculty member and is a current Visiting Practitioner in Education, documenting and creating works as the Artist-in-Residence seeking to raise the profile on dance education and Hip Hop pedagogy. Key to all of Aysha’s work is the belief that an empowered body is a powerful liberation tool and that culturally responsive arts education is central to progressive and inclusive education reform.