Youth America Grand Prix

A week ago 7 GSD dancers and owner, Matt Gasper traveled to Kansas City, MO for Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) ballet competition. We are so proud of these dancers dedication and hard work prepping for this competition and going on the Folly Theatre stage and sharing their passion with the judges and the audience.

YAGP is different than other competitions. There are only 2 categories: Variations and Contemporary. There are 3 age groupings: Pre-Competitive, Junior and Senior. And only the top 12 are recognized at the awards ceremony, which takes place the last day of the competition. This is a difficult competition with amazing dancers from all over the country. The dancers just getting to that stage and performing at their best is all we can ask.

This season Sofia Astolfi made top 12 for her Variation (as well as recognized for her 2nd variation in the top 24. 24 were recognized due to the mass amount of variations in the Junior age group). We are delighted for her recognization!

Mateo Leslie made the top 6 for male dancers in variations. He really commanded the stage this season and we are excited for his accomplishments.

But just because our other competitors were not recognized, doesn't mean they didn't give it their all. We are proud of each and every one of them, whether they were recognized or not. So Congratulation dancers, you work this season doesn't go unrecognized and each and every one of you have improved and continue to improve on and off stage. Your confidence level this season is also something we have been striving for and it is a pleasure to see how you feel about your abilities, and performances.

Below is a slideshow of images from the weekend. Enjoy!

YAGP 2018

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YAPG 2018

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YAGP 2018

July Summer Intensive 2017 | Lindsey Setzekorn

Our second instructor we would like to introduce for our summer intensive is Lindsey Setzekorn. Ms. Lindsey joins us from California where she was the Ballet Mistress for Juline Regional Youth Ballet. We are excited to have Lindsey part of our Summer Intensive staff to bring her knowledge of ballet and pointe to our program as well as her training in conditioning and pilates.

Found out more about Ms. Lindsey below.

LINDSEY SETZEKORN

Lindsey Setzekorn, originally from North Dakota, received her early training from Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Barbara Crockett, Allyson Deane, and Sally Streets. Her performance experience includes: Pennsylvania Ballet, Crockett-Deane Ballet, Central West Ballet, Donn Arden's Jubilee in Las Vegas and various companies in Europe. She received her Pilates teacher training at the Stott Pilates Training Center in Toronto. She holds a BA in Dance and an MA in Secondary Education. Currently, she is the Ballet Mistress for Juline Regional Youth Ballet in California.

July Summer Intensive 2017 | Mrs. Kathy Gasper

Happy Monday to you all. Today we want to introduce our first Summer Intensive instructor and founder of Gasper's School of Dance, Mrs. Kathy Gasper (Mrs. Gasper or Mrs. G to majority of us). Mrs. Gasper is a master instructor taking time out of her retirement in Florida to teach at our 2017 July Summer Intensive.

Currently Mrs. G resides in Florida, where she is enjoying the beach and choreographing at a local equity theatre, Florida Studio Theatre. She has just completed choreographing her 2nd show and will be back this fall for her 3rd production with the company. We are so glad they love her as much as we do!

We are just ecstatic that she will be back teaching this summer and bringing her knowledge of dance back to the area. To find out more about out founder and this talented woman, please read below.

KATHRYN GASPER

Kathy Gasper has an impressive classical background complimenting her appearances on the Broadway stage, television, cabarets, regional theaters, and summer stock productions. Kathy has been a soloist and principal dancer with the Milwaukee Ballet, Weisbaden Ballet, Illinois and Chicago Ballets, the Florentine Opera, the Chicago Opera Ballet and the Merion Cole Ballet.

Kathy’s professional musical comedy roles includes Damn Yankees, Pajama Game, Bye Bye Birdie, Gypsy, Oklahoma, and Annie.

She has been privileged to have studied and performed under outstanding choreographers Lupe Surrano, Luigi, Jamie Rogers, Madame Clistove, Ellis DeBoulay, Peter Genaro, and Ron Fields. She was assistant choreographer for the Doc Severinson & Brothers and Sisters night club act at the Plaza Hotel in New York and Hawaii.

Kathy was the Founder and former artistic director of the Red River Dance and Performing Company 1979—1995 in Fargo, ND, and choreographed and was the director of the dance department at Trollwood Performing Arts School from 1981—1993.