Exciting News

We are so excited to announce that we are opening a second location in South Fargo this fall! With full classes at the current main studio in downtown Fargo, we found the need to expand. At Gasper's School of Dance, we want to make sure everyone is provided with great training, in a smaller class size. We have lowered the class caps this year to give more one on one attention, but with that, we only have enough space and don't want people to miss out on training in a healthy, nurturing and passionate environment, where you can grow as a performing artist with our professional staff.

The second location will have two new studio spaces. Most classes will be of the novice - pre-intermediate level, teen classes, and potentially adult and fitness classes. Intermediate and Advanced level classes will be held at our Downtown Location (the main studio near St. Mary's Church).

We are still working on the schedule for the new location and putting our staff list together. If you are interested in teaching at our second location or working the front desk, please check out our employment page on our website.

Again, we are so thankful for the support from our dance family, instructors and the community to be able to expand and grow to reach to more areas of Fargo-Moorhead.

-- Mr. Matt Gasper & Lacey Gasper

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.

July Intensive Guest Instructor

We are excited to have THREE guest instructors throughout the July Intensive, as well as some of our amazing staff including Matt Gasper and Lindsey Setzekorn teaching intermediate and advance dancers during our July Intensive. This is a day program, which meets 5 days a week for 7.5 hrs / day. A variety of classes will be offered during this 4-week program including Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Character, Musical Theatre, Tap, Hip Hop and more!

We want to introduce our first guest instructor of our program this summer, ballet instructor Alyce Keaggy Brinkmann will be joining us from Illinois where she is the Artistic Director of Illinois Dance Conservatory / Illinois Youth Dance Theatre. Find out more about Alyce below.

ALYCE KEAGGY BRINKMANN Alyce Keaggy Brinkmann began her professional career with Milwaukee Ballet under the direction of Ted Kivitt. She was a leading artist with Milwaukee Ballet Company for 13 years. In her long- standing career with the company she has an extensive classical repertoire. She has been featured in principle roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet. She has worked with notable choreographers such Enrique Martinez, Robert Forsythe, Lynn Taylor Corbett, Jean Paul Comelin, and Margo Sappington. During the joint venture of Milwaukee and Pennsylvania Ballet, she danced principle roles in George Balanchine’s Symphony in C, Square Dance, Scotch Symphony, and Serenade. Ms. Keaggy Brinkmann has toured nationally and abroad as a guest artist with Yves De Bouteiller and as a principle dancer with Williams/ Gerard Productions of New York.

She began her early training in Erie, PA at age five under the direction of Suzanne Orlando. Moving to Chicago, IL at age eleven to age 18 she and trained with Larry Long at Ruth Page Foundation of Chicago. During that time, she had the fortunate opportunity to perform yearly with Chicago Tribune Charities production of The Nutcracker.

Alyce Keaggy Brinkmann founded Performing Arts of Spring Grove in 1999 and its non-profit performing company, Illinois Youth Dance Theatre in 2000. Alyce has been a faculty member for Milwaukee Ballet School and is a guest teacher throughout the US.

In 2010, together with her partner Louis Dixon established Center Academy of Dance, now known as Illinois Dance Conservatory (IDC). IDC and Illinois Youth Dance Theatre provide a training and performing program of classical daily work and repertoire. Ms. Keaggy Brinkmann’s artistic vision for rigorous training and performance bring excellence to the aspiring young dancer.

Together with her husband Steve, she resides in Spring Grove, IL with their two children, Luke and Marlayna.