Gaspard Louis facts for kids

Gaspard Louis is a talented dancer, choreographer, and artistic director. He was once a dancer with the famous Pilobolus company. Today, he leads his own modern dance group called Gaspard and Dancers. Louis also teaches dance at North Carolina Central University and the American Dance Festival.

Early Life and Dance Training

Gaspard Louis was born in Haiti. When he was thirteen years old, he moved to the United States. He lived in Newark, New Jersey. Louis didn't start dancing until he went to college.

He earned a special degree in dance from Montclair State University. This was part of a program with the American Dance Festival. He kept learning more about dance as a scholarship student. He studied at places like Giordano Dance Chicago. Later, he earned a master's degree in dance from Hollins University.

Dance Career and Creations

After college, Louis joined a dance group in New York called AllNations. With this group, he performed many traditional dances from around the world. He then became a dancer with Pilobolus. He danced with them for ten years! He also helped create nine big dance pieces for Pilobolus.

Louis has also taught dance at several universities. These include Duke University and Elon University. He later became a full-time teacher at North Carolina Central University.

In 2009, Gaspard Louis started his own dance company. It is called Gaspard and Dancers. The company is based in Durham, North Carolina. Louis and his dancers have performed in many places. They have danced at the Wake Forest Dance Festival and the North Carolina Museum of Art. They have also performed at Duke University and in Bermuda.

In 2012, Louis created three special dance works. These dances were called L’Espirit, Souke, and Annatations. He made them after the big 2010 Haiti earthquake. The dances explored how people deal with sad or difficult events. These works were performed in New York City in 2015. They were also shown at a dance festival in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

Louis has also worked with other artists. He created a duet dance called Forbidden with Justin Tornow. This dance was performed at Duke University. In 2019, Gaspard and Dancers performed at Elon University. Their show touched on important topics like immigration in the United States.

He has also created dances for other groups. These include Free Space Dance Company in New Jersey. He also choreographed for the Kentucky University Dance Ensemble. Louis has also helped lead the Creative Movement Outreach Program. This program is part of the American Dance Festival.

About His Life

Gaspard Louis married Jodee Nimerichter in October 2005. They have two children, named Dahlia and Preston. Their family spends time living in both Manhattan and Durham, North Carolina.