MEET OUR PRINCIPAL DANCERS OF MOTOWN:
Sacred has been attending GPA since 7th grade and plans to attend Louisiana State University and major in Kinesiology or Athletic Training. It’s been an honor for Butler to perform in the Motown production as a Supreme in remembrance of Mr. Cecil Steppe’s wife and to help raise money for the David’s Harp Foundation. One thing Sacred loves about Motown is the uplifting music and how it broke boundaries in racism and segregation without violence. Her favorite part of being part of the show was having a fun time learning the choreography with her senior family and friends.
Michael is thrilled to dance in his very first performance. He plans on seeking other opportunities to perform in other shows. Jaime hopes to attend the University of California Riverside to major in Criminology.
Adrian has attended GPA since the 7th grade and is now a proud senior of the amazing Class of 2016. He desires to attend the University of California, San Diego and major in Management Science. Adrian loves how the spirit of Motown has brought him and his colleagues closer together. Adrian performs on stage because he enjoys the challenge that the choreography provides and he feels fortunate to have the opportunity to express himself outside of the classroom.
Alondra, an accomplished senior of GPA’s Class of 2016, has attended Gompers Preparatory Academy since the 7th grade. Alondra plans to attend the University of California, San Diego to obtain a Biology degree and then further her education to obtain her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Lizarraga is honored to dance as a Marvelette as a tribute to Motown Record’s first hit single.
This is Angel Martinez’s first performance on stage at Gompers Preparatory Academy and he is thrilled to be a part of the Jersey Boys, the Jackson 5, and the Four Tops. Angel has attended GPA since the 7th grade and wishes to attend California State University, Northridge to major in Physical Education. Angel believes that dancing is a great way for students to stay healthy and loves how dancing is an accessible and convenient way for people to get active!
Ashley is a well-rounded student going on to her 5th year at GPA. She loves trying new things and exploring her boundaries: she is so thankful to have this opportunity to perform in front of her fellow Eagles, her family, and her community. Vongkeo would love to attend the University of California, Los Angeles and major in Nursing. She loves Motown because its music brought people together regardless of their skin color or social background.
Brandon has attended GPA for past 5 years and plans to attend the University of California, San Diego to double major in English and Communications. Chandara loves that Motown has made lasting and impactful influences on American culture as it took a stand for Civil Rights and revolutionized pop culture. He is honored to pay tribute to the efforts of those on the Motown Record label by dancing on stage with members of his “Senior Family”.
Daniel is a very involved student in school and his community and is now on his 4th year here at GPA. He considers himself a very motivated individual who is always seeking opportunities for him to try something new. He would love to attend UCLA and major in Business. Daniel admires Motown for its uniqueness and its power to bring people together regardless of their race or social background. His favorite part of this production was feeling the music of Motown in the choreography.
Briana has attended GPA for 6 years and wishes to attend the Juilliard School in New York to major in Music and Dance. Briana’s passion truly lies in music and dance and she feels blessed to be able to do something she loves to benefit David’s Harp Foundation. For Briana, being a part of this performance means that she is helping to provide other students the opportunity to study music so that they too can follow their dreams and passions.
Dulce has attended GPA since the 7th grade and is a proud senior of the Class of 2016. She plans to attend the University of California, Los Angeles to study Sociology and then further her studies to focus on Criminal Justice. Dulce is excited to perform as a Supreme to help raise money for the David’s Harp Foundation, who empower “at-risk” and homeless youth through music education. Dulce believes that the spirit of Motown lives on because its music, energy, and style of dance has brought her and her colleagues closer together.
This is Gabriel’s first performance on stage. He has attended GPA since the 7th grade and is proud to be a senior of the Class of 2016. Gabriel plans to attend California State University, Dominguez Hills and major in Mechanical Engineering. He is grateful for the opportunity to learn choreography for the Open House Production.
Isaac has been attending GPA for 2 years. His college of choice is the University of California, San Diego and plans to take this year to decide on how he would like to further his career to fufill his passion of helping others. Gebremedhin loves that every artist that was a part of the Motown family displays a great amount of enthusiasm in their songs and performances. Isaac loves that he is given the opportunity to learn the history of Motown and to pay tribute to successful artists of the Motown label in the Open House performance.
Itzel Flores is a member of the Class of 2016 and in the near future would like to attend the University of California, Los Angeles to major in Dance. Flores’s love for dance grew as she learned more of the history of Motown and the social challenges many of the artists, especially the female performers, faced. She believes that Motown represents resilience and Itzel could not be happier than to pay tribute to the artists, who succeeded despite their challenges, on stage at GPA with her fellow classmates.
Izairi is a senior at GPA and plans to attend UC Berkeley to major in Psychology. She enjoys music and is excited to be a part of the Motown Production as a Vandella.
Jennifer has attended GPA since the 8th grade is honored to be dancing alongside the Class of 2016. She plans to attend the Univeristy of California, San Diego to study in a biological science and then obtain her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Guerrero is excited to perform A Salute to Motown as one of the Angels in order to help raise money for the David’s Harp Foundation. Her favorite part of being in the show is bonding with her Senior Class.
Joshua is very happy to perform on stage with his Senior Family. He has attended GPA since 7th grade and plans on attending California State University Northridge to major in American Sign Language and minor in Performing Arts. Rodriguez is very honored to perform A Salute to Motown because of his passion for singing and dancing. His favorite dance is with “All Cast,” but is excited to be part of the Jackson 5 and the Battle of the Stars.
As a person with a background in music, Josue has been on stage multiple times. He’s been part of the GPA since 7th grade and is a proud senior of the Class of 2016. He intends to attend UCSD and major in Architectural Engineering. Ayala is looking forward to performing in A Salute to Motown in order to help raise money for the David’s Harp Foundation.
Julisa Martinez has been attending GPA since the 7th grade and is excited to represent the Class of 2016 on stage. She wishes to attend New York University and major in Communication Studies. She is very happy to be part of this Motown production and be able to have fun dancing while raising money for the David’s Harp Foundation. Julisa’s favorite part about performing is seeing how supportive her colleagues have become of one another.
Kayla has been attending GPA since 7th grade and is a proud senior of the Class of 2016. She plans to attend UC Santa Cruz to major in Psychology. Seal loves the emotion and meaning behind Motown and hopes to share it with the audience. She’s excited to perform A Salute to Motown to share her love for the era and also give back to the community through happiness and entertainment.
Michael Gutierrez has attended Gompers Preparatory Academy for 6 years and is thrilled to be a senior this school year. In the near future he hopes to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara and major in Computer Science. Michael is thankful to be a part of the Motown production this year and hopes to make the performance memorable for everyone.
This is Nyabel’s second performance on stage. She has attended GPA since 6th grade and is a proud senior of the Class of 2016. Thot plans to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara to major in Psychology. She is excited to perform A Salute to Motown as a Supreme to help raise money for the David’s Harp Foundation. What she loves about Motown is how it brought people together, just like her Senior Class of 2016. Nyabel’s favorite part about being in the show was seeing everyone get in the spirit of Motown.
This is Primavera’s second performance on stage. She has attended GPA since 7th grade and will continue to attend until her graduation in 2016. Primavera plans to go to UCLA and major in Criminology. She loves that Motown has helped her bond more with the class of 2016. She can not wait to show others the dances and dedication to Motown that she and her classmates have given in the past two months.
Raul and I has attended Gompers for 5 years and would like to attend Full Sail University located in Florida and major in Film, Video and Photographic Arts. What he loves about Motown is its ability to bring all kinds of people together. He is honored to perform alongside his “Senior Family”.
Ronaldo is honored to be a part of the Motown Production. This is his first performance and is proud to be an Eagle. He has attended GPA since 8th grade and is now a senior as part of the Class of 2016. Ronaldo plans to go to UC Davis and major in Engineering. Gladness wants to salute Motown with a performance. His favorite part of being in the show is being a principal dancer and gaining knowledge on Motown for his last year at GPA.
Tarbina has attended GPA since 7th grade and plans to attend UC Davis and major in Pre-Med. She is excited to perform A Salute to Motown for her school as a Marvelette and to help raise money for the David’s Harp Foundation. Lenedrik’s favorite part of performing is sharing the feeling of Motown.
MEET OUR ALL-CAST OF MOTOWN:
Abby Vongkeo has performed in front of many people in the past. She has attended GPA since the 7th grade and is delighted to be part of Class of 2016. Abby has her heart set on attending UCSD and wants to major in Radiologic Technology. She believes that Motown has changed her class in how they communicate with one another. Abby is also excited to perform in Motown because of the enthusiasm and commitment of all the cast members. This is Alejandra’s first time performance on stage. She has attended GPA since the 7th grade and now is a senior of the Class of 2016. Alejandra’s plans are to attend San Diego State University and major in Criminal Justice. She is more than happy to perform in the Motown All-Cast group and raise money for David’s Harp Foundation. Her favorite part of being a part of the show is being able to express herself in a new way. Alondra Crispin is an all cast member in the Motown show on here 6th year here at GPA. She hopes to attend UCLA and major in Criminology and also attend law school. Her favorite part of performing in this production was being able to find new ways to release her stress. Alondra likes to perform because it is a fun way to help raise money for a charity in her community. Alondra Pena has attended Gompers Preparatory Academy for 6 years. Next fall she would like to attend UCLA and major in Psychology and then further her education to become a Social Worker. She is excited to help raise money for the David’s Harp foundation, and to be able to perform and express her personality through dance. Alondra loves learning the choreography and dancing with the class of 2016. This is Brian’s first performance on stage. He has attended GPA since the 7th grade and is a proud senior of the class of 2016. Brian plans to attend SDSU (San Diego State University) and major in Computer Programming. He is glad to be participating in the Motown performance as an all cast member. His favorite part in being in the performance is that he knows that most of the money is going to charity. Celia Aranda has attended Gompers Preparatory Academy for 6 years. She would love to attend CSUN in the near future. She enjoys how the Motown Production has brought her class closer together. She is excited for the rest of her Senior year. This is Daisy‘s first performance on stage. She has attended GPA since the 7th grade and is a proud senior of the Class of 2016. Daisy plans to attend University of California San Diego and major in Political Science. She Is excited to perform a salute to Motown as a all cast dancer to help raise money for David’s Harp. Her favorite part of being in the show is learning how to dance the new choreography. This is Elizabeth’s second time performing in front of an audience. She is proud to have attended GPA since 7th grade and now becoming a senior. Elizabeth strives to attend UCSD and major in Psychology. She is excited to perform for the school, be able to come out of her comfort zone, and also help raise money for David’s Harp. Her favorite part about the Motown Production is being able to learn new dance choreography. Emily has been attending GPA since 7th grade. She is very committed to what she’s determined to do at school and also outside of school. Emily would like to attend UCSD to become a Hospice Nurse. Emily has been inspired by Motown and Berry Gordy Jr., learning that with a little bit of knowledge and money, anything is possible if you keep chasing your dreams. This is Enrique’s first performance on stage. He has attended GPA since the 7th grade and is a proud senior of the class of 2016. Enrique plans to attend UC San Diego, SDSU, or any or any other college and major in music. He is excited to perform Be True To Your School as an all cast to help raise money for David’s Harp. His favorite part of being in the show was learning new choreography, having fun, and bonding with other students in the class of 2016. Gabriel has been at GPA since 7th grade, and is proud to be a part of the class of 2016. He wishes to attend UC Riverside to major in biology and attend medical school. He started practicing for A Salute to Motown all summer long and is excited to now perform in front of hundreds for the first time. What he loves about Motown is the new and exciting choreography, as well as how the music brings people together. He is performing as part of All Cast to help raise money for David’s Harp. This is Isabel‘s first performance on stage. She has been a student here at GPA since the 6th grade is a proud senior of the class of 2016. Isabel aspires to attend the UC Los Angeles (#BRUINS!) and major in Art and Marketing/Business. She is excited to perform with the rest of the class of 2016 for the Motown Open House show, in honor of the David’s Harp foundation. Her favorite part of the project and being a part of it all was her time spent in the summer learning all the dances with the rest of the class of 2016. This is Janette’s first performance on stage. She has attended GPA since 7th grade and is thankful to be part of the class of 2016. Janette has plans to attend SDSU and major in Nursing. She is excited to perform A Salute to Motown in All Cast to help raise money for David’s Harp. Her favorite part of being a in the show was being able to perform with everyone. This is Javier’s second performance on stage. He has attended GPA since 6th grade and is a proud senior of the class 0f 2016. Cardenas hopes to attend CSU Long Beach to major in Engineering. He is a proud performer who is excited to raise money for the David’s Harp Foundation during the Motown Production. Javier’s favorite part of the show is dancing with all of his senior family, class of 2016. This is Jazmin’s 5th year at Gompers and is proud to be a senior here at GPA as part of the class of 2016. She strives to attend SDSU and major in Kinesiology. Jazmin is thrilled to be a part of the Motown show, being that she loves how performing brings joy to others. What she likes about Motown is its diversity and ability to fit and influence everyone’s taste in music. Josslyn’s first perfomance was as a Flag Bearer for the graduation of the Class of 2015. She’s been part of the GPA family since 7th Grade and is now part of the Class of 2016. Josslyn hopes to attend Stanford University to major in Psychology. She is thrilled to perform A Salute to Motown as an All Cast dancer to help raise money for David’s Harp Foundation. Josslyn loves that Motown brought people together, no matter who they were. This is Katherine’s favorite performance so far. She’s been attending GPA for 6 years. Her college of preference is UC San Diego to major in English and become a police officer. One thing she loves about Motown is the music and soul in the singers’ voices. She likes to be able to express joy and energy through dancing. Laura has attended GPA since 8th grade and is proud to be part of the class of 2016. Laura Plans to attend UCSD and major in Psychology. She is eager to be part of all cast in Motown. Her favorite part of being part of the Motown show was having the good vibes of her friends. This is Leslie’s first performance on stage. She have attended GPA since the 7th grade and is proud to say that she is currently a senior. She plan to attend UCSD and major in Political Science. She likes that Motown was created to bring society together. She likes performing because she knows that she is doing something for the community because the fundraise is going to be donated to David’s Harp Foundation. This is Maria’s first performance on stage. She has attended GPA since 7th grade and is a proud senior of the class of 2016. Maria plans to attend UC Los Angeles to major in nursing. She is proud and excited to perform A Salute to Motown as an All Cast dancer to support and raise money for David’s Harp. Her favorite part of being in the show was being able to come out of her comfort zone and learn the new dance choreography. This is Maria’s first performance. She has attended GPA since 7th grade and is now a proud senior of the class of 2016. Maria plans to attend UC Berkeley and major in business. She is excited to be apart of the Motown performance for a great cause. Her favorite part of being in the show was learning how to dance for the first time. Marielena has been attending GPA for 6 years. She is interested in becoming a Special Education teacher or being involved in Theatre Arts either abroad in Cambridge University in London, SFSU, or a CSU. One thing she loves is being able to get out of her comfort zone and make those around her proud. The reason why she likes performing is because she gets to have fun and raise money for David’s Harp. This is Marisol’s first time performing in front of an audience. She has attended GPA since 7th grade and is now a senior of the class of 2016. Marisol is planning to attend the University of Los Angeles she will majoring in the Medical field. She is excited to be performing in the Motown show as an all cast member but also as a tribute to the David’s Harper fundraiser. Her favorite part of this experience was learning the choreography since she loves to dance even if it was her first time showing it. This is Nancy’s second time performing on stage. She has attended GPA since the 7th grade and is a proud senior of the class of 2016. Nancy plans to attend the UC San Diego to explore what field of interest she would like to take part in. She is very excited to perform in the Motown performance as an All Cast dancer. Her favorite part of being in the show is being able to help raise money for David’s Harp and dancing with her senior family. Roberto Mata has been attending GPA since 7th grade and is now a senior as part of the class of 2016. College for Roberto has always been a goal of his. He hopes to attend the UC Los Angeles and major in Business Administration. Roberto enjoys doing this performance because Motown brought people together no matter what background they came from, the same way it brought the class of 2016 together. He enjoys performing because you can be yourself and get to know each other better. Serena has attended GPA since 6th grade and is proud to be a part of the class of 2016. She is determined to attend UC Santa Barbara and Major in Psychology. Dancing in the front aisles, she is excited and ready to perform in A Salute to Motown as a tribute to Cecil Steppe, as well as help raise money for the David’s Harp Foundation. Her favorite part of being in the show of Motown was learning new choreography. This is Tania’s first performance on stage. She has attended Gompers Preparatory Academy for 5 years. When she leaves Gompers she plans to attend Point Loma Nazarene University and major in Psychology. Tania loves Motown because to her its not just any music production, rather a production that was able to change the world completely by pushing aside segregation. Her favorite part about practicing and performing was being able to come together with the class of 2016 and turn into a family. This is Tyrone’s first performance on stage. He has been attending GPA since 7th grade and is proud to be a senior of the class of 2016. Tyrone plans to attend CSU Northridge and major in Engineering. He is excited to perform the songs “Be True to Your School” and “Oh What A Night” to help raise money for the David’s Harp Foundation and his senior family. Tyrone’s favorite part of being in the show was having fun with the class of 2016 and being able help fundraise money for the David’s Harp Foundation and his classmates. Victor has attended GPA since 7th grade and proud to be called an Eagle. Victor plans to attend UC Riverside and major in Computer Engineer. One thing Victor enjoys about being part of the Motown Production was dancing without anyone judging him. But Victor’s favorite part about Motown was his burly moves while learning the choreography.