Keith Gray

keith gray

artist

composer, dancer, tenor, teacher, actor

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BIO

Keith Gray has an AA in Dance from American River College and completing his BA in the Fall of 2023 at CSU, Sacramento, in Dance and Theatre. Keith studies with renowned local voice instructor, Jacqueline Victorino. He has sung at Carnegie Hall, and dances with Deane Dance Center's Sac Civic Ballet. Performed regularly in the Nutcracker as the Nutcracker Prince. Extensive educational and professional background in dance (including performing and providing lessons) and working effectively as part of a team. Keith has performed at CSU Sacramento in the University Dance Company for Flick, and Osvaldo Ramirez choreographed a senior solo and a film for senior Capstone. Keith has choreographed Cinderella for McLaughlin Musical Theatre. Keith has taught Ballet at the MMT. Keith plans on pursuing his education, teaching, and developed his performance career.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

I aim to develop a dancer with exquisite technique, a positive mindset, a good attitude, and confidence.

Dance teaches a strong work ethic, focus, specialization, collaboration, and originality.

I work to maintain a class atmosphere full of enthusiasm. I bring a positive mindset to help my students be curious while providing the necessary educational skills for college or pre-professional work rigors in

dance and creating life-long disciplines that apply in all fields. Healthy technique, artistry, uniqueness, and leadership skills help my students progress positively.

Artistic statement

As an artist, the mediums I use are theater, music, and dance. My vocation is enriching and sharing faith. I use art with healthy methods to bring peace, calm, cheer, discipline, and enrich my faith and share it; I accomplish teaching techniques, strength, sculpting and conditioning, Pilates, and classical ballet method for placement, balance, coordination, and vocabulary. Then I apply it to refine the movement, adding transitions, pointing feet, etc.

I am adding contemporary methods of musicality and theatricality, jazz and musical theater training, and Shakespeare's poetry to develop characterization. I explore music as a source of rhythm but also as a source of quality. My opera music/ bel canto training helps me notice these textures and qualities better.

My goal is to focus not only on the rhythm of the music in the choreography but also on the texture of movement that matches the texture of the music. Continue to develop my artistry with codified techniques. Breaking up the elements of contemporary ballet, such as, include line, coordination, flexibility/range of motion, rhythm/musicality, direction, weight, and jumping/turning. I want to train often in these elements from good ballet training and modern dance techniques like Graham, Cunningham, Horton, and Limón, who also train in these elements. I want to incorporate neo-classical or modern repertoire and improvisation. Film and popular music are also ways I am inspired when creating contrast and visual aesthetics in dance.

Featured Work

California State Capitol