"You need change in your life. It's part
of the adventure."
Read what Kate has to say about who she is and where she comes from.
My name is Kate Gandara. I was born in Dublin,
Ireland, on July 4, 1984, which makes me 18 now. I moved to McAllen,
TX when I was five years old and have lived there ever since. I have
been dancing for 13 years in all types of dance: ballet, tap, jazz,
Mexican folklorico, Spanish flamenco, and modern. Outside of my studio
I have studied at Centro Prodanza (Havana, Cuba), Houston Ballet Academy
(Houston, TX), and Orlando Ballet (Orlando, FL). I graduated from
Memorial High School in May 2001 and I now attend Emerson College
in Boston, MA. I am a Dance/Theatre major and I plan to minor in Communications-marketing
and public relations.
My mom, Jill Gandara, is the director of South
Texas Dance and Gym as well as South Texas Dance Theatre. She was
born and raised in Ireland and was a ballet dancer. Her two brothers
and relatives live in Ireland. She loves gardening, cooking (lots
of yummy food) and working with her students at the dance school.
I usually call her mom or ma. She's the strongest woman I know. She's
great.
My brother, Babil Richard Gandara, is a dancer at Orlando Ballet and
artistic director of South Texas Dance Theatre. He was born in Ireland
and is five years older than me. He lived in Cuba for three years
before moving to Orlando, FL, where I lived with him for the past
year. He is my BEST friend and the greatest person in the world!
My dad, Babil Gandara, was born and raised in El Paso, TX, near the
Mexican border. His side of the family descends from Mexico, they
all live in El Paso. He was also a ballet dancer and studied (danced)
all over the world. |