{"id":157615,"date":"2023-07-03T09:09:48","date_gmt":"2023-07-03T15:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/?p=157615"},"modified":"2025-01-03T10:51:31","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T16:51:31","slug":"bringing-people-together-through-dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/bringing-people-together-through-dance\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing People Together Through Dance\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If you have not attended the popular Virtual Dance \u2013 LaBlast, you should sign up right now<\/a>! High energy Robert Wallop, a 26-year-old from Annapolis, Maryland, shares his love for dance and passion to perform as our Dance – LaBlast program leader (for both GiGi\u2019s Virtual Playhouse and GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Annapolis since 2021). As a certified LaBlast\u00ae Fitness instructor, Robert gets us moving in this fitness program based on the ballroom dances you see on Dancing with the Stars.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert, who has Down syndrome, has been dancing and entertaining since the age of 8. After years of determination, commitment, and practice, he is now a decorated dancer including being a two-time gold medal Special Olympics World DanceSport Champion (watch the video!!)<\/a> and a two-time bronze Pro\/Am Rhythm and Smooth USA Dance National Champion. In 2017, he was a contestant on Season 16 of \u201cSo You Think You Can Dance\u201d! <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Robert uses his talents to support not only GiGi\u2019s but also serves as an Ambassador for Special Olympics USA DanceSport. As a competitor, instructor, and performer, Robert travels and interacts with people around the world. In a previous interview Robert shared, \u201cI know that I can help bring people together through dance,\u201d Robert says. \u201cI want to make the world a better place through dance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert\u2019s family shares, \u201cVolunteering for GiGi\u2019s has been so rewarding. It is amazing to see participants led by one of their peers and a joyful experience to witness the freedom of expression through dance during these classes by Robert and the participants that are both physically and emotionally engaged.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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When he is not dancing, Robert loves singing, spending time with his family and dogs, going to movies and eating steak and potatoes. He works at the Annapolis Town Center in the Santa Photography Shop and the La Marmotta Gelato Cart. Robert aspires to continue his fitness leadership with GiGi\u2019s national and global community through the Virtual Playhouse and wants to create on-demand program videos and classes that students can access around their personal schedules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are so thankful for Robert\u2019s volunteer service and sharing his talents with the GiGi\u2019s community! We cannot wait to see what the future holds for Robert. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you have not attended the popular Virtual Dance \u2013 LaBlast, you should sign up right now! High energy Robert Wallop, a 26-year-old from Annapolis, Maryland, shares his love for dance and passion to perform as our Dance – LaBlast program leader (for both GiGi\u2019s Virtual Playhouse and GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Annapolis since 2021). As a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":244,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-157615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/244"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157615\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}