Dust off those platform shoes for Sunday's Boogie Dairyland Cattle Call, a benefit for Youth Performance Company.
In celebration of its 30th season, YPC "strongly encourages" attendees to arrive at the Metropolitan Ballroom in "gold chains, shimmering satin, butterfly collars and psychedelic bell-bottoms." The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction that includes a tour of the Vikings' new practice facility and lower level tickets to a game, including pregame field passes. Dinner is at 7 p.m., followed by performances from YPC artists and alums. You can register for tickets at youthperformanceco.org or by calling 612-623-9080.
Among alums who will take the stage about 8 p.m. is Dave Gangler, who performed at YPC from 1992 to 1995. He's remained in touch by "writing a check, working on the website, showing up and performing in fundraisers." This year, Gangler, a computer geek, joined the YPC board. A happily married man who never misses date night with Katie, he is a passionate animal lover in mourning over the loss of his beloved dog Nellie, 16. She couldn't walk anymore, but she still had a ferocious bark. We did this interview via e-mail.
Q: You are a theater actor and chief technology officer for a software company. That's a strange combination.
A: I kind of live a double life that requires a lot of time. Software developer by day. Actor by night. I'm not sure which one is the secret identity anymore. I originally got into software development to make better money than I was making bartending. I hated the idea of being a starving artist. My software career just progressed over the years as I gained more experience. I find that I need to feed my creative side in order to be the best software developer I can. It's a good (if demanding) balance. Performing feeds my artistic soul. Software development feeds my stomach.
Q: I know you grew up in the Twin Cities doing theater at YPC. How did that shape you?
A: YPC had an enormous influence on me as a teenager! I learned to be bold and essentially do whatever it is 100 percent. This not only served me well in performance on the stage, but in general in life. I think YPC is a special place because they teach young people to have confidence in their own creative voice. I was fortunate to have a great support system at home, but for a lot of young people YPC provides a sense of community, connection, belonging and belief in themselves that they don't get elsewhere.
When I was a teenager, my instinct was always to try to get others to do things my way. I thought I had great ideas and that they should be implemented as I imagined. At YPC I learned that by listening, collaborating and compromising with others, we could achieve something far more rich than what I could conceive of by myself. I see this pattern all over the place.
