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| GT the Entertainer |
Not too many performers in the acrobatic slam dunk game bring to the table what GT brings to the table. But before I get into all of that. let me begin by stating the thing that allows GT to deliver what he delivers is he is simply a smart guy.
Not only in the sense of being able to identify logical patterns which is a big part of intellect but he has the ability to also identify emotional patterns and connect them. He has a lightning fast ability to see connections and coherently express them at will. Combined with his penchant for telling it like he sees it, he has the gift of being funny.
His contributions to ACRODUNK are many and varied. From graphic design to video editing and from show elements that have become iconic to just day to day team entertainment - GT has altered the trajectory of ACRODUNK for sure.
However small or large the impact might be, every member of a team leaves his/her mark. Sometimes the impact is long-lasting and even permanent. It is great to witness when a teammate comes to the table and takes what is already effective and powerful and makes it better. GT has done that very thing with many aspects of our shows.
Every great team relies on teammates that have deep reservoirs of ability and ACRODUNK has been fortunate to have many. In recent years it has been GT’s connections that have helped populate our teams with awesome talent. It is his gift as an entertainer that helps us be more than just a dunk team. His gift as computer wiz that has aided our marketing, web and social media presence. His gift of commitment that has saved many a dunk from disaster (you might have to watch the following clip twice to notice the role GT plays to make this dunk happen. By the way, the graphic with the cool swirling ACRODUNK logo with fire and smoke at the end of the vid is GT’s work).
It was during GT’s first season with ACRODUNK, that his potential to become an effective teammate became apparent. It was quite a busy season which we kicked off with about 90 shows over the course of 6 weeks. G-Man got hurt just before Thanksgiving and with GT’s help we were able to get another dunker, Timothy Muscarella up and running to finish that leg of the tour. Later as the 2nd half of the season was gearing up, another talented entertainer Anthony Grant was brought into the ACRODUNK family through GT’s connections. (Tae Crawford and Matthew Marzo later joined our ranks thanks to GT's influence).
We went on to end that season with 2 veterans suffering major injuries and a changing roster from month to month and GT was the constant throughout it all - not without his own aches/pains and challenges. He ended up performing in every show the core team had that season and began to find his voice as the funny man on the team.
His catch-phrase “Stir at it!” became what was remembered most by audience members at schools across the country. Being cool & funny is hard to pull off but because of his varied talents - dance, tumbling, dunking, humor - GT was able to win fans over nationwide.
GT’s confidence is admirable - I have enjoyed seeing the risks that he’s taken and the results that risk taking has produced. Often times a challenge/opportunity will present itself and GT will profess his ability to handle it. Whether he possesses the ability at the time is a minor detail because in most instances by the time the work needs to be delivered he will have figured out how to do it.
As we develop our stage show, GT’s talents as a DJ have been incorporated into the mix. From our stint on America’s Got Talent to the shows we’ll create in the future. his role of helping create memorable shows continues.
Thanks GT for your contributions. Although pint sized, you have gallons of talent and ability and ACRODUNK is all the better for it.
