4.26.10: Today's Show

Today on "The Lisa D Show" we'll start with "news that matters to you" analysis from our Monday guest Chris Babcock. Babcock will focus on the immigration legislation passed in Arizona last week dealing with illegal immigration. Does this new legislation condone racial profiling? We'll talk about that and so much more.

Also, we'll talk with Gemtria St. Clair about the programming and upcoming events at Kids Excel. Below is a video of a recent Kids Excel demonstration in Downtown El Paso at Kidzpalooza 2010. Gemtria is promoting the May fundraiser that helps fund Kids Excel programming in El Paso schools.



Gemtria grew up in El Paso, Texas and graduated from Loretto Academy. She began studying ballet at the age of three. She danced with the University Civic Ballet Company under the direction of Ingeborg Heuser. Gemtria attended UTEP and later, The University of Utah on full ballet scholarships. She raised four children before resurrecting her dance background and becoming an instructor for the National Dance Institute of New Mexico (NDI-NM) in 1998. She spent several years as the North Artistic Director for NDI-NM, co-choreographing the End-of-the-Year Event, directing the North Show, overseeing staff, and training apprentices. In 2002, the NDI-NM Board of Directors appointed Gemtria the Managing Director for the organization. Working in close partnership with Catherine Oppenheimer, the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of NDI-NM, she facilitated a $7,000,000 Capital Campaign, oversaw the construction and management of the Dance Barns—a 33,000 square foot facility, managed the organization”s growing administrative staff, and planned for the dynamic growth of NDI-NM. In 2004, NDI-NM was approached by the Founding Chair of Kids Excel El Paso to seed a program in the El Paso community. Gemtria acted as an artistic and administrative consultant and was a founding member of the KEEP Board of Directors. Her interest in the success of the organization inspired her to move to El Paso to fill the position of Artistic/Executive Director for the budding program in 2005.