Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY … Hofstra dance major Gregory Youdan received a great boost to his professional confidence at the American Dance College Festival, held March 9 to 12, 2007 in Buffalo, NY. Gregory, a resident of Rochester, NY, is a dance major at Hofstra. His choreography and performance of an original work, What Remains, received a standing ovation and was deemed to be of professional caliber by a panel of judges.

Gregory and his classmates participated in the Festival with 31 other colleges from across the northeast. The judges, who view performances and choreography by not only students, but also by dance professionals and college faculty, are typically given no background information on the works they are viewing. They do not know the artists’ level of training at the time of judging.

Gregory’s choreography, which he performed with five male classmates from the Hofstra dance program, was accompanied by original music, composed by Hofstra senior and music major Matthew Ferry. Matthew, a resident of Harrisburg, PA, also received high praise for his music and was invited by a professional dance troupe to compose a score for a project this summer.

The ultimate positive feedback for the Hofstra group came in the form of an invitation to perform an encore of What Remains as the closing piece for the Festival’s gala concert. The best works of the Festival are selected to perform at the concert.

Performing in What Remains with Gregory, were Edward Brito, Scott Corr, Benjamin Myers, Matthew Hanley and Chaz Fenner-McBride.

Following graduation on May 20, 2007, Gregory plans to move into Manhattan, where he already has a dance project lined up with the New York Baroque Ballet Dance Company this summer. Gregory's What Remains will be performed again at Hofstra this fall 2007 along with some other works he has choreographed as part of an LGBT symposium.