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FROGS.

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>> SOMETIMES INSPIRATION CAN

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COME FROM UNEXPECTED SOURCES.

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THIS NEXT STORY IS ABOUT A

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LONGTIME CHICAGO DANCER

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CHOREOGRAPHER AND TEACHER.

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HE FOUND EARLY MOTIVATION AND

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TRAINING WATCHING A TV SHOW

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FAMILIAR TO MANY CHICAGOANS.

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HIS NAME IS RANDY DUNCAN AND HE

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IS BEING HONORED NEXT MONTH BY

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THE CHICAGO ACADEMY FOR THE ARTS

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FOR HIS LONG CAREER IN DANCE.

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HERE IS JAY SHEFSKY WITH HIS

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STORY.

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[♪♪♪]

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>> AS THE THIRD OF SEVEN KIDS IN

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A BLUE-COLLAR FAMILY ON THE WEST

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SIDE, RANDY DUNCAN SAYS HE WAS

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ALWAYS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN

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HIS SIBLINGS.

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>> MY BROTHERS WERE ALL INVOLVED

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IN SPORTS.

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I WANTED TO TWIRL THE BATON.

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AND I WANTED TO JUMP DOUBLE

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DUTCH.

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ANYTHING THAT HAD MOVEMENT IN IT

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THAT WAS PRETTY.

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I ENJOYED WATCHING MUSICALS ON

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TELEVISION WHETHER IT WAS

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SHIRLEY TEMPLE OR WHETHER IT'S

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FRED AS ASTAIRE OR GINGER

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ROGERS.

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I REALLY LOVED IT.

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I LOVED THE COSTUMING AND I

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LOVED THE LIGHTS AND I LOVED

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EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.

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>> ONE MORE TIME AND A LIFT.

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>> TAKING CLASSES WAS OUT OF THE

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QUESTION.

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SO HIS FIRST LESSONS CAME FROM A

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SURPRISING PLACE.

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LIKE MOST CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL

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KIDS IN THE 1960s, RANDY CAME

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HOME FOR LUNCH.

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>> YOU GOT AN HOUR FOR YOUR

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LUNCH BREAK.

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SO I WOULD RUSH HOME FROM SCHOOL

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EVERYDAY.

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AND AT THE 12:30 HOUR I KNEW

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THEY WOULD HAVE THE GUEST ON AND

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I WAS HOPING IT WAS THE

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ACROBATS.

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>> RANDY STUDIED THE ACROBATS.

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EVERY FLIP, TWIST, AND BACK

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BEND.

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>> AND I WOULD GO OUTSIDE AND

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TRY THE TRICKS.

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EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID.

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>> THEN CAME THE MOVIE THAT SET

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THE COURSE FOR HIS CAREER.

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>> WEST SIDE STORY CAME ON

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TELEVISION.

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SEEING THOSE GUYS DRESSED UP IN

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REGULAR STREET CLOTHES AND

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DANCING AND SYNCHRONIZATION AND

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TELLING A STORY.

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THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO DO.

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>> RANDY WAS IN SEVENTH GRADE

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AND BY CHANCE THE FOLLOWING YEAR

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HE SAW A NOTICE ABOUT AUDITIONS

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FOR AN ALL CITY HIGH SCHOOL WEST

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SIDE STORY.

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>> AND THE POSTER SAID THAT THEY

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WERE LOOKING FOR ACROBATS.

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I DON'T KNOW WHAT AN AUDITION

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WAS I DIDN'T KNOW THE MEANING OF

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IT.

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>> MORE THAN A THOUSAND STUDENTS

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TRIED OUT.

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MANY WHO CLEARLY HAD A LOT OF

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TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE.

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RANDY WAS SURE HE DID NOT HAVE A

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PRAYER.

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BUT IN THAT HUGE AUDITORIUM HE

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TOOK A CHANCE THAT CHANGED HIS

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LIFE.

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>> SOMETHING CAME OVER ME TO

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RAISE MY HAND IN THE MIDDLE OF

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ALL THESE THOUSAND FOLKS AND SAY

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EXCUSE ME, I THOUGHT YOU SAID

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YOU WANTED ACT ACROBATS AS WELL?

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AND THEY SAID CAN YOU DO ANY?

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AND I SAID WELL, YEAH.

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AND THEY SAID COME ON UP AND

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SHOW US.

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SO HERE I AM WITH MY LITTLE

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EIGHTH GRADE SELF GET UP ON

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STAGE AND I STARTED DOING MY

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ACROBATICS FROM BOZO'S CIRCUS

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AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW I AM

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A SHARK.

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>> RANDY'S STAR ROSE QUICKLY.

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THE CHOREOGRAPHER OF THAT SHOW

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INVITED HIM TO TRAIN ON

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SCHOLARSHIP.

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HE BECAME A PROFESSIONAL DANCER

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AT AGE 15 WHEN HE WAS INVITED TO

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JOIN THE JOSEPH HOLMES DANCE

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COMPANY.

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19 YEARS WITH JOSEPH HOLMES THE

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LAST SEVEN AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.

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>> NOW HE IS CHAIR OF THE DANCE

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DEPARTMENT AT CHICAGO ACADEMY

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FOR THE ARTS WHERE HE HAS BEEN

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TEACHING SINCE 1994.

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>> OK GUYS.

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PLACES FOR STAND BY ME.

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[♪♪♪]

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>> THEY HAVE A PASSION FOR DOING

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WHAT THEY DO.

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AND THEY ARE VERY GIFTED AND

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TALENTED YOUNG ARTISTS.

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ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS DANCE.

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AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE I COME

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FROM LOOKING INTO THOSE

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BEAUTIFUL EYES AND SEEING MYSELF

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IN THEIR EYES.

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THEY REMIND ME OF MYSELF WHEN I

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WAS THEIR AGE.

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BECAUSE I WAS THERE AGE WHEN I

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FIRST STARTED.

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>> FOR "CHICAGO TONIGHT" THIS IS

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JAY SHEFSKY.

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>> RANDY DUNCAN WILL BE HONORED

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AT THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF THE

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ARTS ALL SCHOOL SHOWCASE ON

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FEBRUARY 9TH.

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THE EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

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AND YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ON OUR

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WEBSITE.

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IN 1994 RANDY DUNCAN WAS