Whatever spark was ignited in Dan Ostebo at conception or birth has grown into a mighty and multi-talented fire. A concert bassist and dancer, his grace and athleticism have brought joy to thousands of people, including his own mother. All of these things mark out and amplify the special talent that burst out in Room 204; but none of them explains it. Most people know Dan only as a talented musician, few others know of his once flourishing career as a dancer.
Dan started dancing at the tender age of 4, when his grandmother, an Irish champion dancer, taught him his first steps. However, it was not until he was 11 that his mother - also an Irish Dancing Champion - took him and his brother and three sisters to dance school. There, Dan quickly became the best of the troupe and started performing at local venues.
Other kids harassed Dan when he was younger - because they were jealous, no doubt - so he and his brother went to boxing school. Dan truly did "float like a butterfly" as he later won the Chicago Golden Gloves Amateur Boxing Championship.
At the height of Dan's dancing career, he would go through nearly 100 pairs of dancing shoes a year. His dancing shoes generally lasted a couple of weeks and he had 6 pairs at any one time. Not so unusual for a champion tap dancer, but Dan couldn't perform with just any old shoe. His shoes were specially designed by Freed's of London.
In 1997, Dan signed on with Michael Flatley's troupe for their performance at the Academy Awards. Although Dan was just an understudy, he had the honor of being the youngest American to join the Lord of the Dance. It was during this time as an understudy where Dan got to sit back and observe the art he loved so much. He soon realized why he was harassed as a child and quit dancing.
Wanting to break his love for dancing, Dan called upon his old friend Erik, who convinced Dan to burn all of his shoes, tights and Riverdance videos. It was then that Dan decided to pursue his career as a musician.
