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Danish gymnasts from Denmark’s Academy of Physical Education Elite Performance Gymnastics Team performed for Grand View students and the Des Moines community on Sunday, Oct. 12.

The gymnasts formed the group in June 2013 and began practicing on weekends leading up to the tour that brought them through Des Moines.

This team performs for audiences in Denmark each year. Every three or four years, the gymnasts will tour America which is organized by the Hans Rosager Foundation.

According to Kim Hann, tour leader for the team, Hans Rosager created a foundation that helps fund Danish gymnastic teams so they can tour America. Hann said Danish gymnasts inspired Rosager and he found a passion for spreading the sport to American audiences and decided to take his fortune and create the Hans Rosager Foundation.

The gymnasts said the passion Rosager had is evident in the same passion they share in their performances.

“Performing in America gives us, the gymnasts, an opportunity to see a culture that is different from where we come from,” Sara Domino, Danish gymnast, said. “We are given the chance to open the eyes of Americans to gymnastics, and we can show a reflection of Danish culture in the community we form as a team.”

“The gymnasts performed a routine that was less structured than what I’ve seen from American gymnasts,” Madi Jones, elementary education sophomore, said. “It was really cool to see the difference between American gymnastics and Danish gymnastics. The cultural awareness of the performance was really interesting.”

Domino said the joy they have in performing for others is evident in all they do, whether it is their dedication of entire weekends for practice, their willingness to help each other out in times of need, or their effort in every performance they have.

“There are small glimpses and smiles we give each other during performances,” Jesper Hermansen, Danish gymnast, said. “We have become so close through practices that we share many moments in our performances. There is so much joy we feel performing for others, and being able to share this in America is special.”

“Watching them made me wish I had done gymnastics,” Jones said.

“You could really tell that they enjoy what they do,” Kelsey Jespersen, business senior, said. “I got to talk to a few of them afterward and found out they do this as an extracurricular thing, which was pretty cool.”

The team will continue its tour into Missouri, North Carolina, Kentucky, and end in Illinois. These gymnasts have displayed all of the work they have done to get to this point in seven performances. They have also participated in 15 workshops.

“When I was in high school I got to see these gymnasts before,” Jespersen said. “When I saw they were coming back it was something I wanted to go to. I could watch them again and again.”

“We want to say thank you,” Domino said. “We feel so grateful for the opening arms, and the great welcome we received here at the university. Thank you for giving us this opportunity.”