FARGO — When Mateo Leslie was just 6 years old, he saw someone tap dancing on TV and was instantly hooked.

“I just loved the sound of it,” he said. “I wanted the shoes.”

His mom enrolled him at Gasper’s School of Dance in Fargo, where tiny Mateo begged his way into tap class two years earlier than most kids were normally allowed. By age 8, he was competing.

And by then, he’d teamed up with someone who would become his mentor, dance partner and unofficial older brother: Patrick Kasper.

Together, they’re now known as “Pateo” — a charming combo of Patrick and Mateo, certainly more melodic than “Matrick.” The duo has been tapping their way across stages and into hearts for more than a decade and their new show invites a few friends on stage for the fun.

2018 Forum file photo

What began as a teacher-student dynamic for Pateo has evolved into something more like a brotherhood — albeit one with a slightly manic older sibling.

“Mateo is the calm, cool, collected one,” Kasper laughed. “And I’m … the other guy.”

In their early days of performing, it was hard to miss them when they walked on stage to perform — Patrick, the grown-up blond goofball, and adorable little Mateo with the flowing brown locks.

Contributed / Patrick Kasper

“That hair was a big part of my identity. I couldn't get rid of it. You know what I mean?” Leslie said with a laugh. “I finally got it cut when I got a little older. I just needed a change.”

Leslie first started working with Kasper when he needed choreography for a competition solo. The song? James Brown’s “Super Bad.”

“I was 8,” Leslie said, grinning. “But I had so much fun. Every Wednesday after school, I’d meet with Patrick and just try to soak it all in.”

That first routine earned accolades and kicked off a rhythm that hasn't stopped since.

Contributed / Patrick Kasper

The two began performing in community shows, Christmas fundraisers and private parties. At one early gig, Kasper dressed as Santa and Leslie, naturally, was a dancing elf.

Kasper remembers having to give Leslie a piggyback ride through the snow in costume to protect his tap shoes from a recent snowfall.

They wouldn’t attempt that photo now — Mateo is 22, an inch or two taller than Patrick, with a mustache and a voice that’s dropped a few octaves since his elf days.

But the duo wasn't always together.

Leslie soon took to the national stage, appearing on "So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation" and "America’s Got Talent,” with judges Mel B., Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Howard Stern.

“I got two yeses and two nos, but it was a great experience and it was so fun meeting the judges,” he said.

Contributed / Josee Leslie

Kasper chimes in to pump up his pal.

“When Mateo was on stage, Howie was like ‘you need to have your own TV show, a movie. You’re a star, kid!'” Kasper said.

While Leslie was hobnobbing with Spice Girls, supermodels, comedians and radio personalities, Kasper stayed busy spreading good vibes as a motivational speaker and fitness guru through his wellness brand, Positive Motion.

Created by Kasper, Positive Motion is all about inspiring people of all ages to move with purpose, injecting fun into fitness and energy into everyday life. He also continued directing and choreographing local shows and still teaches tap and musical theater at Gasper’s School of Dance.

Forum file photo

While their solo lives kept them busy, Pateo also found themselves increasingly in demand.

They performed at the Twin Cities Tap Festival (twice), at benefit shows around the region and at corporate events. They’ve tapped, drummed and even rapped their way through just about every holiday party in town.

“There’s just something that clicks when we’re on stage together,” Kasper said. “It’s organized chaos — we know what we’re doing, even when the world around us doesn’t.”

The harmony comes in part from their shared musical roots. Kasper, who started tapping back in the 1980s at Red River Dance under the legendary Kathy and Eddie Gasper, initially dreamed of becoming a drummer. Leslie was also a percussionist. That rhythmic background has shaped their style — percussive, playful and packed with personality.

Anna Paige / The Forum

Now, they’re gearing up for a new gig: performing in “Do Ya Wanna Dance,” a one-act musical revue produced by the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre. Directed and choreographed by Kasper, the show features high-energy numbers set to dance-floor favorites like “Dancing in the Street,” “Walking on Sunshine,” and “Boogie Wonderland.”

It opens Aug. 14 at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead.

“This show is perfect for what we do,” Kasper said. “It’s short, punchy and all about the joy of movement. And because it’s a concert-style dance show, we actually get to tap, something we can’t always squeeze into bigger Broadway-style productions. We want to give a big thanks to Judy Lewis. the executive director of FMCT. for this."

The show also features a strong adult cast of local talent, many of whom Kasper has worked with before.

“It’s the best of the best,” he said. “I’m just so blessed to be part of it.”

Anna Paige / The Forum

As for Leslie, he’s balancing rehearsals with a full-time job as an asset manager for National Hospitality Services, following his recent graduation from Concordia College. Even with a busy schedule, he still carves out time to perform and credits Kasper with shaping him not just as a dancer, but as a person.

“He’s been such a huge part of my life,” Leslie said. “A mentor, a friend — we’ve had a lot of great adventures together. I’ve known him more than half my life.”

"When people say how amazing Mateo is on stage I always say 'and a wonderful man offstage.' I didn’t teach him everything I know. But I taught him everything he knows," he said with a grin.

They both crack up — clearly in sync, as always.

Anna Paige / The Forum

So what’s next for Pateo?

“More gigs, more tapping, more fun. We’re always looking for places to perform. And yes, we’ll probably still be doing this in our 50s, 60s, maybe 70s. One of us is closer than the other," Kasper said with another hearty laugh.

For Pateo, it’s not just about the applause. It’s about the joy. The rhythm. The connection.

And yes, the shoes.

Anna Paige / The Forum

What: "Do Ya Wanna Dance?"

When: 7:30 p.m., Aug. 14–16 and 5:30 p.m., Aug 17.

Where: Hjemkomst Center, 202 First Av. N., Moorhead

Info: fmct.org