Junior Year Recap

Junior year was a whirlwind of adventure. Getting to start my first year as an official Dance Performance major came with many challenges as well as perks, and it took a many long nights and a few hours of asking my roommates "how does this look?" to get it done. My dance pedagogy classes broadened my knowledge about how to teach dance, and my choreography classes helped hone my artistry and apply it to new scenarios. Acting may have been bright and early in the morning, but I loved having a new art form to work on and perform. It was also great to demonstrate and work at all of the school's high school workshops and auditions!

Some of my favorite moments from this past school year were:

• Performing in the virtual Student Choreography Showcase in the tap piece "We've Got Rhythm"! The cast and crew were so much fun to be around, and filming a music video from scratch with my peers was really interesting to learn and be a part of.

• Returning to the theater for Home for the Holidays with the Star Dance Company was a dream. The Christmas program, with both fun and reflective pieces, is always a joy to bring to the community. Getting to perform as a toy soldier in the notoriously difficult Soldiers number and finding my inner grace as an angel in Angels We Have Heard on High developed my versatility of technique as well as performance quality.

• Showing the world I can Move! Dance for the World of Entertainment in March was incredible! The new show was a breath of fresh air and gave me the opportunity to dance in new ways. I was especially proud to be a lead in the show opener Billion Dollar Baby and blend my acting skills with dance. The gender-neutral partnering piece Jubilation was so much fun and I loved getting to dance with my sorority little onstage!

• Over Spring Break, I was able to travel to New York for OCUNYC's Spring Break Workshop. I took classes from incredible artists, networked my face off, and got to see Some Like it Hot on Broadway! My favorite moment was connecting with Dre Torres in her Funny Girl tap class and getting to dance just with her and one of my friends for a moment.

• Rounding out my school year, I saw the end of my first full year of teaching as my students graced the stage at the Community Dance Academy showcase with their hip hop routine One More Time. They did such a great job, and I am so proud of all that they accomplished in only one year of dance lessons!