How did you first get interested in dance?
My mother put me in ballet when I was about 3 years old! I wanted to quit dancing around age 8, but I was persuaded to do one last performance, Don Quixote. The combination of rehearsals, working in the theater, and seeing the professional ballerinas performing ignited my desire to continue training.
What kind of career do you hope to have?
I hope to join a professional ballet, or contemporary ballet, company after graduation. Post dance career I would love to go back to school and get my MFA in dance with the intention of teaching dance on the collegiate level!
What is your favorite thing about the dance department?
My favorite things about the dance department are the many opportunities to perform, as well as the supportive nature of the teachers and students. Not only do we produce the Fall and Spring dance concerts, but there are student choreographic opportunities and external performances that you can be a part of either through the department, or through the connections of your professors. Dance fosters an extremely competitive environment, but the supportive and kind individuals that make up the UNC Charlotte dance department make it easy to feel comfortable in exploring this artform.
Do you participate in any community activities or work in the Charlotte arts community?
I have represented the UNC Charlotte dance department through performances at the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Bechtler Museum, Central Piedmont Community College, at the Gaston Dance Theater Fall Gala, and the Charlotte Dance Festival!
Can you talk about your experience as a scholarship student?
I am a recipient of the Belk Performing Arts Scholarship and the Charles & Clara Stone Scholarship. The most important benefit of being a scholarship recipient is of course the ability to afford higher education, which is something that I am extremely grateful for. Additionally, the volunteer duties required for these scholarships allows me to be more involved with the local dance community, and make connections with those I see everyday as well as people that I wouldn't have normally had the opportunity to work with!
When you are not in class, studying, or working, what do you like to do for fun?
Dancing, studying, and working take up most of my time but when I am not doing those things I enjoy spending time with the amazing friends that I have met here at UNC Charlotte, most of whom are also in the dance department! I love going to concerts and exploring the many fun things that Charlotte has to offer.