Dance Alums Headed to Grad School

The Department of Dance is proud to announce that three recent dance alumni will attend excellent graduate programs in Fall 2019.

Lillian Willis has been offered a position with Transitions Dance Company at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, which includes acceptance into the Master of Arts in Dance Performance. Trinity Laban is the United Kingdom’s only conservatory of music and contemporary dance, formed when Trinity College of Music merged with Laban Dance Centre. As a dance performance graduate student and member of Transitions Dance Company (founded by Bonnie Byrd, an original member of the Martha Graham Dance Company), Lilly will work with choreographers and artists to create three new works, which will tour the UK and internationally.

Meredith Orrell will pursue a Master in Dance Education at the University of Northern Colorado (UNCO) in Greeley, Colorado. The low-residency dance education program at UNCO includes history, pedagogy, choreography, movement, production, and safety courses, as well as a thesis requirement.

Gabriela Shutt will attend Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, to pursue a Master of Arts Administration.

Meredith and Gabriela, who both concentrated in dance education at UNC Charlotte, took advantage of the College’s professional internship program. Meredith was an Education and Community Engagement Intern at Charlotte Ballet; Gabriela was an Education Intern at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.

Pictured L-R: Gabi Shutt, Lilly Willis, and Meredith Orrell