story by Natalie Fitts, photo by Anna Kropf

Dance background

“[I’ve been dancing] since I was three because my mom is a professional dancer. I started with creative movement little kid classes at City in Motion Dance Theater. Then I started taking more of the technique classes like ballet and jazz and modern.”

Theater background

“[I’ve done theater] since I was seven. I’ve always done it with Musical Theater for Young People. I’ve done [a production] every summer since I was seven and [another production] usually over winter break.”

Future career

“I want to join a professional modern dance company, hopefully a big one [so] I can tour the country. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do but it’d also be cool to go to LA and do more commercial-type dancing for events or venues or music projects. But there’s also Broadway.”

“If I could do something with [theater as a career], I would, but what I like doing the most is dance.”

“I’ve always wanted to be a professional dancer…because that’s what [my mom] does. As I grew older, I realized that it’s not always realistic to just have a dance career and that it’s a really competitive field so I’ve brought in my [other] interests [so] I can do other stuff too.”

Dream musical

“I love ‘West Side Story’ because it’s super dance-y. All my favorite musicals are big dance shows.”

Best thing about dance

“[Dance] is very expressive and it’s a good way of expressing your personality without words. It’s also fun and carefree and there’s no restrictions on it. It’s very therapeutic. And I just love performing.”

Dancing in college

“I narrowed my [college] search to schools that have BFAs in dance, which is the best undergraduate degree you can get in dance. Along with that, I’m looking at schools that also offer business or international business so I can double major. I didn’t want to go to a conservatory where you can only do the performing arts.”

“[For college dance programs], you have to apply to the colleges first, just the school in general. Each school is different on how you audition for the school. There’s some colleges where you don’t even have to audition, but I want to go to a school where you have to audition just to make sure it’s a good program. Usually you have to fill out supplement application forms after you’ve gotten into the college just for the dance program. Then you have to contact the school and set up audition dates. Each audition is different. Some schools you just have to take ballet and modern master classes. Then they look at your technique and stuff. Other times, you have to do that in addition to a solo. Some schools, you have to do interviews and submit résumés and write extra paragraphs about why you want to go there. Each school has a different level of intensity of requirements. Most schools are pretty competitive just because they don’t have enough room for [all the students who apply]. Most of the schools I’m applying to limit [acceptance] to 20 to 25 students in each grade.”

Family background

“[My mom] is one of the artistic directors of City in Motion Dance Theater, which is a modern dance company.”

Full schedule

“We have school. Then we have rehearsal for the [STA] musical [“Urinetown”] everyday until 6 [p.m.] Then I have dance three times a week on top of that. And I have yearbook and college stuff and I have a job [at Topsy’s on the Plaza]…It’s not really too bad. I’m kind of used to it. And [they’re] all things that I enjoy doing.”

STA musicals

“I’ve done the [STA] musical every year. I was a duckling in ‘Honk!’ [as a freshman]. [As a] sophomore, [I was] in ‘Curtains,’ I was Bambi. Last year in ‘Little Shop [of Horrors],’ I was a doo-wop girl and dance captain.”

Yearbook

“I’ve been on the yearbook staff for three years and the editor-in-chief for two. I love being able to help create a complete history book of a year at STA that students will always look back on.”