ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

Later on, friends like Raylene and Sofia, a dance major and a design tech major, were just some of the people who made attending La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts so great. Michelle Mathesius, who is the chair of the dance department there, and Elisa King, on the modern dance faculty, inspired me to be persistent, assertive, and compassionate about my art.

And, I’ve continued to grow and to learn so much here at Purchase. I enjoy both the modern and ballet faculty a lot, especially my classes with professors Stephanie Tooman and Megan Williams. Even though they teach very different styles and have very different personalities, they both really do it for me. I get so much from just being in their spheres of energy. Also, I’ve had several amazing opportunities to perform great repertoire from dancers and choreographers like Nacho Duato, Laurie Stallings, and the Joffrey Ballet thanks to Purchase College and its Dance conservatory.

Just being so close to New York helps! On my own, I’ve danced for the fashion designer Marc Jacobs, and this winter I’m performing at the APAP Dance Festival at City Center.

THE WORLD’S OTHER SIDE

For me, traveling to Hong Kong with Purchase College to dance in an international festival last summer was a life-changing experience. Seeing the other side of the world and meeting and performing with students from all over the world was amazing. They become my friends and I still keep in contact with them.

I also loved traveling to Montreal, where I worked and performed with companies from Canada and Europe. I learned new styles and techniques and other views of what dancing and performing can be.

NOT JUST A DANCE MACHINE

I’m literally a “dancing machine.” Dance is such a beautiful art form and it’s my outlet and my passion. But as we all know, a machine can succumb to glitches (such as knee, hip or back problems). 

Knowing that a dancer’s career can be somewhat unpredictable and unstable, I’ve decided to study Arts Management at Purchase. I have always wanted to run my own business or organization that would make the arts accessible to the public and my community. I am learning how to write grant letters, make a budget, create venues, make marketing strategies, and plan events—many of the fundamentals of running a business.

It’s amazing. Dancers really, really, really need to know how to spend and invest their money. I may be a dancing machine, but I refuse to be called a "dumb dancer".