Hello, hello to my fellow Scrippsies in sunny Claremont, California!  I’m writing to you from across the country in the “big (and rather rainy) apple,” New York City.  I am halfway through my college career (oh my goodness!), and was planning to study abroad along with many of my Junior classmates.  As a Dance major, I was determined to spend a full semester dancing my heart out at the Laban Conservatoire in London.  I applied, was accepted, and began planning my six months in the UK.

Yet, I couldn’t ignore the voice in the back of my head doubting my impending fall plans.  While dance is my passion, my real dream is to join New York’s Radio City Rockettes, a legendary group of talented and technical precision dancers.  You’ve probably seen the Rockette kickline on the Macy’s Thanksgiving’s Day Parade or in the annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular.  My plan to study modern dance in London, however incredible, seemed to diverge from my dream to become a professional theater dancer in New York.  Trusting my gut, I put to work the skills I’d learned in CP&R and began researching semester-long dance programs in New York City.  I struck gold when I discovered the Professional Semester Program at Broadway Dance Center and scrambled to send off my resumes (dance and professional), cover letter, application, recommendation letters, and audition video…without my parents’ knowledge or permission (not something I would necessarily recommend!).  After I was accepted (hurray!), I composed a sort of “report” for my parents, explaining that my leave of absence had been approved by the Registrar, a semester in New York would cost less than my excursion to London, I would still be able to graduate on time, and I could “look out for” my brother as a college freshman at NYU.  How could they say no to that?

So here I am in bustling midtown Manhattan, a place that, unlike Scripps, has no “quiet hours” and no “dorms like palaces” (at least on my budget!). Quite frankly, one might even consider New York City to be the polar opposite of Scripps College. But never fear; I will not let this overwhelming city intimidate my confident, courageous, and hopeful inner Scrippsie, nor will I let the stereotypically competitive, conformity-based dance industry mask my feminist, forward-thinking personality!

I realize, however, that this task will not be easy, as I’ve already had several program seminars focusing on the incredible importance of a dancer’s physical appearance.  I suppose the same is true, to an extent, in the business world where one is expected to dress professionally in order to be taken seriously (button-down shirt or blouse, long skirt or pants, closed-toed shoes, clean makeup and hair, etc.).  At a ballet, hip-hop, or theater audition, a dancer is expected to wear a leotard with tights, tennis shoes with contemporary attire, and character heels with stage makeup, respectively.  Yet, many casting directors and choreographers may also insist on a dancer losing ten pounds or undertaking other physical alterations that are either unhealthy or uncomfortable.  I would never partake in unethical behavior to further my academic or professional career, so why should it be any different now?  I realize how important it is, in the business, academic, and dance world, to trust your instincts and stay true to your values in the face of adversity. I am certain that the pressure to look “perfect” will require me to reflect on how my dance dreams can coexist with my personal values, and that process of reflection will certainly help me gain further self-assurance in all aspects of my life.