I began dancing at the age of three, training in tap and ballet. Soon, what started as a love for sparkles and shoes that made noise quickly transformed into an appreciation for dance as an art and a form of expression that has echoed so many points in history and has been molded by many bright-minded individuals over time. Despite the love that I had developed for dance as an art form, two things became overwhelmingly apparent as I got older. First, there were almost no other students of color in any dance studio I entered growing up and even fewer dancers of color for me to look up to. Secondly, I never had any teachers of color growing up. It was not until I started going to New York City for intensives that I started having teachers that looked like me. For at least ten years of my dance training, I had no classmates, mentors, or teachers that looked like me and in whom I could see myself reflected. Looking back, I can attribute this lack of diversity in my hometown and the arts to one major factor. Dance, and the arts in general, are inaccessible to many populations, especially those of color. Classes and training over a long period require a significant financial output, not to mention extra fees associated with competitions, travel, summer training programs and more, as dancers begin to strive toward the professional level. As a result, most of those seen at the professional level, tend to come from more affluent families and are less frequently people of color. Beyond the performance level, these economic factors have also contributed to the way that dance has been framed and taught today. For example, ballet, a dance form developed and proliferated by white Europeans, is often considered the “foundation” of all dance and is put on pedestals compared to other dance styles. However, I would argue that African and cultural dances developed by black cultures are reflected more in the styles that we’ve seen emerge in the past decades– jazz and hip-hop for example. I raise the question, therefore, of why are African and diasporic styles still considered supplementals as opposed to fundamental techniques like ballet. In many pre-professional and non-collegiate dance education programs, African is not even offered as an option to acknowledge the roots of the jazz and hip-hop styles that are offered. To overcome this, we must adopt a way of dance teaching that considers the economic injustices that are faced by people of color when it comes to the arts, whether by providing more scholarships to offset financial burdens or incorporating African dance styles into curriculums. I consider it a major passion of mine to see these changes made and to inspire a more large-scale change to dance education. I believe that the most effective way to do this is to see more people of color in administrative positions and making the decisions that lead to institutional change. Without these voices making themselves heard at the top, there is no guarantee that their hopes will be reflected at the bottom. For these reasons, I am pursuing degrees in both business management and dance. My education will guide me in developing the knowledge, expertise, and connections necessary for me to lead institutions such as pre-professional dance studios, college dance programs, and even professional companies and see that my vision towards a more diverse and equitable performing arts scene is met.

The wealth of knowledge that exists at my fingertips excites me the most about college. Learning is and always will be one of my favorite things: academic learning, learning about others, and learning about myself included. Upon starting college, I quickly became aware of the physical and mental challenges that I would have to overcome, from navigating living in a new space with new people to pushing my body more than ever as a dance major, and learning where and when to exert my energy in order to maintain my mental health. I have learned to maintain a healthy mind and soul, mostly by learning to find space to relax and unwind by myself. I quickly get drained by a lot of social interaction, and moving into a shared living space with five other people exhausted me during the first couple of weeks, leaving me irritable, tired, and with little energy for much else, even the things I enjoy. I have since found outlets like lounges, local cafes, and outdoor spaces where I can find quiet and recharge so that I can continue to pour energy into my favorite things. Similarly, I have learned to maintain a healthy body by creating and keeping up healthy eating habits as well as healthy exercise schedules. As a dance major, it is not only important for me to maintain my physical health by eating healthily and fueling my body enough to keep up with rigorous class and rehearsal schedules but also to cross-train so that my body stays strong enough to support me in my dancing. I often make use of our dorm's fitness center to put out a yoga mat to do yoga or pilates or find local workout classes to do in my free time. This not only doubles as time that I take to care for my body physically but also mentally. Both of these practices have allowed for me to develop healthy practices to maintain a healthy mind, body, and soul as I navigate the new challenges that college presents to me. All the while, I continue to learn not only in my fields of study, but about myself and my changing needs as a college student, and life as a whole. I know that I will be forever learning about these things and changing my practices throughout my life but I look forward to exploring and investigating these changes for the rest of my college career and beyond.

From as early as I can remember, I recall music and dance playing a major role in my day-to-day life. After watching me dance around the house and bang on pots and pans making music, I was finally put into dance. When the music turns on, the rhythms and beats have always seemed to course through my veins, like I had to dance as a response to fully embrace and appreciate it. I quickly recognized dance as a means for exploration and expression beyond any I had ever known. Through dance, I could say things that words could not and through my training, I learned more about myself, responsibility, and accountability than I had through any other aspect of my life. Later in my years of dance training, I was granted the wonderful opportunity to begin assistant teaching classes, which would later lead to me teaching my own dance classes full of young and eager artists. When I began teaching, I was so lucky to witness, firsthand, what it meant to share your passion with others. Seeing those little faces light up just the same way mine did so many years before when their sparkly dance costumes come in, or the pride behind their eyes when they successfully landed a pirouette for the first time is something that brings me unqantifiable joy. Being able to play a role in the development of these young students as they discover their own unique love for the art and learn about accountability, teamwork, and discipline is what I consider to my part of my life's purpose. Overall, I can sum up my passion for dance emphasizing the ways in which it has the ability to connect people with a common love and passion for art. Dance is one of the few art forms we truly see defying barriers. Dance lies at the very core of so many cultures and even outside of formal dance training, holds a special place in the hearts of many. Dance seems almost one with human nature-- after all, we see people expressing their love for one another by dancing at family gatherings or cultural milestones. Still, this joy resonates within the formal dance community, as I have experienced by dancing myself, but also in being able to share my joy with the next generation of dancers. This being said, pursuing dance at the collegiate level will prepare me to continue teaching the next generations of dancers at a higher caliber, with more expertise and knowledge to share.

I plan on educating myself and others to become more financially literate by creating my own small business which focuses on education performing artists on how to handle their finances and works to dismantle the "starving artist" narrative. I am currently pursuing degrees in both dance and business management at Marymount Manhattan college, which is already helping me to pursue this goal. Not only am I learning how financial literacy fits into my own goals of pursuing dance professionally, but I am collecting the tools and expertise necessary to be able to start my own business which teaches other artists how they, too, can pursue their dreams and minimize financial struggle through education. I was very fortunate to learn about good financial habits from a young age, but I know this is not the case for everyone. My business, which already has several business plans written up and previewed by business professionals, focuses on teaching artists financial skills such as how to use credit as a tool rather than letting it get them into trouble, how to invest in their future with accounts like Roth IRAs, and how to prepare for the worst by using financial tools like emergency funds and high-yield savings accounts. What sets my business apart, though, is the fact that I, being a performing artist in today's environment, know exactly what others struggle with and can offer knowledge directly relating to the situation-- through the lens of a fellow artist. My goal is for this business to manifest in the form of a podcast so that I can reach people globally. I want to invite guests onto the podcast consistently, in order to supplement the knowledge I have gained with more first-hand knowledge from finance and tax professionals as well as other performing artists. The emphasis of my podcast is that listeners can reach their own personal financial goals and develop a healthy relationship with money, effectively dismantling the "starving artist" narrative which perpetuates that the arts are not viable career options. This being said, I would place the utmost value on what my listeners want to learn by staying involved in social media and considering and integrating their input into every episode I put out. This way, I can give my listeners exactly what they want to hear. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to continue pursuing higher education, which is preparing me both with the knowledge, but also the connections that will make my goals a reality and help teach others the financial habits I am so lucky to have developed up to this point.

My name is Cecilia Davis. I am a college freshman studying dance and business management at Marymount Manhattan College. Beyond a just college student, I am an artist with a passion for sharing my love for life and for my craft with all those around me through performance and dance education. My love for education came from my grandmother, whose name I share, and who taught in elementary schools before teaching me a lot of what I know about being a strong, compassionate, leader and what it means for your love to shine through your work. I remember the people who came to her service when she passed, not just family and close friends, but students she had not taught in decades and store workers who remembered and would miss her. That day, it clicked for me: what it means to make a positive impact on others by living your life fueled by love for others and love for your career. From a young age, I knew I wanted to dance for the rest of my life. I may not have known where it would take me, but at the time I did not care. All I knew was that I loved the way dance made me feel-- free, understood, unstoppable-- and that I never wanted to lose that. As I got older a began assistant teaching and eventually teaching my own classes, where week after week I saw young dancers who felt the same way as I do grow and develop their own creative identities. This process was always so rewarding to me and I quickly realized that I want to teach dance in the future. The older I got, however, I quickly realized the lack of racial diversity in the arts and pinpointed that the change must start higher up the chain at the arts management and administration level. Once people of color were in those positions, we will most be able to see more actionable and long-term progress being made. This is what inspired me to pursue arts management in addition to dance. Down the line, I want to work towards my Master's Degree, either an MBA focusing on arts administration or an MFA in dance so that I can both teach dance in higher education and also manage arts organizations or create programming for college dance programs. Like my grandmother, I hope to create a positive impact on the world by simply sharing my love for what I do and letting that guide me into different aspects of the arts throughout my career.

I plan on educating myself and others to become more financially literate by creating my own small business which focuses on education performing artists on how to handle their finances and works to dismantle the "starving artist" narrative. I am currently pursuing degrees in both dance and business management at Marymount Manhattan college, which is already helping me to pursue this goal. Not only am I learning how financial literacy fits into my own goals of pursuing dance professionally, but I am collecting the tools and expertise necessary to be able to start my own business which teaches other artists how they, too, can pursue their dreams and minimize financial struggle through education. I was very fortunate to learn about good financial habits from a young age, but I know this is not the case for everyone. My business, which already has several business plans written up and previewed by business professionals, focuses on teaching artists financial skills such as how to use credit as a tool rather than letting it get them into trouble, how to invest in their future with accounts like Roth IRAs, and how to prepare for the worst by using financial tools like emergency funds and high-yield savings accounts. What sets my business apart, though, is the fact that I, being a performing artist in today's environment, know exactly what others struggle with and can offer knowledge directly relating to the situation-- through the lens of a fellow artist. My goal is for this business to manifest in the form of a podcast so that I can reach people globally. I want to invite guests onto the podcast consistently, in order to supplement the knowledge I have gained with more first-hand knowledge from finance and tax professionals as well as other performing artists. The emphasis of my podcast is that listeners can reach their own personal financial goals and develop a healthy relationship with money, effectively dismantling the "starving artist" narrative which perpetuates that the arts are not viable career options. This being said, I would place the utmost value on what my listeners want to learn by staying involved in social media and considering and integrating their input into every episode I put out. This way, I can give my listeners exactly what they want to hear. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to continue pursuing higher education, which is preparing me both with the knowledge, but also the connections that will make my goals a reality and help teach others the financial habits I am so lucky to have developed up to this point.

Earning this generous scholarship money will help me to pursue my future career goals by funding my continued college education. I am a current first-year student at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where I study dance and business management, concentrating in media and arts. In continuing my education, I am gaining the knowledge necessary for me to work in arts education and arts management. My career aspirations are to work in creating and managing inclusive dance programs from the preprofessional levels up to the college and professional levels. Throughout my own dance training, I danced competitively with a team for more than five years, captaining the team during my senior year of high school. Throughout these years I learned countless lessons about how to be a productive member of a team and how to be an encouraging leader to produce the best team performances possible. Doing so fueled my desire to lead teams of individuals in my post-graduate career. Seeing the amazing things that my teammates and I were able to accomplish when we are all putting our best foot forward, I knew immediately that I wanted to dedicate my life to leading people toward the best work that they can produce. I have also had the absolute pleasure of volunteering many hours of my time as an assistant dance teacher, working closely alongside my own teachers to teach dance to artists as young as two and three years old and helping to organize fundraising events to raise money for celebratory team banquets to close out each dance year and celebrate graduating seniors. Getting to work so closely with students of all ages that were so eager to learn sparked my love for sharing the art of dance with others. This, therefore, fuels my ambitions of becoming a dance educator for all ages. From volunteering my time, I entered college with a genuine love for helping others and for sharing my love for dance with others. As demonstrated, my experience as a member and captain of a dance team coupled with my experience volunteering, I have developed the skills and passions that continue to inspire me in pursuing degrees in both dance and business management. With this scholarship, I can continue my education with worries about financing eased. I know that completing these degrees will equip me with the necessary skills and prepare me immensely to pursue my aformentioned career aspirations.

Education is important because it prepares us for real life in a way that no other platform can. Yes, it provides valuable skills like grammar and arithmetic, but where else in our world is a group of individuals realistically faced with a completely level playing field? Racial, religious, and political differences aside, when faced with a new topic or subject, all the students in the same classroom are blank slates. Each will take in the information in their own way and at their own speed, but the classroom becomes a laboratory for interpretations and pulling apart concepts from every point of view possible. In this, students come to learn about themselves more than anything-- learning what they, personally, value and believe and, in defending that, only become stronger in their convictions. At the same time, the classroom brings together these aforementioned differences and teaches students to accept and value the opinions and contributions of others as they should in the outside world. I remember at an early age, never putting much value on my education-- never appreciating the quality of education that I was so fortunate to be receiving. As I moved through my middle and high school years, I grew to hold the diverse support system that I was surrounded with in school near and dear to my heart. I could look around and see faces that looked like mine and others that did not; come to know people with similar values as me, and converse and learn about those that were unfamiliar to me. When in these classrooms I not only learned important tactical skills, but I learned how to interact with and find meaning in a world full of differences. I learned the value of sharing my own thoughts and perspectives as a young woman of color, but the value that comes of taking a step back and listening to others just as much. I was supported in finding my voice and learned to support others in finding and using theirs. Above all, I learned that education is not just learning how to calculate equations and write a strong paragraph-- though these are important skills-- but how to navigate and find my place in an ever-changing world. I am so fortunate to have been able to do so in classrooms where I always felt supported and accepted, but I also learned to be culturally aware and to recognize that this is not the case for every individual if they are able to receive an education. The importance of education, therefore, is exhibited not in simply having a high GPA or many high degrees but, in how one views their place in the world and how one recognizes and uses their abilities to navigate the world with compassion and care.

The best piece of financial advice I ever received was from Tori Dunlap on her "Financial Feminist" podcast: the suggestion to have "money dates" every so often to sit down and take a good look at my spending, and investments, and to pay off on balances I may have. This allocated time helps me to keep a clear picture of my spending and finances throughout the month. The time can even be incentivized, like with a coffee and some music, so that an important task regarding personal finance does not begin to feel like a monotonous chore. I find it just as helpful to make sure this time is consistent, being sure that I take 15-20 minutes a week to take a good look at my finances. It does not necessarily need to be a long period of time, the quality of the time and simply taking a little time is what is most important. The first benefit of having these money dates is that one can maintain a clear picture of their spending throughout a given month. This reduces the likelihood that an individual looks at their bank accounts at the end of the month asking "Where did the money go?". By looking at spending periodically, one can begin to notice trends and make necessary adjustments as needed to stay on track with a budget for the rest of the month. If I notice that its the beginning of the month and a significant portion of my money has been spent on meal deliveries that are only one serving, I might make a mental note to put that money towards groceries so that I can make my own meals at home and eat them over the course of several days instead. Similarly, I can notice when my spending is on track or below average and might decide to put a little extra money towards goals of mine or invest it. A second benefit I have noticed after consistently making time to look at my personal finances has been a better idea of how my investments are behaving. I tend to buy and hold stocks for long periods of time as opposed to day trading or buying and selling over a short timeframe. Before committing time to my finances, I, admittedly, did not look at my holdings much for this exact reason. Now, during the time I take during the week, I make sure to take a look at how my investments are doing and see how the market, in general, is behaving. I can then analyse how these factors may affect my investments, even if I do not plan on selling that instant. The third most noticeable benefit that comes out of doing these "money dates" every so often is that one can be more on top of their balances than ever. Whether they be as simple as Venmo requests that have not been addressed or as important as outstanding credit card balances, this time is the perfect opportunity to tie up any loose ends. Outstanding balances can have an overwhelming impact on one's financial history-- credit cards in particular. Credit cards can be a great tool to build one's credit, but can quickly work detrimentally and cause damage to credit scores and financial credibility down the road. This is exactly why it is important to pay off the balance on credit cards consistently. It may prove easier to pay off one week's charges at a time rather than an entire month's charges at once. This also makes sure that late payment fees and interest accrual are effectively avoided. Even while not very time-consuming or difficult, money dates are a commitment that only benefits an individual in the grand scheme of things. They prove that taking control of personal finances does not have to be a grand affair. It may seem tedious at first, but the benefits that one will notice right away far outweigh any negatives. This advice has reflected positively in my life and in my personal finances in many ways, but most importantly in the examples that I mentioned above. Making this investment in my personal finances and financial future has and will continue to make a considerable positive difference in my approach to my spending and reaching my financial goals.

From as early as I can remember, I recall music and dance playing a major role in my day-to-day life. After watching me dance around the house and bang on pots and pans making music, I was finally put into dance. When the music turns on, the rhythms and beats have always seemed to course through my veins, like I had to dance as a response to fully embrace and appreciate it. I quickly recognized dance as a means for exploration and expression beyond any I had ever known. Through dance, I could say things that words could not and through my training, I learned more about myself, responsibility, and accountability than I had through any other aspect of my life. Later in my years of dance training, I was granted the wonderful opportunity to begin assistant teaching classes, which would later lead to me teaching my own dance classes full of young and eager artists. When I began teaching, I was so lucky to witness, firsthand, what it meant to share your passion with others. Seeing those little faces light up just the same way mine did so many years before when their sparkly dance costumes come in, or the pride behind their eyes when they successfully landed a pirouette for the first time is something that brings me unqantifiable joy. Being able to play a role in the development of these young students as they discover their own unique love for the art and learn about accountability, teamwork, and discipline is what I consider to my part of my life's purpose. Overall, I can sum up my passion for dance emphasizing the ways in which it has the ability to connect people with a common love and passion for art. Dance is one of the few art forms we truly see defying barriers. Dance lies at the very core of so many cultures and even outside of formal dance training, holds a special place in the hearts of many. Dance seems almost one with human nature-- after all, we see people expressing their love for one another by dancing at family gatherings or cultural milestones. Still, this joy resonates within the formal dance community, as I have experienced by dancing myself, but also in being able to share my joy with the next generation of dancers. This being said, pursuing dance at the collegiate level will prepare me to continue teaching the next generations of dancers at a higher caliber, with more expertise and knowledge to share.

I began dancing at age three, training in tap and ballet. Soon, what started as a love for sparkles and noisy shoes quickly transformed into an appreciation for dance as an art and a form of expression that has echoed so many different points in history and has been molded by so many bright-minded individuals over time. Despite the love that I had developed for dance as a whole, two things became apparent as I got older. The first was that there were almost no other students of color in any dance studio I entered growing up and fewer dancers of color for me to look up to. Secondly, I never had any teachers of color growing up, it was not until I started going to New York City to train at intensives that I had teachers that looked like me. For at least ten years of my dance training, I had no one, classmates, mentors, or teachers, that looked like me and in whom I could see myself reflected. Looking back, I can attribute this lack of diversity to one major factor. Dance, and the arts in general, are very inaccessible to many populations, especially those of color. Classes and training require a significant financial output, not to mention extra fees associated with competitions, travel, summer training programs and more, as dancers begin to strive toward the professional level. As a result, most of those seen at the professional level, tend to come from more affluent families and are not often people of color. Beyond the performance level, these economic factors have also contributed to the way that dance has been framed and taught, even today. For example, ballet, a dance form developed and proliferated by white Europeans, is often considered the “foundation” of all dance and is held in utmost importance compared to other dance styles. I would argue that African and cultural dances developed by black cultures are reflected more in the styles that we’ve seen emerge in the past decades– jazz and hip hop for example. I raise the question, therefore, of why are African and diasporic styles still considered supplementals as opposed to fundamental techniques like ballet. In many pre-professional and non-collegiate dance education programs, African is not even offered as an option to acknowledge the roots of the jazz and hip-hop styles that are offered. To overcome this, we must adopt a way of dance teaching that considers the economic injustices that are faced by people of color when it comes to the arts, whether by providing more scholarships to offset financial burdens or incorporating African dance styles into curriculums. I consider it my life's purpose and a major passion of mine to make these changes and to inspire a large-scale change to dance education. The most effective way to do this is to see more people of color in administrative positions and making the decisions that lead to institutional change. Without these voices making themselves heard at the top, there is no guarantee that their hopes will be reflected at the bottom. For these reasons, I am pursuing degrees in business management and dance. My education will guide me in developing the expertise and skills necessary for me to lead institutions such as college dance programs and professional companies and see that my vision towards a more diverse and equitable performing arts scene is met. I hope that my words have enlightened you a bit as to the one-sidedness of dance education and the performing arts and that you too, now recognize the importance and necessity of the changes I strive towards making.

I began dancing at age three, training in tap and ballet. Soon, what started as a love for sparkles and noisy shoes quickly transformed into an appreciation for dance as an art and a form of expression that has echoed so many different points in history and has been molded by so many bright-minded individuals over time. Despite the love that I had developed for dance as a whole, two things became apparent as I got older. The first was that there were almost no other students of color in any dance studio I entered growing up and fewer dancers of color for me to look up to. Secondly, I never had any teachers of color growing up, it was not until I started going to New York City to train at intensives that I had teachers that looked like me. For at least ten years of my dance training, I had no one, classmates, mentors, or teachers, that looked like me and in whom I could see myself reflected. Looking back, I can attribute this lack of diversity to one major factor. Dance, and the arts in general, are very inaccessible to many populations, especially those of color. Classes and training require a significant financial output, not to mention extra fees associated with competitions, travel, summer training programs and more, as dancers begin to strive toward the professional level. As a result, most of those seen at the professional level, tend to come from more affluent families and are not often people of color. Beyond the performance level, these economic factors have also contributed to the way that dance has been framed and taught, even today. For example, ballet, a dance form developed and proliferated by white Europeans, is often considered the “foundation” of all dance and is held in utmost importance compared to other dance styles. I would argue that African and cultural dances developed by black cultures are reflected more in the styles that we’ve seen emerge in the past decades– jazz and hip hop for example. I raise the question, therefore, of why are African and diasporic styles still considered supplementals as opposed to fundamental techniques like ballet. In many pre-professional and non-collegiate dance education programs, African is not even offered as an option to acknowledge the roots of the jazz and hip-hop styles that are offered. To overcome this, we must adopt a way of dance teaching that considers the economic injustices that are faced by people of color when it comes to the arts, whether by providing more scholarships to offset financial burdens or incorporating African dance styles into curriculums. I consider it my life's purpose and a major passion of mine to make these changes and to inspire a large-scale change to dance education. The most effective way to do this is to see more people of color in administrative positions and making the decisions that lead to institutional change. Without these voices making themselves heard at the top, there is no guarantee that their hopes will be reflected at the bottom. For these reasons, I am pursuing degrees in business management and dance. My education will guide me in developing the expertise and skills necessary for me to lead institutions such as college dance programs and professional companies and see that my vision towards a more diverse and equitable performing arts scene is met. I hope that my words have enlightened you a bit as to the one-sidedness of dance education and the performing arts and that you too, now recognize the importance and necessity of the changes I strive towards making.

As a student, it is important to manage your finances well not only to avoid the stress of struggling with finances while in school but to set yourself up with a strong financial foundation by the time you graduate. One thing I have done to manage my finances is to have built up a savings fund for emergencies. In this savings account I keep about ten times my predicted monthly expenses so that if I ever need to get by without consistent income, I have enough money set aside to support myself. Secondly, I keep track of my spending in the budget tracking app, Mint, so that I can keep tabs on my spending habits and make sure I am setting aside enough money for basic necessities– transportation and groceries, for example, but I can mind my spending habits so that I can spend money on extra activities like going out for dinner without worrying about being able to buy groceries or overspending. By having a clear vision of where my money is spent throughout the month, I can adjust my spending as necessary and keep to a budget. To continue learning about personal finances and how to set myself up for financial stability, I listen to several podcasts in my free time. My favorites are “Financial Feminist” by Tori Dunlap and “Sisternomics” by Monique Caradine-Kitchens. Through platforms such as these, I am able to fuel my passion for personal finance and financial literacy as well as set up healthy financial habits while I am still in college. In addition to these habits that I have implemented in my life as of now, I plan to apply for a student credit card in order to start building up my credit for future endeavors like buying a house and building up a long history of credit usage. Similarly, in order to prepare for financial independence later in life, I plan to begin investing in a Roth IRA so that I can save for retirement, or use my contributions towards purchasing my first house or paying for education-related expenses-- even if I can only invest a few dollars here and there. I am confident that doing these things, along with continuing the financial management skills I have learned thus far, will set me up for financial stability for the rest of my time in college, but also in life beyond college. I have experienced first-hand the ways that financial literacy can make life easier or harder for individuals who are navigating money while still in school. I, however, have several skills which make this easier for me and also have a tangible plan for financial management post-graduation.

My life’s goal is to develop and manage education programming for the performing arts that focuses on bringing dance in higher education to more dancers of color and make changes to better reflect the world we live in and the true history of dance. I know that being able to complete degrees in both dance and business management will allow me to reach this goal. The dance world, especially at the college and professional levels is populated by a slim number of artists of color, largely because dance education remains very grounded in a euro-centric belief regarding what contributions have been most valuable to the development of dance. European styles like ballet are considered to be “foundational”, while African and jazz classes are supplemental, even though they have had an undeniable impact on dance today. When students of color cannot see the styles that they are familiar with being celebrated in the same way as European dance styles, the dance studio and the dance world seem foreign and unwelcoming, implying that what students of color can contribute from their own life experiences is secondary or not worth emphasizing. To this, continuing to move forward without making actionable changes only projects this message louder. In my opinion, the most effective way to make the change I hope to see is to have educators and program directors of color leading the way and offering their perspectives on the changes that need to be made. The lack of representation in the management side of the arts is worse than the lack of representation in the arts themselves. My experiences growing up in the dance world as a young woman of color have taught me resilience and strength after having very few people who looked like me to look to for inspiration, to being that person for other young dancers. I have had to pave my own way, always living up to the unspoken standard that consumes a non-white individual in a space dominated by and built on a euro-centric standard. While challenging, this experience has lit a fire within me and makes me want to inspire and encourage dancers even more. By pursuing degrees in both dance and business management with a concentration in media and arts, I am preparing myself to be in a position of leadership within an arts institution. I have the unique opportunity to learn what goes into a leadership position in the arts while seeing the changes I want to make happening at my own college. I cannot, however, say that this change is being made everywhere, which is where I plan to step in and make a difference. I see this change taking the form of changes to foundational courses. For example, including western dance forms such as African dance with ballet as part of technique courses. Additionally, I think it is important to educate dancers not only on the history of eastern dance styles but dance as a whole, acknowledging all the voices and movement styles that have contributed to our understanding of dance and movement to this point. In doing so, I hope to foster the development not just of technically-sound dancers, but culturally aware, worldly individuals who understand the world we live in and its nuances. By obtaining degrees in dance and business management, I will come to better understand this for myself and prepare myself to lead others in doing the same.

Ever since she was first introduced to the family of Disney character, Princess Tiana captured my heart and remains my favorite Disney Princess to this day. The reason I was so drawn to her character originally was because for the first time, I saw a Disney princess who looked like me. I remember one Halloween crying to my mom that I could not dress up as Cinderella because she was white and I was Black. Watching the movie for the first time at a young age, I finally realized that I, too, could be a princess. From then on, my childhood bedroom would be covered, top to bottom, with all the "Princess and the Frog" merchandise you could find. Now, beyond seeing a princess that has the same skin color as me I see a strong woman who overcame obstacles, both personal and systemic, and achieved her dreams of opening a restaurant. Now, in college, I am studying dance and business, pursuing my childhood dreams of becoming a professional dancer and entrepreneur. When I find myself getting discouraged, I always replay Tiana's words in my favorite songs of hers, "Almost There": "I've climbed a mountain, I've crossed the river, and I'm almost there". These words, along with the swirling pictures of Tiana's restaurant that continue to enchant me, are my motivation to keep reaching for my dreams in spite of any challenges that society may throw my way or any wavering or failure on my part. Because I saw Princess Tiana, A princess who not only looked like me, but fought real-life challenges to pursue her dreams and become a successful business-woman, I am able to see my own potential to do the same and to make my own dreams of dancing professionally and starting my own business come true.

I hope to use my dance education to share my knowledge with the next generations of artists so that they may see art used as a platform for change and hope to make change through art as well. I think in 2022, a leader in dance must strive to foster the growth of a dancer not only in technique but also as an individual. I believe that dancers should be encouraged to challenge societal norms and question events and issues they see happening. This being said, a dance thought leader should be equally, if not more, aware of the world we live in and allow these questions to enter the dance studio in order to start an ongoing conversation about the world we live in today using dance as a medium. Dance has been a vessel for political conversation for years. Take Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham. Both were dance thought leaders who challenged the world they lived in and left behind a legacy in both dance and society. In 2022, I think we as artists face even more opportunities and media with which to express ourselves, even more issues and experiences that warrant questioning and with those, an even greater responsibility to speak up. A dance thought leader should do exactly as the name implies: lead by planting seeds of knowledge and culturally relevant thinking in the minds of their students in order for young dancers to become smart, aware, leaders who want to be changemakers. As a black artist especially, I hope to be a source of inspiration and a role model for young dancers of color, so that they can see a person who looks like them succeed in the field and know that they too, can find success in doing what they love. Growing up, I did not have any teachers or fellow dancers of color to look up to, so I hope that in my professional career, I can be the mentor that I never had.

I grew up training at a small studio in Connecticut, where I studied and fell in love with tap and ballet. As I got older, I wanted nothing more than to continue my dance education to the point where I was training in tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop and more for hours every week, while competing on weekends and supplementing my training at summer intensives. I take pride in diversifying my knowledge of dance by having attended a number of summer intensives with noteworthy companies over the past few years. Among these are the Hartt School, the Radio City Rockettes, the Joffrey Ballet School, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Over the years, dance has become the most important form of expression in my life. As I grew older, I was increasingly entranced by the artistry involved in dance. I realized that dance conveys a narrative without any words. I view every day that I step into the studio as an opportunity to explore individual expression through movement, using the dance floor as my canvas and my body as the paint brush. It has allowed me to feel and express the things that I could not articulate with just words. I am drawn to a professional career in dance, largely because of the inspirational teachers I have been so fortunate to learn from and all the artists I have looked up to over the years. My decision to pursue dance at the professional level is largely fueled by observing all the different paths that many of my instructors have taken in their professional journeys and all the knowledge each and every one of them has to offer. My goal is to attend a BFA program in New York City so that I can learn from and work with industry professionals who can prepare me for a fruitful career in dance. I would love to work in the NYC industry on Broadway and film and TV. My goal is to keep learning no matter how old I get by taking from those who inspire me and using every opportunity I get to learn something new about myself as a dancer or simply about the world around me. I also hope to take the knowledge I accumulate over the years and eventually teach college-level dance. I hope to teach and create programing that reflects the cultures that students of color are familiar with by teaching them that westernized, white-washed views on dance and technical training are outdated and that, for example, jazz; tap; and hip-hop have just as much influence on what we know of dance today as those styles traditional held to be the “roots of dance”, like ballet. Being a black woman in the arts, it is highly important to me that young dancers have someone that resembles them to look up to. Growing up I did not have this representation until I was a young teenager, but if I had the representation I look forward to giving to younger generations, I would have grown up much more confident in my ability to pursue a professional career in the arts as a person of color. I would love to open doors for all the young dancers and artists so that they can see early on that they, too, can be on Broadway or in a professional dance company. My long-term career goal is to be able to inspire and teach the next generation of young artists in an uplifting and encouraging way, all the while, doing what I love most.