Currently, I am a junior attending Towson University studying as a dance major. I chose this major specifically because dance has been my passion since I was young. I believe that it would benefit me artistically, intellectually, and make me a more diverse individual. I chose this career path because I am an enthusiast of the performing arts and wanting to share it with the world. Especially within communities of color that are not afforded the opportunity to be exposed to the arts. I believe that this educational experience will prepare me to apply the changes that I would like to see be made for the current youth and for future generations. Throughout my studies, I have been learning about the different movement aesthetics and pedagogy of dance along with consistently improving in my technical training. Within these short couple of years at Towson, I have acquired so much knowledge that changed my trajectory in understanding both the artistic and somatic perspectives of the art form. The connections I have made, and the opportunities that I have participated in thus far are all a steppingstone to get to the next level of my career. Ever since I was introduced to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre when I was 5 years old, I knew that I would use dance to help inspire and motivate others through my gifts and talents. It has been my dream to not only be a part of that company but to also be the Artistic Director/Founder of my own professional dance company. A prominent belief that I have always held onto since I was young was a quote from Mr.Ailey that states, "Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that is should always be delivered back to the people". I know that I will continue to uphold this belief through my journey as a professional dance artist inspiring/motivating the next generations through this art form. Within 3-5 years, I plan to use my enthusiasm for dance to participate in community outreach opportunities to share my love of the performing arts with the younger generations. Additionally, I create proposals to integrate community dance programs for schools in low-income neighborhoods that do not have access to many essential opportunities. As an aspiring dance educator, I believe that it is crucial to share my passion with those to continue the mission of inspiring and motivating others to pursue excellence within their journeys.

Chris Miller, Artistic Statement ~ (continuous discovery…) Investigating and exploring the complexities, fantasies, and reality of this human experience is what drives my artistic curiosity. I’m interested in understanding what connects, motivates, and inspires us as people holistically. Through dance, I analyze aspects of spirituality, mental health, and concepts that evoke a universal theme in my works. I encourage audiences to think more about themselves and consider how we can embark on a journey that can connect us and create a better reality for all. I value creating an inclusive space that appreciates and values the differences and similarities that makes us who we are as humans, artists, and those wanting to make an impactful change in our world. Ever since I was a child, I knew that dance was my passion. I was introduced to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre when I was 5 years old, and since then it has been my dream to not only be a part of that company but to also be the Artistic Director/Founder of my own professional dance company. A prominent belief that I have always held onto since I was young was a quote from Mr.Ailey that states, "Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that is should always be delivered back to the people". I know that I will continue to uphold this belief through my journey as a professional dance artist inspiring/motivating the next generations through this art form.

Coming to terms with oneself, and growing into the person one aspires to be takes work. Not only that, but it requires discipline, passion, drive, and determination to reach the level of self-love and appreciation holistically. For many years, I struggled with my sexuality. Some of it derived from experiencing sexual abuse as a child, but the majority of it came from the rhetoric told from my family, peers, and society in general. There has always been a stigma around the LGBTQ+ community, and I never understood why there was such a negative connotation with that community. Being raised in a Christian household, I was taught that homosexuality or having same-sex tendencies were wrong. I remembered even when I was elementary school I had crushes on some of my male classmates. I never understood why nor did I ever decide to be attracted to them. Leading into my adolescent years, I was still very confused about myself and how I identified my sexuality. The majority of people I came across assumed that I was gay because of some the activities that I participated in or the way I carried myself that wasn't deemed "masculine". Even then, I was consistently insulted by peers about being more in tune with my emotions and how I expressed myself. That lead me into a deep depression which caused other mental health issues like anxiety and suicidal thoughts. I was miserable for so many years. This also caused me to become a people pleaser. I never wanted to have an issue with anyone or cause any kind of drama. Even the thought of someone disliking me made me anxious. Accommodating to other peoples' wants/needs made me stray away from my own personal needs and ultimately formed my self-esteem. I relied on other people to valid me on who I was and what I would eventually become. Now, within my journey as 20-year-old young man, I have learned to fully love and appreciate every aspect of myself. From my skin, hair, body type, facial features, smile, personality, and so much more! I have found peace within myself and transparent understanding that this is a progressive journey with no true "destination". Furthermore, I have learned to not care about what others think of me if they don't know me personally or contribute to any part of my life. I took my power back as a young bisexual man that has so much to offer to the world! I believe that I will make a difference from a social perspective around the LGBTQ+ community by expressing more tolerance and love. Despite society constantly being oppressive, I want to use my loving and compassionate spirit to override the hateful energy perpetuated. I know that from my personal experiences, I can help someone else know that they are VALID and APPRECIATED! We need more love in this world, and I know that I can contribute that to better our society for generations to come!

Artistry is an incredibly complex concept that can be perceived and expressed in a plethora of ways. Especially as dancers, we can take our personal knowledge and experiences to inspire us to create new methods and dynamics of movement. Through the experiences from other individuals and personnel in the dance industry, it have enhanced my understanding of what it means to be an artist and give back to my community. Being an artist of any sort is a progressive process. At the moment, I understand that artistry is not about being “perfect” by any means, but that being an artist is about fully acknowledging/honoring your strengths and flaws and transforming that into something beautiful and innovative. Artistry motivates me to more explorative; artistry motivates me to continue my journey of growth and personal development; artistry motivates me to consistently be discipline and diligent about perfecting my craft. I believe that I am connected to my artistry through my personal experiences and interactions with other types of art. Whether that be visual art, music, culinary art, acting, singing, and even other styles of dance. There are so many outlets within the performing arts that I have been inspired by that formulated my unique approaches, interpretations, and personal aesthetics. I think the beautiful aspect of being an artist is that there is no limit to what you can observe or be inspired by. That amount of unlimited access provides more opportunities to explore as artists. Regardless of the amount of negative and dark energy being prevalent in the world, I believe that my passion for dance will leave a positive mark on my community. I know that I can make my community a better place through sharing my love for dance with those who are less fortunate than me. One of my favorite quotes from Mr. Alvin Ailey states that, “Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that is should always be delivered back to the people”. I believe this to be the whole-hearted truth! Dance is designed for everyone to embrace and fully enjoy. With that in mind, I believe that it is my duty as a future pioneer and educator in the dance industry to return the favor to those who aspire to pursue the path of excellence. I can take these insightful nuggets of information throughout my collegiate journey around artistry, dance pedagogy, and innovative research that can make my unique mark on the world and for the future generations to come. Attached below is a self-choreographed solo I recently reconstructed entitled, "When She Came Back". This is a very special piece of work to me that was inspired by moments in my life dealing with depression and severe anxiety.

Currently, I am a rising junior college student attending Towson University studying as a dance major. Since I was a young child, I was always moving around to music and was creating my own choreography at 3 and 4 years old! For me, dance has touched my life in a plethora of ways. Not only does this art form help me to uniquely express myself, but it provides the opportunity to connect with other like-minded individuals to be more explorative and collaborative within the journey. Dance was also my special remedy while going through troubling periods of my life, especially when it revolved around my mental health. I always felt this sense of freedom through creative movement, and to simply have those experiences without judgment is what I find pleasure and security in the most. Additionally, I was heavily inspired to pursue dance as a passion after watching the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre as a child. To see these amazing dancers that looked like me, and how they could convey a message with their bodies was so amazing to witness. After watching that performance, I wanted to use that same level of inspiration to create the same type of impact for someone else being exposed to dance. Throughout my dance training, I have acquired so much knowledge around what being an artist truly means. Furthermore, the experiences that I have learned from other individuals and personnel in the dance industry have enhanced my understanding of what it means to be an artist and give back to my community. Being an artist of any sort is a progressive process. At the moment, I understand that artistry is not about being “perfect” by any means, but that being an artist is about fully acknowledging/honoring your strengths and flaws and transforming that into something beautiful and innovative. Regardless of the amount of negativity prevalent in this world, I believe that my enthusiasm for dance will leave a positive mark on my community. I know that I can make my community a better place through sharing my love for dance with others who are less fortunate than me. One of my favorite quotes from Mr. Alvin Ailey states that, “Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that is should always be delivered back to the people”. I believe this to be the whole-hearted truth! Dance is designed for everyone to embrace and fully enjoy. With that in mind, I believe that it is my duty as a future pioneer and educator in the dance industry to return the favor to those who aspire to pursue the path of excellence. I can take these insightful pieces of information throughout my collegiate journey around artistry, dance pedagogy, and innovative research that can make my unique mark on the world and for the future generations to come.

Currently, I am a rising junior college student attending Towson University studying as a dance major. Throughout my studies, I have been learning about the different movement aesthetics and pedagogy of dance along with consistently improving in my technical training. Additionally, within these short couple of years studying at Towson, I have acquired so much knowledge that changed my trajectory in understanding both the artistic and somatic perspectives of the art form. Some of my lifetime goals that I want to achieve post-college is to become a member of both Ailey II and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Not only do I have a desire to share my passion for dance with my community, but I also envision becoming an entrepreneur. I have always wanted to be the artistic director of my own dance company since I was a young adolescent. I was also eager to create and own a unique dance clothing line called “DIVERSEDANCE”. This brand of dance apparel specifically targets male dancers, people of color, plus-sized individuals, and cultural dancers. I plan to use this platform to represent these demographics of people that are severely underrepresented in the dance industry. I was inspired to pursue this business idea from observing other prominent dance apparel companies such as Capezio, DiscountDance, and Só Dança. I noticed discrepancies of variety from these popular dance apparel companies. They are extremely limited in the demographic of dancers that they appeal to. Therefore, I want to use my business idea to help fill in those gaps that reach a wider audience of dancers other than solely ballet and modern. Through my extreme enthusiasm in pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors, I hope to use the information I have obtained from my liberal arts and business classes to inspire others to become more independent. It evident that American society has conditioned us since we were young to believe that we can only be successful by working for someone else. I hope to use my business model and other ideas to inspire the next generation of young artists and intellectual thinkers to escape this constrictive mindset. We as humans are capable of so much more than becoming dependent individuals that rely on others for a paycheck. Now, I’m not saying that this lifestyle doesn’t work for some people, however, I absolutely believe that everyone should not have to conform to this restrictive way of living and deem it as the only path to being successful. Success is a very subjective term that looks different in many scenarios throughout life. With that being said, through the perspectives and information that I have acquired from past personal experiences and current higher education, I know that I can lead the next group of young people to broadening their understanding of what being successful means to them. I hope more people to realize that being artistically intelligent is just as important as logical intelligence. I want people to embrace their artistic side and not to habitually return to the ways of what society says to go after. I don’t want to see someone’s innovative light to be dimmed because someone else doesn’t believe in them. The world needs new individuals that will continue to create never-before-seen things or renovated concepts and ideas that can inspire someone else to continue that same path. Even if dance is not someone’s passion, I want to use the knowledge throughout my life to inspire someone else to create their own legacy. We all have something special to offer, and I want people to discover their own purpose in this world. Art is such a powerful tool that can completely transform one’s life. It certainly changed my life for the better! Overall, I believe I can benefit my community and the world through my extensive knowledge and undeniable passion for dance and entrepreneurship!

Smartphones have become such an integral part of today's society. For me, smartphone technology has played a significant part in how I go about my everyday life. From engaging with the social media applications, playing with editing software, video chatting with friends and family, looking for directions to a store or restaurant, or simply searching general information on the Internet, smartphones are a prime example technology rapidly advancing. Personally, I have always been intrigued with this type of fast, convenient technology since I was an adolescent. It provides useful information when I need to review an item, locate a specific place, or just to find new interesting facts about a topic I never knew about. I know can always rely on my smartphone to provide the best quality entertainment. Especially when I'm bored or have nothing planned throughout the day. I will add that having my smartphone impacts my regular activities in that I can sometimes become easily distracted. When I need to get work done, my phone will sometimes go off if I receive a text notification or just a simply reminder from an application. Most of the time, this leads me to procrastinate a lot which is something that I need to work on. As a temporary remedy, to keep myself focused I'll play my playlist of music while working. As far as when I'm behind the wheel, my phone can definitely be a distraction to paying attention to the road. Occasionally, I'll try to respond to a text, change the song in my song list, or reading an incoming message notification on my lock screen. I know that doing these habits can put me at a higher risk to getting into an accident. So, to help with this issue, I'll either turn off my ringer to not hear the notification sound or let my song playlist choose random songs as I'm on the road. This has definitely helped me be more attentive on the road and limit the urge to perform these habits while behind the wheel. Also, I'll decide not to use my phone and set it behind my seat to reduce to chance of reaching for it while driving. I'll also just listen to music on the radio to make me not focus on looking at my phone on the road. Altogether, smartphones have and will continue to improve as the years go by, however, it's important to recognize both the benefits and consequences of how it affects our lives.

Have you ever thought of something that's bigger than yourself? Regardless if you're religious or not, I believe that there is something that created all of us with a specific reason and purpose that was delicately orchestrated. And so, to me, my greatest inspiration would be Jesus Christ. He is the one that reassures me who He says that I am when I am down. He is the one that makes a way for me in the midst of adversity. Even while I'm living in a single household with my mom having low funds to pay for my college tuition, I can still trust the He will help me. He drives me to be the best version of myself everyday through his Word. Jesus drives my ambition even more when He lets me know that, "No weapon formed against me you shall prosper" and that "I am the head and not the tail, above and not beneath". I can always remember that He has a plan for me that will ultimately give Him glory in the end, and that is what motivates me everyday to be better than who I was in the past. Even though I have let Him down so many times, and have fallen short of the mark, He still NEVER gave up on me. He always gave me multiple opportunities to make it right. Throughout the darkest moments of my life, He was always there. He loved me so much that He laid down His life for me. What could I ever do to repay Him for what He's done? I'll tell you what I could do...aspiring to live like Him every day and to live my life for Him! I will always love Him until the day I depart from this earth, but I could never, ever love Him the way he loves me, and that is why He is my biggest inspiration!!

Have you ever thought of something that's bigger than yourself? Regardless if you're religious or not, I believe that there is something that created all of us with a specific reason and purpose that was delicately orchestrated. And so, to me, my "everything" would be Jesus Christ. He was the one who knew me and what I was going to do before I was formed in my mother's womb. He knows all of my thoughts, passions, secrets, and deepest insecurities. He is the one who saved me from myself. He is the one that taught me how to love despite what my sinful nature wants to say or do. Even though I have let Him down so many times, and have fallen short of the mark, He still NEVER gave up on me. He always gave me multiple opportunities to make it right. Throughout the darkest moments of my life, He was always there. He loved me so much that He laid down His life for me. What could I ever do to repay Him for what He's done? I'll tell you what I could do...aspiring to live like Him every day and to live my life for Him! I will always love Him until the day I depart from this earth, but I could never, ever love Him the way he loves me, and that is why He is my EVERYTHING!! Here is a solo I created entitled "When She Came Back". It revolves around going through my dark moments in life, but instead of a woman being my confidant, for me, I replaced her with Jesus as the one who was with me going through those tough times.