Gateways For:
Student Spotlights
Lila Ziegler ‘13
Lila Ziegler ‘13 hopes to combine her interests in dance and anthropology to do field studies of indigenous dance all over the world, exploring a variety of cultures through their dance traditions. Currently, she is specifically intrigued by the historical developments of dance as affected by the societies in which they have evolved. Lila ultimately plans to apply for grants to allow her to conduct research toward preservation of age-old dance rituals that are threatened with disappearence.
Anna Yanisko ‘14
Anna Yanisko ‘14 is from Barto, Pennsylvania and is a dance minor and public health major. Dance has been a part of her life since she was four years old, basically ever since she can remember. Her love has always been ballet and pointe but she also has experience in jazz, tap, modern, and hip-hop. She is a member of the F&M Dance Company, which – together with her dance courses – has furthered her passion for dance and broadened her experience. F&M dance has taught Anna not only new ways to move but also how to view and think about dance. She enjoys focusing on working with her body to use it to its full potential. As far as the future goes, Anna cannot imagine it without dance.
Kat Sullivan ‘14
Kat Sullivan ‘14 is from Brielle, New Jersey. In addition to her dance minor, she is a joint major in anthropology and art. Although she was a late-comer to the dance world, it has influenced her life a great deal, and Kat not imagine her college experience without it. Her dance experience at F&M, both in classes and extracurricular work, has taught her that dance has even greater boundaries than she ever imagined, if there even are boundaries at all. She is a member of the F&M Dance Company, as well as the improvisational dance group, Just Say Yes. Although ballet and pointe will always have a very special place in her heart, Kat also really enjoys modern dance. F&M has given her the chance to delve into the world of dance improvisation, which has broadened her horizons and become one of her favorite college activities. Kat has a couple of different scenarios for her future, but no matter what, dancing will be in the picture.
Ali Strohm '12
Ali Strohm '12 is a studio art major and dance minor. She's interested in investigating how performance affects choreography. She has explored this in numerous works for the F&M Spring Dance Concert and will continue this research in her upcoming senior independent project, "Haven." When she's not working on choreography, she enjoys improvising with Just Say Yes and performing with the F&M Dance Company. Next year she will join the Teach for America Corps in Las Vegas and she alsoplans to continue dancing.
Gwen LeBar '14
Gwen LeBar '14 is following her love for dance at F&M by continuing to improve her technique, performing with F&M Dance Company and exploring the practice of improvisation through her membership in Just Say Yes, the improvisational dance company on campus. She is currently on the Executive Board for Dance Club and will serve as President beginning in January 2012. In the future, Gwen would like to continue performing, to teach dance, and to possibly become the artistic director of a dance studio. Although she loves every aspect of dance, her true passion is sharing her love of dance through teaching.
Anna Dean '12
Anna Dean '12 is a dance and psychology joint major with a minor in comparative literary studies. She enjoys finding the numerous links between her wide-ranging areas of studies, and firmly believes that every connection made has enhanced her abilities as a student and as a dancer. She has spent countless hours in the dance studios as a member of the F&M Dance Company, a member of Just Say Yes (F&M's improvisational dance company), and a student in classes. She has focused most of her time at F&M on modern dance and compositional improvisation. Currently, she is very interested in the connections and differences between improvisation and choreography, and discovering how to reconcile them as she practices both processes. Her post-college plans include traveling and working abroad and, of course, dancing!
Caileigh Dougherty ‘12
Caileigh Dougherty ‘12 is a dance minor. She trained Irish dance for eighteen years, and also has experience with ballet and Flamenco dancing. Looking forward to a career in orthopedics, she is particularly interested in the dancer's body. This semester she has worked on an independent study project on injuries in Irish dancers, investigating the causes and possible preventions and treatments of the most commonly experienced injuries.
Emily Grossner '12
Emily Grossner '12 is a psychology major and dance minor. She is interested in modern dance and improvisation and currently leads Just Say Yes, the improvisational dance company on campus. Throughout all of her semesters at F&M the F&M Dance Company has been a major part of her life. Her future plans include applying to graduate programs in clinical neuropsychology and, of course, dancing as much as she can.
Emily Herchenroether '10
Double major: dance and government
"The F&M dance program has a great balance between theory and performance. The program has pushed me to expand my physical range and performance skills and has taught me to appreciate the history of dance and its relationship with society. In addition, there is strong focus on the individual and personal creative process, which has helped me to mature as a performer, choreographer, and critical viewer of dance."
