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Fall Dance Fest: Spotlight on the Dancers

Four dancers featured in this year's Fall Dance Fest take time to explain the significance of dance in their lives. All dance majors, they answer questions about choosing Radford University and what dancing has done for them in their personal lives.

Haley Beatley

Name, Age, Academic Year, and Major
Haley Beatley, Junior, Dance Education

What is your favorite Dance class?
Modern

Why do you dance?
Dancing allows me to express my emotions every single day. It’s an outlet for me. It’s like your best friend you can tell all your secrets to and it’ll never tell anyone.

Why did you choose Radford University?
Because the professors were so welcoming when I came to observe the school. The dance department felt like a family to me.

How did you get to be a part of Fall Dance Fest?
I auditioned for the show the 1^st week of school and was chosen for a piece.

Is there anything else that dance has helped you with outside of class?
Dance has taught me discipline. It’s taught me respect and how to deal with situations of all sorts.

What are you looking forward to most about Fall Dance Fest?
I’m looking forward to Fall Dance Fest because it gives me another opportunity to perform. It gives me a chance to show people what I love to do, and it allows me to include them in my dance journey. You never know who is watching. It could change their lives as well as mine.

Haley has been dancing for a total of 16 years.

Nicki shackleford

Name, Age, Academic Year, and Major
Nicki Shackleford, 22, 5^th year senior, Dance BFA and Political Science BS

What is your favorite Dance class?
Choreographic Studies

Why do you dance?
I dance because it is a perfect combination of artistry and athleticism. Dancing can express everything inside me or be an escape.

Why did you choose Radford University?
I chose to transfer here from Virginia Tech because I needed to dance. The dance program here is so wonderful, I’m so glad to be here.

How did you get to be a part of Fall Dance Fest?
Two of the pieces I’m in have already been performed; one in New York City, the other is the collaboration of our choreographic studies class.

Is there anything else that dance has helped you with outside of class?
Dance has enriched my life in so many ways. It has taught me discipline, challenged my creativity, and forced me to get out of my own head and dream big in all that I do. Time management and a work-life balance are essential.

What are you looking forward to most about Fall Dance Fest?
For Fall Dance Fest, I am most excited to show off all our hard work in “Sole Play.” I get to dance a variety of styles, so it’s a particularly challenging feat for myself, and an entertaining show for the audience!

Nicki has danced for 19 years.

kelsy rupp

Name, Age, Academic Year, and Major
Kelsy Rupp, 20, Junior, Dance BFA

What is your favorite Dance class?
Modern

Why do you dance?
I dance because it allows me to completely express myself, while at the same time creating and perfecting an art form that I have loved all of my life.

Why did you choose Radford University?
I chose Radford University because when I visited, I couldn’t get the initial view of Radford coming down Jefferson street out of my head, and with the level of professionalism of the dance department and the talent it holds, I couldn’t even see myself at any other school.

How did you get to be a part of Fall Dance Fest?
The audition at the beginning of the year.

Is there anything else that dance has helped you with outside of class?
Dance has taught me how to be my own competition and has given me a lot of self-motivation and self-discipline.

What are you looking forward to most about Fall Dance Fest?
I am most excited to perform Christopher Morgan’s piece in Fall Dance Fest with all my fellow cast members, but I am also excited because I get to see my whole family (including my puppy) for the first time in 3 months.

Kelsy has been dancing for 17 years.

Taylor carper

Name, Age, Academic Year, and Major
Taylor Carper, 19, sophomore, Dance Education (BS)

What is your favorite Dance class?
Modern

Why do you dance?
I dance because it’s my way of speaking through my body. It’s my passion; dance is not only what I do, it has made me who I am.

Why did you choose Radford University?
The Dance Department felt very welcoming and could challenge me to become a whole new dancer. danah bella also interested me with her movement, so I wanted to learn more about it. It has been a great choice.

How did you get to be a part of Fall Dance Fest?
I auditioned and was chosen by danah bella to be in the guest artist’s piece.

Is there anything else that dance has helped you with outside of class?
It has taught me to be very responsible; it has also given me a very tough skin.

What are you looking forward to most about Fall Dance Fest?
I am most excited to perform this piece for my family, and to tell the story through the movement. Hopefully I can make at least one person understand what this dance actually means to me.

Taylor has been dancing for almost 17 years.

Up next in the Department of Dance is Around The World In Seven Dances. For this performance, the Dance Production class researched and reconstructed seven folk dances from different countries to be performed on Tuesday, November 13th. The Nutcracker will open Friday, December 7th, presented by the Radford University Ballet Theatre. Show times, ticket pricing, and more information can be found on the CVPA calendar.

Oct 15, 2012
College of Visual & Performing Arts
540-831-6850
cvpa411@radford.edu

Fall Dance Fest: Spotlight on the Dancers

Haley Beatley

Nicki shackleford

kelsy rupp

Taylor carper

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