Contrary to popular belief, I actually did not want to be a dance major in college.
Before I even knew about Pace University and its Commercial Dance program, I was already set to attend the University of Texas as a Digital Journalism major. The instability of the performing artist life was so scary to me, which made me want to pursue other career paths. I auditioned for the program on a whim and did not realize how much I loved the department and its offerings until I visited campus. Lucky for me, my performance at the 100+ attendee audition was somehow enough for an offer to join the program's class of 2022.
Pace University's Commercial Dance department is one of the most prestigious and sought out performing arts programs in the nation. Although becoming a dance major was not in my original plan, I simply couldn't turn down such an amazing opportunity. Having the chance to train under the biggest names in the dance industry and practice my craft in the home city of the performing arts is a dream that most dancers strive for, and I was blessed to have that choice. I once discussed with a classmate the statistics of getting accepted into the program. According to our director, there is a minimum number of 1,000 applicants per year (this number includes those who send in a video audition). The average class size is 32 students, making the acceptance rate less than 1%. This was an absolutely shocking fact but such a self-esteem booster. I proudly told my dad this, and he simply said, "Great. Now you just got to book a job." I was humbled back down to Earth so quickly.
With all of that said, the decision to change my entire life plan to move to NYC was one that I do not regret. I have met the most amazing people and have built a dream network of connections. Life post-graduation petrifies me, but graduating from Pace University's Commercial Dance program makes me feel very equipped to face the world. I am grateful for my education and so proud to be a part of the CD family.
I will go into more in detail about the audition process and the other amazing opportunities and memories I've made someday in the nearby future. (This specific blog post was also mainly written for a school assignment for that course I talked a bit about in the previous post... lol.) Nonetheless, I just wanted to make this cute little introductory post to show you how life can take you into an avenue that you never thought you'd be in. Everything truly happens for a reason, and I'm so grateful for how that one little decision to visit NYC turned out now.
Love, Jo
Comments