Adelphi University Department of Dance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @sheribensinger 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 I walked into the Adelphi Dance Department and the faculty openly believed in me. So many of the faculty members invested so much time and so much effort into me so that I could be the dancer I am today. From impromptu after class conversations all the way to scheduled meetings about my progress, the faculty patiently worked with me and then celebrated my successes. All of the faculty and dance majors during my time at Adelphi who have supported me will always be more meaningful than one could know. What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 I am hoping to someday join a company and soon move to New York City. There I will continue to learn, audition, and just keep dancing. The Adelphi Dance Department taught me that everyone is on their own journey and that you never know what can happen if you just have patience with yourself. In my experience, you learn a lot of things you never would have thought you’d be capable of. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @emma__boudreau 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 One of the most meaningful parts of my journey here has been the lifelong connections I have made with both my fellow peers and the faculty. Getting to be in class with people of different strengths really has let me explore possibilities that I never would have originally thought of within my movement. It has been such a blessing to surround myself with such talented and creative people who all support each other and push me to grow both as a dancer and person. What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 As I get ready to graduate, the plan currently is to keep auditioning for a variety of projects across both the concert and commercial worlds. Ideally, I would love a job that gets to travel around the world. I also hope to start my journey in obtaining a pilates and barre certifications. My experiences here in this dance program have genuinely shaped how I present myself both as a dancer and a human. There is always encouragement to become vulnerable enough to allow for the human aspects to show through movement. It’s truly one of the most important lessons that I’m grateful enough to be taking with me beyond graduation. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @gabby.brooks.3 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 The most meaningful part of my journey in Adelphi’s dance program has been the growth I experienced both as a dancer and as a person. Transferring into the program was intimidating at first, but being welcomed so openly by the faculty and students made such a huge impact on me. I gained confidence in myself and learned how important vulnerability, trust, and passion are in dance. One of the moments that stands out most was performing alongside people who became more than classmates but they became family. Those experiences reminded me why I fell in love with dance in the first place and pushed me to believe in my own abilities even during challenging moments. What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 What’s next for me is continuing to pursue opportunities that allow me to grow creatively and personally, while carrying everything this program has taught me into the future. Also, I will be teaching and choreographing at my home dance studio and sharing my knowledge with the youth. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @mandy.ciraco 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 The most meaningful part of my journey at Adelphi has been experiencing and being guided towards finding joy in movement, specifically this past semester where I was given the opportunity to take on leadership roles as rehearsal assistant and dance captain.I’ve been fortunate throughout my time to garner a beautiful support system of mentors who have trusted me and led me to not only find joy in my own movement and help guide me through injuries and exhaustion, but also to combine my love for dance with my love for teaching and being involved in processes as more than just a cast member. I will always credit Adelphi’s stellar group of professors for reminding me everyday how joyful dance has and always will be for me. What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 After graduation, I will be staying close to New York and auditioning for dance performance work, while also teaching locally and starting to acquire various teaching certifications, hoping to eventually return to school and get my masters! I leave my four years at Adelphi feeling prepared for not only the professional dance world, but also striving to create and educate in the kind of welcoming and challenging environment that Adelphi has provided me with. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @siobhanfeeney_ 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 There have been countless meaningful parts of my journey as a dance major, but the one that means the most to me is how I found the movement language that speaks to me the most. I came to Adelphi not truly knowing who I was as a dancer, but this program has allowed me to fall in love with different types of movement and get to know what feels the best on my body. This program allows so much room to explore, and I feel that it really helped me grow! What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 Next, I will be performing in September with Salvatore LaRussa Dance Theater in New York City! I will be rehearsing with them every week, and alongside that, I aim to keep attending dance classes and workshops in NYC to keep growing as a dancer. I also hope to eventually get my Pilates certification and teach. I want to dance and move as much as I can! Adelphi has allowed me to make many great connections outside of school which has truly prepared me for the real world. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @kathleengardiner.xo 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 The connections I have developed with the teachers during my four years at Adelphi have to be my most significant part of my experience. Adelheid B. Strelick my advisor has been a rock for me through the years helping me not only in dance but with navigating life through the highs and lows. What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 I intend to keep going to auditions for a range of jobs after graduation including; Tours, Broadway, Cruise lines, and Music videos. Adelphi has assisted me in developing and strengthening my technique, which has improved my ability to dance in different forms. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @amandakoczera 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 The most meaningful part of this journey has been having the opportunity to take class every day while being surrounded by inspiring teachers and talented dancers who constantly pushed me to grow. I’ve loved challenging myself artistically while also discovering what dance truly means to me and what it feels like to fully embody the joy of movement and performance. Throughout my time in the program, I’ve learned so much not only about dance, but also about myself as a person. I’m incredibly grateful for all of the support, mentorship, and opportunities that made dance such a meaningful part of my college experience. What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 This fall, I will be continuing my education at Adelphi University in the two-year Master of Social Work program. I’ll also begin my field placement at the Stern Family Center for Rehabilitation through Northwell Health. My long-term goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and eventually open my own practice. Alongside this path, I plan to continue training in Long Island and NYC and attend professional dance prep classes with the goal of dancing professionally for sports teams. My experiences in the dance program have strengthened my discipline, confidence, time management, and sense of self-agency. Showing up to class every day taught me the importance of consistency, resilience, and advocating for myself and what I have to offer. I’m excited to carry these lessons with me into this next chapter of my life. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @sophiaminich_ 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 A meaningful part of my journey at Adelphi has been the opportunity to work on and present my own choreography with various faculty members! What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 Post grad, I will be working on getting my nail tech license as well as further pursuing choreography. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @jenmorales_1 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 The most meaningful part of my journey here at Adelphi has been the amazing and talented people I have met, who have given me guidance for the industry. What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 I plan to keep auditioning for the Rockettes, Broadway musicals, and online submissions, and book the dream job! I will be teaching pilates in the meantime. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @frida_nyhus 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 I have always loved performing and this program has given me the opportunity to perform many different pieces. This year I also got the chance to perform at the Joyce which was very meaningful and exciting. What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 I am moving back to my home country, Norway, and am looking forward to continuing auditioning. I hope to work with various choreographers in the future. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @annaaortega_ 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 I am a senior dance major and psychology minor from Valencia, Spain. During my time at Adelphi, the most meaningful part of my experience has been the support from my professors and peers, who have helped me grow not just as a dancer, but as a person. I came into this program thinking I knew a lot about dance, but over time I realized how much more there is to explore and understand. What I thought I knew was really just the beginning. Dance has shown me that there’s always something new to learn, and that growth never really stops. What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 As I continue to grow as a dancer and artist, I’m actively auditioning and putting myself out there, exploring a few different paths and feeling excited about what the future holds. Thanks to my professors’ guidance and training, I feel prepared and confident in audition settings, and they’ve also been incredibly supportive in sharing opportunities with us. Our Senior Capstone class has been especially helpful in preparing us for the transition into the professional world, giving us the tools and information we need as we take this next step. From my technique classes to more theoretical courses like dance composition and dance theory, I’ve gained knowledge that I’ll carry with me into every space I enter, and all of these experiences have truly prepared me for what comes next. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance

#AdelphiDance SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: @claraossandon 💫 What has been the most meaningful part of your journey in the dance program? 🌟 The most meaningful part of my journey in the dance program has been growing as an artist in many different ways. Through classes, performances, research, and creative projects, I discovered that my passion for dance is endless. I also developed a strong interest in research, which allowed me to travel and experience how dance impacts different cultures around the world. These experiences led me to discover a passion for choreography, film, and creative work as well. — Overall, the dance program has helped me become more confident in developing and trusting my own artistic voice in both my dancing and creative projects, growing not only technically as a dancer, but also personally and artistically. What’s next for you, and how has your time here prepared you for it? 🌟 Next, I plan to continue both my dance practice and research. I hope to keep traveling, gaining new perspectives, and finding inspiration through different cultures and experiences. My time in the program has given me the tools to stay curious, open, and committed to developing my work as an artist. 📸: @mikeesperanza #AdelphiDance #DanceNY #BFADance