The semester has come to an end and I can’t believe I’ve already finished my first semester of grad school. From August until now I’ve grown so much physically, mentally, and intellectually. I began this semester unsure of my abilities and my place in this new community, however I’ve come to understand myself more this semester. I’m thankful for my cohort and the strong bond we’ve created and the closeness that has developed. I’m normally a very private person, but I’ve began to share more of myself with those in my cohort. It has helped me to adapt to this new OSU community and assisted me with my self-care practices.

Over the course of this semester I’ve been introduced to some exciting things such as Photoshop and beginner film tools in our first year seminar class that I was hesitant about at first, but during the process it was actually fun to do. I also took a history, theory, and literature course that I was terrified about in the beginning. The analyzing movement course exposed me to an array of literature that covers multiple topics. From learning to forest read to creative assignments, my brain capacity was pushed to its limits. However now looking back at the semester, I’ve begun to think more deeply about choreographic origin and meaning, more than I did back in August. I’ve now had exposure to concepts that I’ve never considered when thinking about dance. Along with seminar classes I took Contemporary with Crystal Michelle Perkins and Ballet with Karen Elliot. Each class pushed my body physically and allowed me to reinvent how I take class. I enjoyed their teaching approaches and the freshness and joy that they brought to every class.

One semester is done and I’m still excited about this grad school journey. Everyday I’m continuously learning and being exposed to new information about myself and this dance world that I’m a part of. Over the course of this semester I’ve learned so much about myself as an artist and the work I want to be making. Grad school has allowed me the space to examine my life, the choices I make, and what dance means to me. I’m excited for what the next two and a half years have in store for me.