Whitney

Activities

• Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority
• Student Dance Movement – group that organizes free dance classes for the public, sets up improvisational jam sessions, and strives to encourage the campus to embrace dance
• Campus Honors Program

One-on-One

Where is your favorite spot on campus to study?
When I really have to hit the books, I have to go to Grainger Engineering Library or Espresso Royale

Where is your favorite spot on campus to hang out with your friends?
On the Quad or the front porch of my sorority house when it is nice out.

Where is your favorite spot on campus to relax?
In the past, I have really enjoyed just taking an afternoon to sit and
talk with someone at a coffeehouse like Espresso Royale.

What do you like most about your major?
I love waking up for a full day of classes and not thinking about it as an academic burden or obligation. Instead, I am incredibly grateful that I get to dance all day with talented, nurturing professors and fellow students who are hungry to move. I have the daily chance to express myself and experiment with both my body and mind.

What are your favorite courses within your major?
A couple of my favorite classes are Yoga and Intermediate/Advanced Ballet, both taught by Linda Lehovec. It is challenging and yet calming to wake up very early in the morning and focus my internal energy in a yoga class. Also, the ballet class is taught with great attention to intricate rhythm as well as full-bodied movement. Linda has a way of encouraging her students to experiment and "up the ante" in terms of technical expertise, musicality, and overall movement in class. I feel very similarly about the ballet class taught by Erika Randall.

What are your favorite extracurricular activities related to your major?
The hours of rehearsal that I have every week - This year I am performing in three works, so I rehearse with three separate professors and sets of dancers throughout the week. Throughout my time here, I have truly enjoyed getting to work with a variety of choreographers on some very distinct works.

What are your favorite extracurricular activities not related to your major?
I always look forward to hanging out with girls in my sorority. A large group of us went apple and pumpkin picking at Curtis Orchard. It was great to get off campus and be outdoors with my friends for a while. I find that most of my activities outside of my major relate back to it. The more that I look at the things I do and experience, the more I realize that everything relates back to my dancing and my art.

Describe your most memorable experience at Illinois.
One of my favorite memories was my freshman year during the NCAA basketball tournament. We had just won and knew we were headed to the finals. I was able to watch the whole game with my friends, but then had to drive across town to get to a dance rehearsal. I will never forget driving down Green Street and being in utter shock. People in orange-and-blue were all over the place--on the sidewalks, in the street, cheering out their windows. I remember being stuck in traffic, but I just didn't care because it was such a great moment in time. I rolled down my windows and honked my horn to show my pride and excitement. People were so excited they came up and gave me high-fives while I was waiting at a stoplight. I have had so many wonderful experiences here, as a dancer and as a member of the University, but there is something incredibly powerful about this whole campus coming together.

What’s a little-known fact about Illinois?
There are many opportunities at Illinois to attend concerts, live events, and art shows. Many activities aren't necessarily mainstream, but definitely worth seeing. There is an incredible amount of companies that come in and out of Krannert Center. The Canopy Club features a wide variety of bands. A cappella groups and improv troupes perform at the Union. There's just so much available here.

Why do you belong at Illinois?
I think being in such a small department and major has really given me a sense of belonging on campus. We are all a part of the University of Illinois, but within that structure is the smaller family of the dance department. At this point, I feel very close to a number of my professors and am comfortable sharing a lot of my life with them. I am very grateful for that kind of support. Also, being a part of a sorority has really given me a deeper sense of duty and purpose within the greater college community. Part of the reason I chose Illinois is because I wanted to find an intimate network of dancers and artists within the context of a large college campus
with strong academics. I feel that I have become a part of that exact atmosphere.