Thinking about the process and product of your Capstone, reflect upon what you are most proud of and what you might do differently if you were to complete a similar project in the future.

During the process of my capstone project, I am immensely proud of how much fun and happiness came out of it. Even before rehearsals would start, everyone would come in with smiles on their faces and the readiness to learn. Although the choreography was difficult at some points or someone wouldn’t pick up choreography as quickly, everyone was so dedicated and committed to learning the choreography and making sure to take every correction I gave them. Everyone was able to share their own pieces of themselves through the dance and that to me was so special. I do wish that sometimes I should’ve been more strict when it came to missing rehearsals. There were many times where people would “forget” we had rehearsal or would make up excuses the day of said rehearsal that they couldn’t come and that really had an effect on the outcome of the dance. If I had been more strict with missing rehearsal and/or had the ability to have more rehearsals, the outcome of the dance would have been a world of a difference. 

Explain how your life experiences are reflected through your project.

Ever since I was a young girl, I loved performing. Performing has always been a strong passion of mine and I never really expected anything to come from it. I have been told I was always a creative individual and I loved (and still do) to express myself through whatever art I could. Having the privilege of creating my very own concept, making the design, executing it and then finishing it fulfilled something inside me. It feels as if that little girl who just loved to sing and dance for her family in her living room finally got to experience her true passion come to life.

Thinking about the Extra-curricular hours you completed, reflect upon what you learned through the experiences and/or how you have been impacted as an artist?

Being able to perform is such a privilege. Practicing your craft should never truly feel like a chore. Accumulating all the extracurricular hours I’ve gotten never felt like a job. Even when practices would be hours upon hours long, I never felt as if it was a burden. That is something I learned that has become so sacred to me and my journey as an artist. There were times that I felt as if I couldn’t do it, I wasn’t good enough to do it or I was ready to give up. But then I would look back on all the things I would be missing out on. And not solely because I have the fear of missing out, aka FOMO, but because I wouldn’t be able to do what I love. It is never just the performance or the end result of a class that is the most important. It is also the journey in which you make it to that stunning end result that you get to share with others. 

How is your life positively impacted by the arts?

Having the arts in my life has truly made me feel that I have a purpose and the path I am following and will continue to follow in the near future are the right ones for me. Even though there are moments where things get hard and it feels so easy just to push away from whatever is bothering me or making me feel less worthy than I am, the beauty of the arts is there to pull me right back in. When participating in the arts programs, there is never a dull moment. As soon as I walk through the doors of the theatre room, the dance room, or the choir room, I feel as if all my worries or sorrows have disappeared. Not only the art itself, but the people and environment I am surrounded by makes everything ten times better than what it was before. Most of the skills and character traits that I cherish and hold so close to me in every which way that I have developed over the past four years have solely been from my experiences in the arts programs.

How do you plan to include artistic experiences in your future after high school?

In the future, I plan to continue dancing and participating in theatre during my time in college and hopefully through the rest of my life. These skills not only make me good mentally but also physically. Like I stated above, I have learned so many life-long skills that have helped me grow and find the path I want to take and will continue to help me develop the path that will guide me towards a world of success. As I do have many other passions as well as the arts, I strive to find every opportunity to integrate into not only each of my other passions but into my everyday life to continue to grow as both a student and an individual. 

What advice would you give an incoming freshmen about studying the arts to help them make the most of their experiences while in high school?

The advice I would give to an incoming freshman about studying the arts to help them make the most of their experiences is to get involved. Joining a new club, class or just an environment in general can be so scary and make someone steer away from said environment. But it is so important to put yourself out there and do what you want to do. Giving up on something out of fear can lead to feeling worse than before due to being so hurt that one misses out on events and experiences. There are so many people out there that are waiting for anyone to come up to them and answer questions, give information and/or just to be a friend to walk you through your fears. This helping hand is what makes the world of a difference in whether or not you make your experiences worthwhile. Soon after that, you also can become that helping hand for another person who was in the exact same position as you once were. That is truly what makes being a part of something and persevering through fear and doubt so beautiful. Be someone to help someone. Like we say in the theatre troupe, “Once a misfit, always a misfit.” Everyone is welcome and everyone has a place to belong.