Performing Arts Personal Statement

As a youth, I engaged in many forms of dance expression. I studied tap, jazz, and ballet for fifteen years. During these formative years, I choose to forgo many youth experiences so that I could participate in advance dance programs. The hard work paid off when I received a college scholarship to a performing arts

Attending The Mississippi School of Arts is not only an opportunity, but a privilege. Working with a large network of alumni and former students that have similar passions in life, can keep me motivated to do art. Having a community of artist around will help me to stay productive and creative. Surrounding myself with other artist can lead to new ideas, constructive criticism, and a great camaraderie with classmates. I want to be able to attend workshops and lectures, meet with visiting artist, and participate in extracurricular activities that bring me in contact with other artist. By the time I graduate, I hope to have an the opportunity to meet with numerous individuals in the art and design world. These connections can help me lead to art

Before I even entered high school, I obtained a love of theater and the performing arts. I have been singing and acting since I was nine, as well as on and off dancing since three. Taking classes at a local theater really introduced me to this interest of mine. When I entered high school, an injury kept me from doing shows. But now I graduate with nine high school shows under my belt, as well as being in multiple community theater productions. Being a part of these shows made me feel a strong sense of belonging, and whether I was an ensemble or lead

I am passionate about technical theatre because it embraces all of the art that I love doing.

Tanner started his freshman year playing in the second best orchestra of three in his school. Here, he excelled musically and made new friends with upperclassmen. By January, one of Tanner’s older friends had convinced him to join choir, so he decided to audition for the upcoming year. As a sophomore, Tanner sang bass in the top choir, even though he did not have any prior singing experience. The same year, he also auditioned into Symphonic Orchestra, the top orchestra of his school. While he was in both the top orchestra and choir, he started student conducting for the lower orchestras and choirs. By senior year, Tanner’s schedule was almost completely filled with music classes. Consequently, Tanner grew extremely close to his high school ensemble directors. It got the point where he could casually call his Symphonic Orchestra director “mom.” This inspired Tanner to make it a goal for himself to form strong relationships with his future students. Through his experiences conducting his high school orchestras, and choir, Tanner found that he really enjoyed teaching music and decided to study music

My life would be incomplete without performing music. I’ve spent time, in concert bands, in bell choirs, in school and church choirs, and singing, playing in music festivals, and in pit bands trying not to laugh my head off at the actors’ improvisations. But the art that truly speaks to my soul does not lie in creating music, it lies in dancing to it.

Many years and musicals later, as a junior heavily involved with the musical program, my director came to me with an exciting proposition. She’d heard of a program that was being utilized all throughout the world: the International Thespian Society. As the class representative of the musical, she proposed to me that we look into the possibility of our school creating an official chapter of the organization.This program, which would allow students to win awards for hours put into the theatre arts, push themselves to obtain higher rankings on the thespian scale, travel to theatre competitions, and meet students just like themselves at sponsored conventions, was the perfect way for myself and many other students at my school to pursue their love for theatre year round. Being part of this prestigious program would help the musical program to expand by grabbing the attention of students schoolwide with the countless opportunities it offers. The strength of the International Thespian Society would provide a strong base of support for the future of our school’s musical program in a society that continues to cut funding to arts programs of schools

The Tecumseh Center of Arts (TCA) was an anonymous gift to the community in 1981, and since then it has hosted many orchestras, dance performances, and play performed by local actors and performers (KJ Marketing). Among those who use the center’s facility is The Tecumseh High school’s drama club, whom consist of aspiring high school students (KJ Marketing). I identify with these aspiring students and am pleased to assist in funding their place of performance.

From an early age, I loved to perform. Being the youngest girl with three older brothers, I could never get enough attention; This meant singing, dancing and being extremely outgoing to get everyone’s eyes on me. I still hear stories about my younger self dancing in front of mirrors, babbling about my dream of being a “star”. It wasn’t until much later, however, that I found I could put my love of performing to use.

When I attended the Crane Youth Music Camp (CYM) in Potsdam, NY for the first time in 2012, I studied vocal performance only for the reason that I enjoyed singing as a hobby. I felt lost being in a camp filled with future music majors, because at the time I wanted to be an engineer. It was not until I returned to CYM in 2014, when playing guitar and singing with my new friends, that I had my first realization. If I wanted to be an engineer, I would be at a STEM camp, but I had chosen to return to music, a place where I would stay.

As I sat enveloped in her story of overcoming conclusions, she taught my heart to embrace each quirky part of myself. I identified with Elle Woods’ need to prove herself. This idea of accepting individuality provided me with the courage to audition for my first show, the Arvada Center’s production of Footloose. Since that first nerve-racking, nail-biting experience, I have come to find myself through each move I dance onstage. Getting my first big role, the Dragon in a production of Shrek, I poured my heart out, knowing the people ready to judge and mock were watching. After the show, the peers who judged my intelligence approached me, saying things like, “I never knew you could sing like that.” Through performing I found myself again. I shifted back to the girl I was, the girl who cared about her morals. I want to perform, hoping to provide audience members with the ability to connect with characters who can offer them a point of realization, as Elle Woods did for me.

"I’m so nervous,” I complained to my mom as we walked into the Waukesha Civic Theatre. “What if I’m not good enough. I haven’t even prepared that much!” It was a crisp September day and some leaves had already started changing color. On the way home from school my mom told me about a play that the theater puts on near us every year and thought I would be good for it. Since I had only heard about the audition that day, it gave me a few hours to pick my song and be prepared for whatever part they wanted me to read. The next song that came on the radio was the song “Edge of Glory” by Lady GaGa and because it was in my vocal range I thought it would be good for me. Little did I know that this audition would change my view of theater.

It was the winter of 2014 when my mother forced me to go to The Corner Health Center Theatre Troupe. I was livid, and acting at the time was something that I was terrified of. I felt as if I was a bird being pushed from the nest too early. I knew there was no possible way that I could be able to: one,talk to strangers, two, learn a script,

My goal for attending college as a Musical Theatre major is a very simple, but lofty. For years, I have dreamed of becoming a professional theatre performer and one day starring on Broadway. When I tell people this dream, they smile, nod their head, and politely say, “well, isn’t that nice.” I am realistic and understand the odds are against me, but that only makes me work harder on my craft. My hope is that a Musical Theatre program like the one at Carnegie Mellon can help make this dream a reality.

Fourteen years after that fateful day, when I saw that first musical, my love has grown. I have changed a great deal, but my love has not. Despite what other people say and believe, musical theatre is what I am destined to do. So I will keep pushing myself to become better. Because, no matter what, I'm determined to keep dancing and Singing in the