Richard Cook’s ballet class is the best class of my life at Purchase. I live to go to this class, I love it. I look forward to getting there. I arrive on time. I stay late. It is never boring. The hours go by like nothing. A teacher who can keep your interest like that in this world of distracting technology is just incredible. We dance our bodies to fatigue, but we are in a reverie the whole time.

STARTING YOUNG
I study dance, the number one love of my life. Without it I really don’t know what I would do. I have been dancing since I was six and I have loved it since the beginning. I actually used to sneak to dance class when I was really young because I had it in my school, but my dad didn’t want me to do it. Eventually he got use to the fact that I was going to keep going.
Purchase has greatly prepared me for my future as a professional dancer. I am not afraid of what’s going to happen out there. I’m just ready to get out there and show people what I have learned.

FINDING TIME TO RELAX
I get to be around other people besides dancers, people with other majors. I love talking about other issues that don’t concern the conservatory, even if my peers and my teachers are wonderful. It is important to balance out all the dancing and thinking about dancing with some regular, enjoyable living. My favorite place is the Performing Arts Library. I also go to a show every now and then. But it’s pretty hard for dancers to get off the campus with our insane schedules, as you can probably imagine. A bonus I have found is that we are so close to Manhattan; at the same time, it’s not as crazy as the city. I got approved to go abroad recently. That was one of the best moments of my life. I kind of knew it was going to happen but actually getting approved was great. So that will be my next step. I get to see the world a bit and then come back to this laid-back but intense, beatific microcosm of dance. What a gift!