February 5, 2026

How do you like Bennington so far? 

I’m finishing my third term here at Bennington, having transferred from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia after it closed in 2024. I think the community here is wonderful. The way that we show up for each other–both the students coming from Philadelphia and the students already here who welcomed us—it's been amazing. I think everybody’s brilliant. The amount of investment in the work that we're doing and investment in each other has been something that I feel grateful for.

I've met some great friends who study everything under the sun: theater, acting, creative writing, journalism, social justice, restorative justice….

Everyone is so driven. The curiosity is alive. They're attuned with what they care about, and that inspires me constantly.

There's never a "stuckness" in discipline because all of the ideas feed each other. You don't feel contained—the structure of Bennington is such that you can reach out, find something new and interesting, and pull it in. 

How did you begin dancing? 

My first movement practice was in a Chinese Wushu. It's a martial arts form, but it isn't a sparring form. It's much more performative, so it's analogous to dance. I started when I was four or five and trained for years. I ended up stopping because my studio closed down during the pandemic. I had been taking dance classes casually before that, but I leaned in around 2020 and 2021. I was lucky that there was a good dance studio close to me. That's my dance family back at home in Stratford, Connecticut. There I did contemporary, modern dance, hip hop, jazz, tap, ballet… it was formative, and I owe a lot to them.

What stands out to you about your studies right now? 

Because the program is so small, you get one on one time with the faculty. You really get to know them. They get to know you. I've been able to have long talks with Michael Sheridan, Jesse Zaritt, Mark Caserta, Donna Faye Burchfield… I feel that they have my best interests in mind, and they have an understanding of the kinds of things that I want to work for, and we can work together on moving in that direction. I can come to them; they can come to me.

I don’t feel that there’s a wall between the faculty and students. They’ve helped me unlock my “what if?” 

And tell me about your work. 

There's so much space for self guided and independent study, which I absolutely love. I've gotten the chance to make solo and film work that I'm proud of and that has been supported by faculty and my peers. 

I don't think I would be making film works if I wasn't exposed to the photography and the film opportunities here. I realized that it could hold my research in a different way. “The Cave” [equipment checkout] has been helpful. I've been borrowing tripods and experimenting with video projection, which I never dreamed that I would be doing. 

It's all in service of the idea. I feel that's the most important thing for me. Focus on the idea, and then you ask the question, “how can I make this happen?”

And maybe that's dance, and maybe that's film, and maybe that's everything happening at the same time to become something new.

It’s easy to talk conceptually because that's exciting for me, but I want to note that the technique training is here. We’re getting performance experience. You’re thinking and you're making, but you're also really deeply engaged in dancing. We are dancing in a very thorough way. 

What are you looking forward to? 

I was recently selected as a Thinking Dance Emerging Writers Fellow. Thinking Dance is a dance writing magazine in Philadelphia. The fellowship involves mentorship time with the editorial board, and an article that I write will be edited and eventually published as part of the magazine. I’m looking forward to refining my voice as a writer. I think of my movement practice and writing practice as intertwined, so it's an awesome opportunity that I'm excited for!