Face of the CVPA: Q&A with Kelsy Rupp, dance major

With this week's Department of Dance performance of "Paradigm Shift: An Evening of Women’s Work" in mind, we interviewed Kelsy Rupp. Rupp is a dance major who is both a choreographer and a dancer in the upcoming Women's History event. Here is what she had to say about RU, dance and “Paradigm Shift.”

1. Where are you from originally?

A. My hometown is Williamsport, Maryland.

2. How long have you been passionate about dance?

A. I have been dancing since I was 3 years old. However, I would say I have been passionate about dance since I was about 15. That's when I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the art form.

3. Why did you choose Radford University to pursue your interests in dance?

A. I chose Radford to pursue dance simply because when I visited here I knew it was right for me. Radford's dance department immediately felt like home in every way. The classes are rigorous and offer the highest levels of training in every genre, along with an extremely supportive and knowledgeable faculty.

4. What is the theme of "Paradigm Shift?"

A. "Paradigm Shift: An Evening of Women's Work" is the Dance Department's annual performance in honor of women's history month. We showcase women's choreography from within our department.

5. How did you become involved in the production of Paradigm Shift?

A. I became involved with "Paradigm Shift" through our Choreographic Studies II class. We are working on several pieces of choreography throughout this semester and our first presentation of work is for the "Paradigm Shift."

6. What do you enjoy about being involved in the production?

A. I love performing and love the atmosphere that surrounds the theatre. For this show, I am a choreographer presenting work, as well as performing two pieces of my peers work. This allows me to experience both sides of production, which is always a challenge, but also a highly rewarding experience.

7. What types of music do you prefer to perform to?

A. For me, music is not necessarily essential to performance, and I also love dancing to any type of music. However, if I could choose my favorite, it would be contemporary classical and experimental electronic music.

8. How do you feel when you are performing in front of a large audience?

A. Performing in front of a large audience is how I discovered that dance is my passion. Performing and presenting work is my favorite part of dance, and results in feelings that include (but are not limited to) anticipation, joy, sadness, exhilaration, happiness and fulfillment.

9. Who or what inspires your style of dance?

A. Every teacher and choreographer that I have ever had the opportunity to work with inspires my style of dance and movement. Also, relationships, emotions, personal experiences, the human mind, and studying human interaction inspire my style of dance and choreography.

10. What are your plans for after you graduate?

A. When I graduate, I plan on continuing to dance and create. My hopes would be that I could acquire an internship position with an arts administration company based in dance and teach classes at studios in the Northern Virginia, D.C. area. I would also hope to dance with a smaller regional company and find choreography opportunities along the way.