How do you balance your job and your artistic endeavors?

I'm fortunate to work with two spectacular teams of committed and creative people at Juilliard and Omega. Without their support, balancing my administrative and artistic work would be impossible. I also try to be very intentional with my time, dedicating set hours in the evenings and on my days off from Juilliard for Omega tasks.

What's one of your favorite Juilliard memories?

For the past four years, I have served as an advisor for the annual ARTreach New Orleans Service Project, accompanying Juilliard students as they teach, give free performances, and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity during their spring break. Each trip has been memorable, but my favorite moment was listening to one student describe how her experience in New Orleans reaffirmed for her why she was studying at Juilliard in the first place—to deepen her ability to connect with others through something that is vitally human: art.

What's changed most about Educational Outreach since you've been here?

The skill level of the MAP students has shifted from beginning to intermediate/advanced, so we've made adjustments to support their broader needs. And in our Educational Outreach fellowships for Juilliard students, we've added more emphasis on developing teaching and "speaking from the stage" skills. It's no longer enough for artists to simply be superb at their craft—they must also be entrepreneurs, advocates, and educators.

What job at Juilliard would you like to try out for a day and why?

In college, I spent my free time assisting in the costume shop and have always wondered what it would be like to work on a professional wardrobe crew. I love the balance between practical, solitary tasks and creative collaboration with directors and performers.

What is the most memorable job you've ever had and what made it so?

In fifth grade, I performed in a school production of The Wizard of Oz that convinced me that theater and dance were what I wanted to do with my life. Fresh out of college a decade later, I landed my first professional theater gig in a regional production of the same show. To begin my professional career with the same material that had inspired me to follow this crazy dream in the first place was a glorious and affirmative full-circle moment!

Tell us about Omega.

It was founded by Carla De Sola Eaton (Diploma '60, dance), who was inspired to explore the connection between spirituality and movement after studying with faculty member José Limón while he was creating Missa Brevis at Juilliard in the 1950s. People often ask me what a sacred dance company is—we're professional dancers who seek to reveal and celebrate the sacred—whatever that means to dancers, choreographers, and audiences—through movement.

Are there parallels between your work at Juilliard and your work with Omega?

There's definitely overlap in terms of administrative skills—so much of what artists do is about organizing the right people to do certain things in particular places. Both jobs also have me dipping my foot into the teaching world—as a rehearsal director, choreographer, and workshop presenter with Omega, and as an advisor to teaching artists at Juilliard.

What other pursuits are you passionate about?

I'm a strong believer in the value of community-based learning—helping students better understand what they are learning about in the classroom by experiencing it in the real world. And my husband is a professional singer and conductor, so I'm also becoming more and more of a performer and lover of choral music.

What are you reading or watching?

My sister is a children's book editor, so a lot of what I read is children's and young adult fiction that she recommends. My favorite series right now is the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage, which has a delightful and well-crafted cast of magically gifted yet down-to-earth young characters. I'm also really enjoying watching recent Juilliard drama alumnae Danielle Brooks and Samira Wiley on Orange Is the New Black.

What might people be surprised to know about you?

People tend to think of me as a very serious person, but I'm actually really silly. I'm also an identical twin, so if you've said hello to me on the subway and I didn't respond, I wasn't being rude—you were probably talking to my sister! (This has happened to multiple Juilliard students!)