Senior Carley Fine was selected by choreographer Mandy Pruett to assist her in instructing dance classes across the country this summer. With seven trips around the country and varying ages of students, Fine said the experience taught her a lot about instructing and being a leader, and brought her a lot of new opportunities.

Fine said that during her seven trips, her job was to help Pruett with dance classes in the form of drill team camps or classes in a studio. Fine worked with age groups ranging from young children to college-aged dance students.

Pruett came to Fine with this opportunity because, according to Fine, sometimes an assistant choreographer is necessary. Also, Pruett needed help bringing the dance moves she had in mind to life.

“[Pruett] has taught me so much about dance, how to teach it, how to approach kids and how to lead them,” Fine said. “But she has also taught me how there is so much more to dance than just dancing, like just being a good person and being fair.”

Even though this job presented a large time commitment, it also created a unique learning experience. Fine said being up close to a successful choreographer gave her a picture of what Pruett’s job is like.

“Since she’s a choreographer, she’s so talented,” Fine said. “I’ve learned so much from her and she has been a huge influence on my life. I realized that [dance] makes me so happy and I would be sad without it in my life.”

Fine said that whether or not her future includes dance is unclear, but she definitely wants to incorporate dance in her life. However, she is unsure how.

“I can’t picture my life without [dancing],” Fine said. “But it’s hard to make it. It’s kind of like famine or feast.”

Fine said that being an assistant choreographer has taught her a lot about being a leader and has opened up many new doors for her. The experience also brought her many new opportunities, such as meeting many influential people in the dance industry. Fine said that she has learned so much from assistant choreographing and has gained a fun, unique perception from it all.

“My favorite part was just the inspiration of it all,” Fine said. “I love making something up and getting to see your work come to life. It’s a really cool experience.”

Dancing the days away: Fine’s summer in photos

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