There are many different ways of expressing your emotions. After talking with this weeks Campus Celebrity, Eva Dockery, she has taught me that dancing is not only a therapeutic activity, but also a very unique, fun way of expressing herself. Whether she is leaping to Justin Bieber, twerking to Beyoncé, or spinning to a classic, she found her first love at a very young age.
Name: Eva Dockery
Hometown: Barrington, IL
Favorite Animal: Penguin
Her Campus Illinois State: Describe dance in three words.
Eva Dockery: Expressive, Passionate, Artistic.
HC ISU: How long have you been dancing for?
ED: I have been dancing for 14 years. I started dancing at a studio in my hometown when I was 5 and danced there through middle school. In high school, I danced with my school’s Orchesis company and competitive dance team, as well as a semi-professional dance company based in my hometown.
HC ISU: What dance programs are you involved in here at Illinois State University?
ED: I’m a dance minor so I’m taking dance classes through the School of Theatre and Dance. The program here is really great, and it gives the dancers a lot of opportunities to perform. In last spring’s concert I was able to work with dance faculty members and guest artist Tiffanee Arnold, who is a dance professor at Collin College in McKinney, Texas. I’m also involved in Dance Association, which is an RSO on campus for dancers to gain performance experience and take classes from fellow students and guest choreographers from around the country. Dance Association hosts a student-choreographed concert every year where students are able to showcase their choreography performed by their peers.
HC ISU: What do you like best about dance and what made you want to continue your dance career in college?
ED: I love that dance allows me to express myself or tell a story through movement without having to say a word. Dance is a universal language, and it is my greatest form of expression. Ever since I started, dance has been the center of my life. I knew that I had to continue dancing in college because I would be lost without it. Dance is always on my mind. If I’m not in the studio, then I’m practicing my pieces in my head or choreographing to the songs on the radio. Dance is such a huge part of my life, and it is my number one stress reliever. I knew I couldn’t stop dancing once I got to college.
HC ISU: How do you plan to use your dance experience in your future endeavors?
ED: I would love to explore different opportunities to keep dancing after graduation. I’m an Elementary Education major, so I think it would be cool to see if I could incorporate dance therapy into my classroom. Dance helps me express what I cannot say with words, and dance therapy could help my students in the same way. I’d love to see what opportunities are available to teach or perform as well. No matter where life takes me, I know that I will be involved in the dance community in some way and that dance will always be in my life.
Good luck in your future dance career, Eva, we can’t wait to see where the future will take you!