Ever since Chelsea Duncan ‘12 was a tiny tot growing up in Denver, Colorado, she loved to move. At the age of three she discovered that her passion for movement actually had a name: dance. She soon fell in love with everything about it, saying, “When I dance I am completely in the moment. It is the only time I am fully aware of where I am in the present and what my body is doing.” Chelsea took ballet classes from when she was three to sixteen years old and her current favorite styles are Jazz and Hip Hop, but she enjoys all types of dance.
Her love for dance and movement has greatly influenced her choice to become a Kinesiology major and to possibly become a physical therapist. She says she loves Kinesiology because “it’s a perfect marriage between my love of dance movement and my love of human physiology.” With a career as a physical therapist she hopes to help athletes, particularly dancers, recover from injuries and to prevent them from getting injuries in the future.
Dancing at Oxy
Her love for dance hasn’t stopped since coming to Occidental. In fact part of her decision to attend Oxy was because she found out she could dance as well as become a science major. For all of her four years she has been involved in Oxy’s Dance Team and Dance Production. In regards to Dance Pro, she says, “I love to perform and it was such a great opportunity to do that! Dance Production is unique and so widely supported, I just haven’t stopped loving it ever since!” She loved Dance Production so much that she decided to choreograph dances during her sophomore and senior year. She comments, “It was difficult but so much fun to work with my peers, especially beginner dancers and see them really come alive on stage. It’s so rewarding to see your piece come together and see the choreography live through your dancers.”
Occidental’s Dance team has also been a big part of her life. When asked who her biggest inspiration is in regards to dance she raves about her team, saying, “They constantly inspire me! They challenge me to always be the best dancer I can be.” Another huge inspiration is her mother. Chelsea exclaims, “My mother is strong, driven, courageous and constantly supportive of me. I hope that in the future I can inspire woman the way she has inspired me.”
Other Activities
Besides dancing, Chelsea is involved in many other activities and has achieved a lot in her four years at Occidental. Just this past weekend Chelsea encountered her biggest life achievement thus far: presenting her summer research (on the Biomechanics of Pirouettes in Elite Female Dancers) in Reno, Nevada at the Southwest American College of Sports Medicine Conference. She says, “It was an incredibly inspiring experience! I met some of the biggest names in Kinesiology and felt connected to the Kinesiology community in a way I never thought possible. It really solidified for me that Kinesiology is what I want to do with my life.”
Her other achievements include working for Project S.A.F.E, which “informs Oxy about sexual assault and advocates for Oxy’s Zero Tolerance Policy towards rape”, and she is on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, which works to increase Oxy’s spirit and pride. Currently, the committee is working on ways to encourage non-athletics students to come to Oxy’s games.
When Chelsea isn’t dancing non-stop or taking part in her many other activities she claims to have “a weird obsession with reality TV”, which includes watching the Kardashians. She also loves hanging out with her “incredible, supportive friends”.
Advice for any HerCampus readers?
“If you find what you’re passionate about, STICK WITH IT! Finding what I love, both dance and Kinesiology, has made me fully embrace the present and makes me really excited for my future!”
Photo credit: Chris Ellis Photography