Name: Victoria Pignataro
Year: Senior
Major: Dance/Concentration: Dance Performance
Hometown: Staten Island, NY
Even after two months with the title, long-time dancer Victoria Pignataro cannot believe that all of her accomplishments thus far at Montclair State University would lead to her being crowned MSU’s very first Homecoming Royale; something she believes her dance career helped her achieve. “Honestly, to this day I don’t believe it until I see the crown sitting on my desk,” said Pignataro, a senior dance major here at MSU.
Pignataro knew that dance would be a part of her life forever since she was two years old, thanks to her sister who taught at the studio she’s attended for her whole life. Now, the hip-hop-loving performer’s life revolves around all types of dance—ballet, modern, and everything else imaginable—ever since she became a Red Hawk and declared Dance as her major. She even used this amazing talent as her performance in the MSU Homecoming Royale Talent Show, which ultimately helped her land the title.
The Staten Island native is one of few out-of-state MSU students and chose to attend Montclair after auditioning at many different colleges. “When I came to Montclair I just had a great feeling,” she said, “I really enjoyed learning from the professors here.”
Once Pignataro settled into her major and was able to handle the demanding hours of classes, rehearsals, and everything else that the major requires, she knew she wanted to get more involved. “I never thought I would join a sorority but now that I’ve been in one for two years, I know I’ve found my lifelong sisters and best friends,” Pignataro said.
When her sorority, Sigma Delta Tau, nominated her as their representative for Homecoming Royale, she knew she would rely on her amazing talent to help her win. The crowd went wild when she performed her show-stopping routine, and Pignataro was awarded the title just a few days later at the Homecoming football game.
This dancing queen never thought that her dance career would turn into a college major, let along help her achieve a Homecoming crown. The soon-to-be college graduate looks forward to seeing what the rest of her dancing career has in store for her. “Montclair has been my home for four years,” she says, “and this was just the perfect thing to end my college career.”
Photo Credit: Victoria Pignataro