Name: Jillian Roberts
Year: Sophomore
Major: Marketing and Public Relations
Fun Fact: I’m a member of Alpha Kappa Psi (a coed Business fraternity)
Penn State’s new dance company, Peace.Love.Lyrical., is nothing short of spectacular and it is all thanks to the founder and President, Jillian Roberts. Lyrical is a style of dance that incorporates ballet, jazz, and modern. Roberts, a sophomore, organized an executive board of eight members, held auditions in early September, and now runs a company of 34 dancers ranging from freshmen to seniors. Practices are held twice a week from 10 p.m. to midnight and because the group has already had so much success, Roberts was recently granted permission to hold a technique class on Sundays from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The group has already performed at multiple locations on campus during Homecoming week, had a fall showcase in the White Building (with an audience-filled room), and was selected to perform at THON 2012. Roberts is so happy she can give girls the opportunity to keep dancing throughout college and is thankful for every single one of her dancers because after all, Peace.Love.Lyrical. would be nothing without them. Her Campus caught up with Roberts after a late night practice and asked a few questions about the campus celebrity’s success, future goals, and passion for dance.
HC: What are you looking forward to the most for Peace.Love.Lyrical?
Jillian: The thing I’m looking forward to the most is watching this club progress throughout my years as a student here and the years past that. I’m so excited to see what we can accomplish together.
HC: What was it like starting a new group on campus?
Jillian: It was so exciting! Everything went so smoothly because of the amazing girls on our exec board and our adviser, Meg Brower. Everyone was as equally passionate about starting this club as I was, and that is why it has been so successful so far. I love looking back at the first semester because we came so far. Just thinking about how a year ago Peace. Love. Lyrical. was just an idea in my head, and now there are 34 members and we’ve had multiple performances. It’s absolutely amazing.
HC: What is your vision for the future of Peace.Love.Lyrical? Do you think it will progress even after you graduate?
Jillian: I definitely think it will progress after I graduate. I can tell the girls in this club are so passionate about it, and that kind of passion is what will bring this club success in the future. I have no doubt in my mind that Peace. Love. Lyrical. will accomplish great things even when I’m gone.
HC: What does dance mean to you?
Jillian: Dance means everything to me. It is definitely the one thing I can always count on in my life to make me happy. I’ve been dancing all my life (since I was five), so dance really is my life. I look forward to rehearsal each night, especially after a hectic day. Dancing is the biggest and best stress reliever. It is something I know I’ll always be passionate about and something I’ll always love.