Senior Spotlight: Sarah Mitchell

Her freshman year, Sarah Mitchell lived next door to Anna Roberto, and knew she was part of a student-run dance group. During first semester, Sarah immediately started missing dance, and was eager to find a way to start up again. Anna told her about Prelude, Sarah auditioned for the Spring 2011 semester, and the rest, as they say, is history! 

Prelude Dance Ensemble: What was your dance experience like before Prelude? 

Sarah Mitchell: I have been dancing since I can remember. I danced on-and-off in elementary school and then began non-stop in fifth grade, joining the Decatur City Dance Company in eighth grade and added my high school dance company sophomore year. So, I was dancing AT LEAST once a day after that, usually twice. It was a huge part of my life. I got my classical ballet and jazz from DCD and contemporary from visiting choreographers in my high school.

PDE: Dance has stayed a big part of your life, it seems…you’re of course dedicated to Prelude, but you’re also always watching dance videos (a number of which you regularly share with us on our Facebook group). Any favorite videos?

SM: Haha, I love this question. I feel a compulsion to share any dance videos that I feel are either really well danced, choreographed, or both. I follow a lot of choreographers so I’m always sharing, but I think I’ve shared a good deal of Kyle Hanagami’s choreography. It’s pretty funny to me since most of his work is hip-hop but I think that really well executed hip-hop can be really wonderful to watch and I’m always eager to show Prelude since I know that, as dancers, they will appreciate how well these dancers in the video can come together.

Photoshoot for the Spring 2013 show, "Lost and Found"

PDE: Following a lot of choreographers makes sense, as you’re quite the choreographer yourself! If you could choose anyone to choreograph with, who would it be and why?

SM: This is really difficult. People might judge me for choosing a choreographer from So You Think You Can Dance, but I absolutely love how Stacey Tookey choreographs and can make the most beautiful shapes with people’s bodies! I would love to work with her. She also just seems really nice! Haha, but mostly the lines thing. She makes great lines.

PDE: What typically inspires you and your choreography? Will you discuss your choreographic process a little bit?

Leading rehearsal for her Opener piece, "Dust," Fall 2013

SM: Sometimes a song is all I need to see a completed piece, but the dances that I don’t get tired of choreographing are the ones that have some sort of meaning behind them. I can get really tired of listening to one song over and over again, but the driving force behind it keeps me going, and it means more to me if there’s a feeling that goes with it. It can be really satisfying to get your emotions or feelings out there in a piece if it’s done well.

PDE: You’ve choreographed a number of Opener/Closer pieces that incorporate the whole ensemble. What motivates or inspires you to choreograph these big group pieces, and what are some of the challenges or benefits of doing them?

SM: I like doing Opener/Closer pieces because I think that choreographing for a range of abilities is really a fun challenge. My goal is always to make everyone look good. I try to never make anyone do something they don’t feel comfortable with. It’s a challenge because it’s so many people! But I love working with everyone in Prelude, though, and making Mondays/Wednesdays as relaxed (and productive) as possible.

PDE: What is your favorite dance that you’ve choreographed?

SM: “These Arms of Mine” or “17” or “The Winner Is.” They all represent different parts of my time with Prelude and different times in my life in general.

PDE: What’re your top 3 favorite dances you’ve performed with Prelude?

The company after Sarah's first show, Spring 2011

SM: Wow, I am so unsure! I really liked the duet with Ashleigh (“17”) and Grace’s from last semester (“Epilogue”) and I will let the third represent all of them because I can’t even begin to pick just three.

PDE: What’s your favorite dance performance you’ve been to while at UGA?

SM: I saw Pilobolus recently when their traveling company came to UGA. It was such a great reminder of how our bodies can be used as tools/instruments as well as how powerful we are. It was really dynamic and impressive.

PDE: What are some of your favorite Prelude memories?  

SM: Probably rehearsals, after an hour or more when we all start getting really tired and silly. It’s a fun group to be with even when you really want to go home.

PDE: What’s your proudest accomplishment in Prelude?

SM: Any dance I’ve choreographed. Each one has its own challenges. So, at the end, each one feels like a new challenge completed.

PDE: What’s your favorite show that you’ve been involved in with Prelude?

SM: Each show is different, but usually the shows when I’m most involved. Last semester I was only in about three dances because I was an apprentice member and I felt so detached! I’m so glad I became a full member again for my last semester!

Performing "17" with Ashleigh Starnes, Spring 2012

PDE: How do you feel about this semester being your last Prelude show?

SM: I am having some very mixed feelings! I am so excited because I’m in as many dances as possible but I also tried to choreograph as much as possible because I don’t know when I’ll get to put my choreography in a performance again! I think it should be a great show, though! At least I’m ending on a good note, for sure.

PDE: What will you miss most about Prelude?

SM: I’ll miss the relaxed and supportive atmosphere and I will definitely miss being able to choreograph. It’s such a good outlet for me and it feels really constructive to make something, so I don’t think I’ll stop even if I just choreograph in my room. However, I won’t have the awesome Prelude dancers as my instruments anymore!

PDE: What do you think Prelude contributes to UGA as a whole?

SM: As far as I can tell, Prelude is the best dance community anyone can find who doesn’t want to major in dance. You still get to have dance be part of your weekly routine and learn about other people’s dancing experience. It’s a really supportive environment and so so fun!

Photoshoot for the program for the Spring 2012 show, "Love, Dance, Swag"

Sarah will graduate in May with a degree in Anthropology, a minor in Spanish, and a certificate in Global Health. She will be attending graduate school to earn a Master’s of Public Health. She plans on continuing to dance, even if it just means taking classes, as she “can’t really imagine feeling complete without having some aspect of dance as part of my routine.”

Sarah, we will miss you and all you’ve brought to the company the past few years. Good luck this weekend!

Be sure to see Sarah and the rest of our seniors in their last show, “Compass,” April 13 at the East Athens Educational Dance Center.

Senior Spotlight: Caroline Powell

Because she graduated a semester early, Caroline Powell won't be performing in this semester's show. But we couldn’t think of doing “Senior Spotlights” without her, considering all she’s contributed to the company over her six semesters with us! Caroline first heard about Prelude from Tatum Mortimer, who was already a member and knew Caroline from dancing together back home. By Spring 2011, second semester of her freshman year, Caroline was missing having dance in her life, so she decided to audition. Since then, she’s performed in six shows and choreographed countless pieces, always making Prelude a priority (even when she was hobbling around with a sprained ankle). Find out why Prelude was such a big part of her life in college:

Prelude Dance Ensemble: What was it like performing in your last Prelude show?

Caroline Powell: It was really hard. I thought that it wouldn’t be as hard, but getting closer to the end made it increasingly difficult to let it go. It’s especially hard because I don’t know when or where I will be able to continue dancing.

PDE: What do you miss most about dancing with Prelude?

CP: I absolutely miss the people. Every member was able to inspire me in their own way. If I was having an awful day, I knew that there would be someone there to make me smile. When I had my sprained ankle, I was so grateful for everyone’s patience and concern for me. It is just such an incredible camaraderie that I wouldn’t trade for anything. And I know that everyone goes their separate ways at some point, but these are truly incredible people that I hope to never lose.

PDE: What was your dance experience like before joining Prelude?
CP: My dance experience before Prelude was a real mixed bag. I came from a professionally oriented dance company from back home, so my training was pretty strict. We did The Nutcracker annually and had a recital every spring. I did everything from pointe to jazz to hip-hop and modern dance.

Performing in her first Prelude show, Spring 2011

PDE: After all that strict training, how did being a part of Prelude contribute to your growth as an artist?

CP: I have gained so much from my time in Prelude. The freedom to choreograph and really dance the way that I wanted to, surrounded by people who had the same passion as I do, was such an incredible environment to be in.

PDE: How did coming from a ballet-focused background influence your choreography and style?

CP: Being so ballet focused, it was always pretty easy for me to put a name to a step. As much as I talk about getting to choreograph and dance the way that I wanted to, ballet was always there in the background. There were always set counts and that discipline that had been ingrained in me over the previous 15 years. So, I claim to have a “Caroline Style.” I think that’s pretty fair in the sense that it’s a mix between classical ballet and really dancing for your heart.

PDE: What typically inspires you in your choreography? Will you discuss your choreographic process a little bit?

Performing "Halcyon," Fall 2013

CP: I usually find a song that means something to me. It is usually something that is important in my life at the time. It might only relate for a week or so, but that week has the ability to inspire some incredible choreography. In terms of the process, honestly, I choreograph all over the place. Certain parts of songs call for different things and “speak” to me in different ways. So I might choreograph the end of the dance before I’ve even started it. I usually choreograph without a mirror, which makes it pretty difficult to truly picture how it’s going to look. It makes for some interesting pieces.

PDE: What’s your proudest accomplishment in Prelude?

CP: My greatest accomplishment was managing to choreograph opener and closer pieces as well as perform in the show while I had a severely sprained ankle.

PDE: You mention choreographing opener and closer, which you’ve actually done multiple times. What motivates you to choreograph these big group pieces, and what are some of the challenges or benefits of doing them?

CP: The semester I did Opener and Closer, those were two songs that were very near and dear to my heart. Needtobreathe, “The Great Unknown,” was our opener, and the song was talking about how you need to expose yourself to different things in life. You need to be able to have an open perspective to whatever is going on around you. That is how you learn and grow and evolve into the person you want to be. I felt that was a good message, and I ran with it. And Closer was “What Do I Stand For,” which clearly has an incredible meaning to it as well. I felt like I truly got to know my dancers too in painting the shirts for that piece. [For this dance, everyone wore shirts made by Caroline that said, “What do I stand for?” on the back, with their own personal answer to that question on the front.] Each dancer found something they were passionate about and danced for that themselves. But, as a group, we danced for each other and for sharing each other’s passions.

Wearing the "What do I stand for?" shirts, Fall 2012

PDE: What is your favorite dance that you’ve choreographed?

CP: “Masked” (Phantom) or “Cosmic Love.” 

PDE: What’re your top 3 favorite dances you’ve performed with Prelude?
CP: “Cosmic Love,” “Gravity,” and " The Beginning" (Hemali's Beyonce dance). 

PDE: What’re your top 3 favorite Prelude dances (that you haven’t necessarily been in)?
CP: “Kaay Fecc” (African), “Masked” (Phantom), and “Den of Thieves” (Grace’s 500 Days of Summer dance). 

PDE: What’s your favorite dance performance that you’ve been to while at UGA?
CP: I really loved the CORE show in the spring of 2012. It was really incredible.

PDE: What are some of your favorite Prelude memories?

CP: Hands down, my number one favorite memory is the cuddle puddle. It was a time for all of us to get a little goofy and just get close as a company. I’m also pretty fond of the emergency rehearsal we had a couple years ago that was just so messy…there just aren’t even words. I mean, Prelude was a family for me, so any time we got together was really special to me. It was such a diverse group of people that all had the ability to come together and share in something special.

Cuddle Puddle at Caroline's last Prelude show, "Mirror, Mirror," Fall 2013

PDE: What’s your favorite show you’ve been involved in with Prelude?

CP: I really don’t think that I can choose just one show. I think that the semester we allowed new members to choreograph was the most diverse [Fall 2012]. It was really cool to see the talent of all of our new members. There are certain shows that mean more to me than others, just because of dances I did. When I had the pleasure of choreographing Opener AND Closer, it was really amazing for me to see the entire company come together to do something I had created.

PDE: What do you think Prelude contributes to UGA as a whole?
CP: I think that Prelude is a place for everyone, which is super important. There are clubs that claim they are all inclusive, but a lot of the time it’s clique-y or you don’t get in because you “lack” various certain skills. Prelude is a truly diverse group of people that come together to share in something that they love. We learn together and grow together. You know that there will always be someone you can turn to in a time of need. It’s an encouraging, positive environment, which is just everything I could have ever needed at UGA.

Performing her own choreography, "Goodbye Darling," for the show, "Lost and Found," Spring 2013

Caroline graduated in December 2013 with a degree in Business Management and a minor in Fashion Merchandising. While she would love to find a way to continue dancing somehow, she’s currently busy as Epting Events’ newest Event Coordinator Assistant here in Athens. She’s also busy helping plan her sister’s wedding…a good start towards her long-term goal of becoming an event coordinator, through which she’ll be able to “give people their dream events, from weddings to reunions and everything in between.”

Caroline, we miss you already but look forward to seeing you in the audience on April 13!

Be sure to join Caroline in that audience to see our company perform in “Compass,” April 13 at the East Athens Educational Dance Center.  

Senior Spotlight: Margaret Hruschka

Margaret Hruschka is undoubtedly one of the most passionate members of Prelude, something she demonstrates (and has demonstrated over her four years of membership) in all she does as our Chief Officer, as a choreographer (she’s choreographed twelve pieces for Prelude over the years), as a performer, and last but certainly not least, as a supportive and encouraging member of the Prelude family. Margaret became a part of that family in the fall of 2010, her first semester of freshman year. Having enjoyed dancing in middle school and high school, she was looking for a way to get involved in dance on campus while meeting new people. Luckily for us, Margaret saw an ad for auditions hanging up in Myers, and she got both of the things she was looking for: an opportunity to dance, as well as a group of people who would become some of her closest friends in college. Here’s what she had to say about it all:

Prelude Dance Ensemble: What was your dance experience like before joining Prelude?

Margaret Hruschka: I did baby ballet and tap when I was 4 and then danced a few times a week during middle school and early high school (ballet, tap, jazz, pointe).

PDE: Has Prelude helped you grow in your technique, confidence onstage, choreographic creativity, etc?

MH: Yes, undoubtedly. The difference in my dance ability between now and freshman year is astounding. Will and I discuss this and we’re both impressed with ourselves and how much we’ve grown. Before Prelude, I had only dreamed of creating a piece to the song “So She Dances” by Josh Groban. Through Prelude I not only did so but also 11 other pieces that are vastly different.

Performing "Dust," Fall 2013

PDE: Like you said, you’ve choreographed all sorts of dances: jazz, contemporary, pointe, belly dance…What motivates you to choreograph in a particular genre?

MH: I don’t have much background in any one style. I have a small amount of knowledge about a lot of styles and thus I choreograph dances that are more varied than what Prelude generally has. I want to dance in those styles and in order to make something happen you often have to do it yourself!

PDE: How did you get involved in so many different genres?

MH: I’m just random. I had basic training in the more traditional dance styles before college [ballet, jazz] but when I got here I started exploring every dance event I could. Ballroom Dance Club, Athens Swing Night, and Ramsey Bellydance allowed me to learn completely new styles in the short time I’ve been here. 

PDE: So what typically inspires the choreography itself?

MH: I like to experiment with the new styles I’ve learned. I find a song or have a style in mind and create pieces that I would want to perform. My pieces are generally very character-based and less emotional except for two. “In Memory” and “Oblivion” are extremely emotional; the first was dedicated to my late grandparents and the second about graduation and the bonds we have from Prelude. I was able to create those pieces because of the contemporary pieces I learned through Prelude. [Note: you’ll have to come to our show on April 13 to see “Oblivion.”]

PDE: Can you talk a little about your choreographic process? You often choreograph larger group pieces, so how do you visualize formations and the movement of formations working with those big groups?

MH: Well, I write everything down. And I watch a lot of dance videos. I tend towards large movements that take up a lot of the stage and I want people to change positions a good deal. In order to make it not look like a mess I end up making fairly complicated charts/diagrams/powerpoints so that I get everyone where I need them. I’m not sure if I visualize them particularly well; instead, I just choreograph dances that have lots of people that need lots of arranging.

Performing "Right Here, Right Now," Fall 2013 

PDE: What is your favorite dance that you’ve choreographed?

MH: “In Memory” or “Right Here, Right Now [Party]” or “Trust In Me” or “Show Me.” 

PDE: What’re your top 3 favorite dances you’ve done with Prelude?

MH: “Candyman,”  “For No One,” and “Harder to Breathe.”

PDE: What’re your top 3 favorite Prelude dances (that you haven’t necessarily been in)?

MH: “New School vs. Old School Hip Hop,” “These Arms of Mine,” “Give Me Love,” “Every Time You Go,” “Falling,” and “A Little Bit” (this is hard). [Note: again, you’ll have to come to our show to see “Give Me Love” and “Falling.”]

PDE: What’s your favorite dance performance that you’ve seen while at UGA?

MH: Prelude’s Fall 2012 show! Outside of Prelude—Canopy’s performances are always stunning and the DanceFX Company Holiday Concert inspired me tremendously.

PDE: What are some of your favorite Prelude memories?

MH; Aerofit, street-painting, pool parties, random warm-ups, getting new lifts, getting together to choreograph in Ramsey and just fooling around until the dance works itself out. I spend so much time with Prelude people and it’s all great. Prelude has created many of my best college memories, even when we’re all exhausted.

Rehearsing "The Show Must Go On" with Chris Wages, Spring 2011 

PDE: What have been the greatest difficulties or challenges of being an officer?

MH: Getting people to read/respond to emails. Getting people in one place to rehearse outside of practice. As college students we’re all very busy and those small challenges are really the most difficult. The rest of it just falls in place because everyone is willing to put in the effort to make Prelude great.

PDE: The greatest rewards?

MH: I love seeing us get a tricky bit of choreography or an individual mastering a double turn that they’ve been working on forever. It’s always a delight when new members choreograph for the first time and seeing the new ideas and ways to challenge us that they each bring to Prelude is awesome.

PDE: What advice do you have for future officers?

MH: Think ahead. Write everything down. Use time creatively. Most of all, truly enjoy Prelude and the people in it. We’re able to do amazing things and we’ve become a known entity on campus—our dancers are beautiful and our choreography is stunning. It’s such an awesome thing to do the background work to make Prelude happen, so enjoy it.

PDE: What’s your proudest accomplishment in Prelude?

MH: I don’t know! I would say that being able to involve Prelude in the dance community with things like the Children First benefit, CHROMA fundraiser, Dance Athens, and Raise Your Hand has been really exciting.  

Warming up for Dance Athens, Fall 2013

PDE: What do you think Prelude contributes to UGA as a whole?

MH: With its members and alumni, I think it’s a great place to continue dancing, improve, try new things, and be utterly supported while you struggle. It’s a community and we help each other with so many things, inside and outside of dance. Additionally, Prelude has become a known entity at UGA and in the Athens community, which is pretty incredible for a 5-year old organization. We volunteer with various charities and have partnerships with organizations that allow us to present our shows for free to the public. I think we try to encourage everyone to dance no matter their previous training and that’s really unusual.

PDE: Prelude is 5-years old, and you’ve been a part of it for 4 of those years. What has it been like to see so many people come and go through Prelude and see it evolve over time?

MH: I miss so many people. And I’m going to miss so many more. It’s sad to watch people graduate and know that I won’t be dancing with them anymore. But getting to meet all the new people and have everyone become part of Prelude is wonderful and I love you all. Each semester they group dynamic changes dramatically but we remain a community of interesting people who are joined by a common interest in dancing.

PDE: How do you feel about this being your last Prelude show?

MH: Awful. I’m proud of everyone and I can’t believe we’re here but I’m just not going to think about that now. I’m sure I’ll be crying my makeup off by the end of the show (hopefully not the beginning).

PDE: What will you miss most about Prelude?

MH: I’m going to miss my Monday and Wednesday nights. Being able to dance and learn with people has been awesome and I don’t know what I’ll do without it. Prelude has meant so much to me for these four years and has been such a space to develop and grow within a supportive group. It’s going to be a shock to leave something that has become so integral to my daily life.

Photoshoot for the Spring 2013 show, "Lost and Found"

After graduating in May with a Masters in Public Administration, an AB in Linguistics, and minors in Spanish and Arabic, Margaret plans on working abroad in nonprofit organizations, through AIESEC and then individually. Long-term, she would like to run nonprofits in the US. She plans on continuing dancing in some way, shape, or form!

Thank you for all your years of hard work and dedication, Margaret. Break a leg come April 13!

Be sure to see Margaret and the rest of our seniors in their last show, “Compass,”  

April 13 at the East Athens Educational Dance Center.