Cecilia Mitchell, Dance
Cecilia Mitchell came to Stockton with aspirations of dancing professionally and the support of her parents and previous dance instructors to live out her dreams.
“I started my dance journey at a very young age,” she said. “When I realized how much dedication and passion I was putting into it, I knew that I didn’t want to stop.”
The Montclair native found a home in Stockton’s Dance program, where her peers and instructors have helped her prepare for the next phase of her career. But it hasn’t always been easy.
“Being a type one diabetic for almost 16 years is still a large obstacle that I am learning to deal with,” she said. “I look at it as a blessing in disguise, as dancing helps with the management of my glucose levels. With dance being extremely active, it makes my diabetes easier to control and monitor.”
Additionally, she has learned the importance of perseverance and staying optimistic heading into a career where Black women are underrepresented. “I have had to prepare myself for what the professional world is going to be like as a minority,” she said.
“One of my goals is to give young Black girls the opportunities that I didn't get the chance to receive and provide a safe space for them to feel beautiful in their own skin,” Mitchell said. “With the existing racial and gender disparities in our nation, my main priority as a future dance educator and professional performer is to bring inspiration and hope to young Black girls through dance.
Through the Dance program, Mitchell has learned so much in terms of performing, choreographing dances, teaching and dealing with the injuries dancers are more prone to encounter.
Mitchell’s career goals include traveling and performing in different countries to share her art in unfamiliar and new environments. She seized the opportunity to do just that with a trip to Greece, where she performed her solo Spring as an opener to the Early Jewish Agricultural Settlements Exhibition at the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle in Thessaloniki, Greece.
One of my goals is to give young Black girls the opportunities that I didn't get the chance to receive and provide a safe space for them to feel beautiful in their own skin. With the existing racial and gender disparities in our nation, my main priority as a future dance educator and professional performer is to bring inspiration and hope to young Black girls through dance.
On the trip, Mitchell also had the opportunity to explore Greek culture, try amazing foods, see historical sites, and meet people who were also in the performing arts field.
After graduation, Mitchell plans to continue dancing and working on her craft, using the fundamentals she learned at Stockton as the foundation for her next chapter. She hopes to one day return to Stockton and the Dance program as a professional guest artist or as part of a residency program.
“I have had the opportunity to perform with professional dancers and choreographers in the field, dance professionally, create dances, teach classes, speak on student panels, travel abroad, be a teacher’s assistant, and take part in many service-learning opportunities,” she said of her time here at Stockton.
“With these amazing opportunities, I hope that I can take what I’ve learned and use them to the best of my ability when going into the professional world.”
Photo by Melissa Hernandez featuring choreography of Lauren Putty-White.
