Rose Anne Thom - Teaching Me To Dance

I made a rash decision in my first year of college to study dance. I had never danced before (other than a few tap classes in the early 90’s), and here I was about to enter dance at a college level. At Sarah Lawrence College its not that odd to try something for the first time, but all of my high school friends, my parents, and even fellow first year students were highly skeptical.

I didn’t know modern dance from ballet, but my academic advisor didn’t seem phased. Assigned to me by the registrar who saw I was interested in dance, Rose Anne Thom, the dance history professor, did exactly what an academic advisor should. She put me in all beginning classes, answered numerous questions about ballet slippers, how to remember modern dance combinations (for there were no helpful terms like in ballet), and who exactly were members of the Judson Church group, and told me I would get through it when I found trying to catch up to people with several years of experience more than frustrating.

I started as a complete novice thinking I would quit after one year. With the help of Rose Anne Thom, and all the other faculty at Sarah Lawrence College who told me I could do it if I practiced hard enough, I am now able to handle an intermediate dance class almost anywhere. I will never be a principle at ABT or dance for Merce, but with the practical encouragement Rose Anne gave me, I will be dancing for my friends for the rest of my life.