Ballet Alumna Annie Morgan Hired by GroundWorks DanceTheater, Named Dance Magazine's "Top 25 to Watch" Alumni Profile
Meet Annie Morgan
- Job Title & Employer
- Dance Artist, GroundWorks DanceTheater
- Major/Program
- Dance (ballet)
- Graduation
- April 2018
- College Activities
- Working in the Student Center
- Scholarships
- Merit Scholarship and Loti Falk Dance Scholarship
- Hometown
- Birmingham, Ala.
- High School
- The Alabama School of Fine Arts
- Now Living In
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Hobbies & Interests
- Choreography, attending estate sales, hunting for vintage furniture/clothes, traveling
"Annie came to GroundWorks with well-developed technical training primarily in ballet, but clearly with solid exposure to other modern and contemporary forms. Beyond the development of these physical skills, I applaud Point Park for keeping alive the sense of possibility that Annie shares in all her work with GroundWorks. This continues to be a part of who Annie is and how she continues to grow.”
"The faculty recognized my potential and pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of. I felt nurtured and cared for — both as an artist and a human being."
Why did you choose Point Park University’s dance program?
I attended Point Park’s six week summer intensive for two summers in high school. I felt at home in their gorgeous dance studios and loved being in the middle of Downtown Pittsburgh. It felt like the natural choice to go to Point Park and I cannot imagine attending any other school.
In what ways did your Point Park experience prepare you for your career?
The faculty recognized my potential and pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of. I felt nurtured and cared for — both as an artist and a human being. Training with guest choreographers was a highlight of my time in the Conservatory of Performing Arts. Working with choreographers who are active and current in the field really taught me how to work quickly, be versatile and how to network.
Additionally, my classmates at Point Park are truly the reason I have been successful in my career. They encouraged one another to do better, work harder, and be present every day in the studio and on stage. The constant support and feeling of peer accountability are what really drove, and really what still drives me to always try and better my work.
Tell us about your current job.
I am in my second season as a dance artist with GroundWorks DanceTheater. We are a contemporary based company with five, full-time dancers out of Cleveland, Ohio. I auditioned for the company during my senior year at Point Park and immediately fell in love with the work. I started two weeks after graduating in April 2018. GroundWorks is a process-heavy company. This means that the dancers are integral in the creation of a new work. Being so involved in process has resulted in a new love for creating and choreographing. In addition to work in the studio, I am a teaching artist for our outreach programs throughout Cleveland and Akron, and run GroundWorks’ social media.
You were recently featured in Dance Magazine’s Top 25 to Watch. What does that recognition mean to you as an artist?
My recent feature in Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” was an absolute honor and very unexpected. Often as a dancer, there’s this innate feeling of selfishness that many, including myself, experience. We spend hours a day, staring at ourselves in the mirror and perfecting our movement. It’s such a reassuring feeling to know that audience members feel that they can relate to my performance — whether it be because of the story behind the work, or the emotion that I am presenting on stage. I actually met Steve Sucato (who nominated and interviewed me) while at Point Park. He has been following my performance career through college and now in my professional life.
Video featuring Annie Morgan from Dance Magazine
What advice do you have for prospective dance majors?
Eat up every bit of information that is thrown your way. Sift through that information and keep what serves you and your art. I still reference back to specific lectures and concepts my professors taught me. Stay true to yourself. Directors crave employees who can carry a conversation, crack a joke and speak their mind.
Connect with Annie Morgan
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