“The Duke Dance Program was the center of my Duke experience,” said Betsy Boxberger, (T’13) recipient of the 2013 Julia Wray award.
Betsy graduated in 2013 with a double major in Dance and Environmental Science. Her senior performance concert entitled Choreocycle featured a multimedia-enhanced presentation of several solos by choreographers Marius Petipa and George Balanchine, as well as her own choreography exploring aesthetic elements of classicism and neo-classicism.
“In the course of my four years at Duke, I progressed from a technically-focused dance student to a more mature performer,” Betsy said.
"I learned to incorporate new dimensions of expression in my dancing. The combination of both studio technique courses and lecture-based theory courses gave me a deeper understanding of the art. I learned how to analyze dance from multiple aspects, studying the history, structure, and concepts of dance, in addition to the physical movement. The interactions among the faculty and the students created an environment that encouraged development and collaboration. The incredibly talented individuals I danced alongside taught me as much as the courses did. Most importantly, the program gave me the tools to continue my artistic growth. I’m excited to start my dance career, but I will always miss the times I spent dancing in the Ark.”
Betsy began her professional performing career in the fall of 2013 with a position at Ballet Quad Cities.
Dance Program