I have no rhythm. I trip over myself simply walking down the street. I am nowhere near what one would consider as a dancer. Despite all these, I am a major proponent of highlighting the importance of the arts in the community and making them accessible to anyone. I have always been more artistically inclined, but I’ve never been sure how to apply it to a legitimate career. As part of my high school’s academic internship program, I am given the chance to see exactly how both are achieved in the professional world.
After only a week as an intern at Malashock Dance, I am already amazed by how much is involved in keeping Malashock Dance running. As expected, running a non-profit organization is not easy, but the level of involvement from all facets of it is daunting, yet motivating. Not yet out of high school, it is really interesting to see what I can possibly achieve in later years. Being surrounded by the staff of Malashock Dance also helps me set my ever-changing standards for myself as well. After my three weeks with Malashock Dance, I hope to have more insight into what goes into running an art-oriented organization - even the more administrative side of running the company - so I have a little more direction when I choose a college/career path. The skills I take away from this experience can also be applied to the leadership positions I take on in and out of school. I want to know what makes the company more productive, and what holds it back, along with what steps are involved in hosting a major event like a fundraiser or dance performance. Above all, I look forward to learning from the staff at Malashock Dance and hopefully leaving a little more savvy than I was before.
As a recent dance graduate (Laban, London), interested in pursuing a career in Arts Management, I left Great Britain with my sights set on the American west coast. Having worked for the organization Dance UK I was keen to learn whats happening in Dance across the pond. After dodging the volcanic ash, traveling 15 hours and finally declared not a terrorist so safe to enter the United States…. I arrived. All this in order to spend 3 months with the Malashock Dance office team in Point Loma, San Diego.
