With graduation upon us, we spoke to some of CFA’s talented #LMU18 graduates as they gear up to leave LMU and take on the world. In our We Love Our Grads series, we asked a senior from each of our departments to share some words about their time here, as well as their plans for the future.
Abby Miller ‘18
Major: Dance, Minor: Theatre Arts
Next step: Broadway!
How did you decide to major in Dance?
I decided to become a Dance major because dancing is my number one passion. I have known since I was about seven or eight years old that I wanted to be on Broadway when I was older, and once I started taking dance lessons I was completely hooked. My dream of being on Broadway never went away or changed, so I knew wholeheartedly majoring in dance was what I needed to do.
Tell us a little about your time at LMU.
I minor in Theatre Arts – I finally had time to take theatre classes starting junior year, so I figured I might as well add it as a minor and be able to take a lot of fun classes! I have worked in the Dance office the past three years as a peer student advisor, and I work with prospective students that are auditioning for the Dance program, from emailing with them to preparing paperwork for their in-person auditions. I also assist current Dance students and faculty with anything they may need for the department. I am a member of a sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, and in Order of Omega, the Greek Honors Society. I was also a member of Greek Light, and I am on the executive board of LMU’s Chapter of the National Dance Honors Society. Lastly, I went on a trip to Jamaica freshman year as part of the Ignacio Companions program.
What are plans after graduation?
After graduation, I will be moving to New York City to pursue a career in musical theatre. I recently was signed with Movement Talent Agency (MTA) in their musical theatre talent department, so I am very excited to see what that may lead me to. I have known that I wanted to move to New York City since I was a little kid, and have been planning on moving there ever since.
Did you have a particular experience that led you to this path?
I honestly can’t remember if I had a particular experience that led me to want to pursue Broadway and move to New York City, but my dad and I have always loved watching movie musicals. It has always made me so happy to watch musicals and see how the acting, dancing and singing come together. Musicals have always been in my life.
How do you feel your experience at LMU prepared you for this next step?
I think that my experience at LMU has greatly prepared me for this next step because I have had a very well rounded education in many classes that can help me. I have taken Musical Theatre Dance every single semester at LMU and have gotten an incredible combination of dancing, singing and acting from it. All of my other dance and acting classes have also given me various pieces of knowledge and training that will absolutely help me with my future career goals.
What will you miss most about LMU?
The thing I will miss most is the tight-knit community, both in Dance and across the whole school. The Dance Program altogether only has about 70 majors, so we know each other very well and spend time together in class and rehearsal every single day. My fellow senior Dance majors that have been with me since freshman year are my best friends and the people who know me best, and I will definitely miss all of them.
What advice do you have for underclassmen?
My biggest piece of advice is to go for your goals! If there is something you are interested in pursuing, go for it. Don’t be afraid to add a major or minor in something you are passionate about and reach out to people who might have advice or be able to help you reach your goals. Also, do what makes you happy and what makes you, you. Don’t listen to someone who tries to tell you what to do or how to act, and only surround yourself with people who make you feel proud to be who you are already! Find people who encourage and support you, and remember that you don’t need those who won’t do that.
Pictured above: Abby performing in “Pardon Our Dust,” choreographed by Rosalynde LeBlanc Loo for the Fall 2017 Dance Concert. Photo by Jason Muñoz.