“It’s intense.”
That’s what IU junior Maddie Brown had to say when asked about the rigor of Indiana University’s ballet program. Maddie is currently studying ballet at the Jacobs School of Music with a double major in management through the Kelley School of Business.
“Ballet dancers like to be busy, we like to always keep our mind moving and stuff like that so I enjoy the rigor of it,” Maddie said.
From freshmen year up until their senior year, IU ballet dancers take classes and undergo rehearsals every Monday through Friday from 11:15 am until 5:45 pm. For students like Maddie, their time outside of the studio is spent taking other classes pertinent to their second major. While it may seem like a lot, this kind of availability to pursue other passions is exactly why so many students come to IU for ballet. Maddie hopes to dance professionally following graduation but is keeping her options open.
“If not dancing, then something involved in the business side of the performing arts,” she said. “So that’s why I am doing both in college.”
Another reason students choose IU for ballet is the program’s prestige. Sarah Wroth is the IU Ballet Department Chair and a professor for the program. She says that IU ballet is “the best in the nation for sure. For collegiate dance programs, absolutely. And very high on the list for pre-professional programs in general.”
