I’m the choreographer for many shows, including &Juliet, which is on Broadway now and has a tour in Philly. Being a choreographer is an interesting kind of job. A lot of people don’t know what a choreographer does. I work in theatre on Broadway and internationally, as well as on film. Every project is different. Simply defined, a choreographer is someone who makes up dance steps, but really, you’re also a key storyteller, a key collaborator working with huge teams of people to bring a story to life.

There’s always a way if you’re super passionate about it—if I had been OK being rejected by the other dance companies on campus, I wouldn’t have this career at all.

So much of being a choreographer on a new musical is like cracking the story with the director, the writer, the musical team. None of it exists until you create it. You’re creating the arc of the show: How can we make this moment more emotional or connect to this character in a different way? You really get to put your stamp on it.

&Juliet is a very big piece of my career. But before I even got into the world of theatre, for many years I ran an all-female hip hop company. That was a beginning of my career. From that I created The Hip Hop Nutcracker, which has toured around America and was turned into a special for Disney. It’s the classic score, but reimagined through the language of hip hop. I started that in my Brooklyn loft, and it became this huge thing that brings so much joy to so many people around the country.

At Penn I started a group called Strictly Funk, which was really what I spent my time doing. When I got to college, I had auditioned for—and was rejected by—all the performing arts companies. I really wanted to choreograph. I really wanted to dance. So, I made flyers, hung them around campus, and held an audition. That was the beginning of my career as a director and choreographer. Strictly Funk still exists today. All these years later, people at Penn are still having the experience of being part of that group. Even the logo I created back in my dorm room in the late ’90s is still the logo; I’ve seen people wearing it on t-shirts.

The community and the resources at Penn are part of what was so great about college. I really took advantage of that. When you get outside of a university setting, you just don’t have access in the same way. So, I would say, take advantage of the community, the relationships you can build, the resources you have access to. Take chances. There’s always a way if you’re super passionate about it—if I had been OK being rejected by the other dance companies on campus, I wouldn’t have this career at all. — April 10, 2025 • As told to Michele W. Berger. Photo by Brooke Sietinsons.