Staci DumoskiLauren Bramlett ’23 always knew she would double major. While dance was a passion, she sought balance in her education and future career. Along the way she discovered that her choice of English (with a concentration in literature, rhetoric and cultural studies) was the perfect complement for her dance performance major.
“I have found that my English major makes me think about dance a lot more critically, which has helped me as a choreographer and a dancer,” she says. “And my dance major helps me with English – to see connections and see language as something more tactile and less abstract.”
A Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) allowed her to fully explore the intersection. She did a rhetorical analysis of 50 years of famous dance pieces (1950-2000) as a response to societal movements. The project included a performance piece with choreography drawn from her research.
Her academic record includes an impressive slate of awards, but Bramlett has most enjoyed connecting with the campus community, including working as an orientation leader, serving in the Student Government Association, writing for The Panther student newspaper and serving on the editorial board of Calliope Art and Literary Magazine as well as a number of student advisory boards. This year, she was co-president of the Chapman Dance Alliance.
Bramlett will pursue a dance career after graduation, starting with a seven-month fellowship with Jacob’s Pillow, a dance festival, school and performance space in Becket, Mass.
