Alumni Highlight - Cecilia Mitchell
Cecilia Mitchell grew up in Montclair, NJ, where she devoted her time training at Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts (SMAPA) and performing around her community. Mitchell graduated with a BA in Dance Performance from Stockton University in May of 2022 and is currently freelancing with teaching, choreographing, and performing on the east coast. She was heavily involved in the Stockton University Dance Company where she had the opportunity to work with all dance faculty and guest artists, Caroline Fermin, Tiffany Mills, Meredith Rainy, Salena Pettaway and Lauren Putty White. Mitchell has performed professionally at the Koresh Artist Showcase and is currently performing with Putty Dance Project in Philadelphia and Alma Dance Company in New York City. She also performs in the New Jersey/New York area, collaborating with peers on various kinds of projects. Presently, Mitchell teaches dance of all styles and ages, from children to adults up to 65 years old. While being an early childcare provider, she instructs creative movement classes at Mint Family Daycare in Montclair, NJ and an Intermediate/Advanced Contemporary Choreography/Improvisation class for teens and adults at SMAPA. She choreographs for the Montclair High School Dance Company, Tenafly High School Performing Arts and the Performance Workshop Ensemble at SMAPA. Mitchell also enjoys the creative process herself, while continuing to expand her personal repertory as well as a growing passion for dance performance and education.
“I will be eternally grateful to the Stockton dance program for molding me into the dance educator I am today. I took this course called Dance Pedagogy and Wellness that changed my perspective of being in the dance studio and expanding my mind to the endless possibilities and fun that can be had while teaching. I remembered having a rough time being on the complete opposite side of the room, and for a while couldn’t get used to the feeling of being the teacher and not the student. Not until I got my first dance teaching job did I start to fully embody and understand the elements that were taught to me in that course and later on the enjoyment that comes with it. Every class I teach, I make it my own and incorporate things I wish I heard more of when I was younger. The Stockton dance program fully prepared me for the real world experiences within the dance industry and it provided space for me to learn, as well as figure things out on my own.”
