Drexel University: Stephanie Giuliani

Stephanie Giuliani studied dance at Drexel University.

How did you discover your passion for singing?

My connection to dance started at the age of six when I began going to the Minnesota Ballet School and spent the next 12 years of my life dedicated to ballet technique.

Why did you pick this particular college program?

After high school, I chose Drexel University for its dance program which combined my interests in physical therapy with my passion for dance.

What has been your favorite part of this college program?

Coming from a classical ballet background, other techniques like modern, jazz, African and hip-hop all pushed me far beyond my comfort zone. This also showed me that I could love and appreciate many techniques and even discover a deeper connection to movement than I had with ballet. My dance had transitioned so much that by the end of my sophomore year, I had choreographed a piece for the Drexel Dance Ensemble that incorporated improvisation, floor work and other concepts I experienced in my technique classes.

In addition to dance technique and performance, I am also involved in various Community Based Learning programs including teaching at the Dornsife Center, performing at assemblies with the Touring Ensemble and choreographing with middle schoolers in the Youth Performance Exchange that all cemented the importance of sharing dance, and community.

I even committed to Drexel’s Pilates Program. After completing the training, I was able to see and appreciate the power of the human body from the smallest muscles to the deepest breath. I was then able to take this training with me on co-op my junior year where I worked part-time at a Pilates studio in New York City.

How do you think this program will help in what you want to do next?

I am often asked about how all this fits into physical therapy and prepares me to go to graduate school and I explain that understanding the body, how to move, and how to teach movement are all crucial to the profession. Even if I was not convinced before, after my co-op with a physical therapy clinic in NYC, I was convinced that all my time dancing, doing Pilates and teaching allowed me to have the richest experience.

How have you changed as a dancer in this program?

I am entering my senior year and I have gone from a ballet dancer to simply a dancer. This program has shown me that dance exists in teaching, research, somatics, and physiology relevant to many careers. Drexel’s dance program was able to push me to be challenged, powerful, and authentic and pursue a career that fits this perfect blend of anatomy, teaching and artistry that encompasses all of me and my dance.