The Hartt School: Ane Arrieta

Ane Arrieta studied dance at University of Hartford's The Hartt School.

How did you discover your passion for dance?

I grew up dancing in a small studio that was connected to a Contemporary Ballet company called Island Moving Company. I was inspired by this company since I was young and I always knew that one day I wanted to be like the dancers in the company. I wanted to perform and share my art as a living. Once I started going to other summer intensives in high school and meeting and learning from other dancers, teachers, and performers in the industry, I knew that dance was my passion.

What’s your favorite part about performing?

As much as I love performing on a stage and feeling that sense of freedom and vulnerability in front of an audience, my favorite part about creating is the process that comes before the stage, the work that goes into a performance. I love working in a studio with a choreographer and other dancers and creating relationships through dance and working through different types of movement and connections. These special moments in the studio make the performance even more worthwhile and special.

What’s the hardest part for you about performing?

I think that the hardest part of performing for me is living in the moment and not overthinking steps when I am on stage. I am learning to let go on stage and trust my technique and focus on really living in my character and staying in that zone and not thinking of working so much. We work so hard in the studio so that when we are on stage it comes naturally and our performance qualities take over. This is the most challenging for me, and I am still learning every day!

Why did you pick The Hartt School?

When I came to The Hartt School to audition I immediately felt the sense of community and home. In addition to having really strong training, the faculty seemed so committed to student success and the students were so warm and inviting. I didn’t feel like just a number in the audition, I felt like a person who was being truly seen as a dancer and an artist. This community really felt like a place where I could learn and grow with support and encouragement. The Hartt School seemed like the perfect fit for me.

What has been your favorite part of The Hartt School?

My favorite part about being a student of the Hartt School is being able to perform and work everyday with people who are working towards the same goal as me. It is so special to be surrounded by not only just dancers in the Dance Division, but musical theatre majors, musicians, and actor’s everyday. This environment that is created in this conservatory inspires and motivates me to be a better artist and a better person. Being able to collaborate and connect with all different kinds of artists while getting intense, specific dance training from the best of the best for the past three years has been such a blessing and has made me love The Hartt School.

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

The Dance Division at The Hartt School includes intense training in ballet, modern, and contemporary dance forms. We train all four years in all of these different types of dance and we spend our whole day training in different techniques from teachers who are experts and masters at what they do. I know when I graduate I will be prepared to enter any kind of dance company. I feel as though I am becoming a very well rounded and versatile dancer here at Hartt. Especially in the dance world today, companies are looking for dancers who are well rounded and can do it all. When I graduate I want to be able to join a dance company that has both ballet and contemporary based rep. My classes that I take every single day here at Hartt are setting me up for this company lifestyle already, preparing me for the real world.

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

In ten years I hope to be entering maybe my 6th or 7th year at either a contemporary ballet company or a modern company. Over the next few years after college, I hope to find a company where I fit in artistically, a place where I can grow even more as an artist and call home. I hope to be travelling and going on tours with this company. I also imagine myself either working at a pilates studio or owning or co-owning my own pilates practice in addition to my professional dancing career.