How was your transition from high school to York?
For performing arts students, their experience differs from other programs. And for some current dance and theatre students, they say that expectations of their transition from high school to university didn’t play out exactly as they expected.
Jordyn Howe, a first-year dance major, says that for performing arts students, there are smaller class sizes when compared to other programs at York, and due to these small class sizes, it’s easier to create strong connections with peers and to feel a sense of a community.
Howe adds that while there is more freedom once starting a university program after high school, there are higher expectations to stay on top of everything. “I did not expect professors to be as understanding and as approachable as they are. I feel comfortable talking to them directly.”
“In high school, everyone told me that university programs are more diverse and have a heavier workload,” says Grace Sokolow, a second-year theatre and dance student. “In first year, I did not feel as if that were true. It may have been because I was online, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed or academically challenged.
“In second year, this all shifted when I gained my second major,” Sokolow continues. “I wasn’t expecting the amount of people coming from different training backgrounds. It is very refreshing getting to train with people who move very differently from me.”
Alex Boese, a third-year student in the acting program, says that while they knew their university experience was going to be expensive with the additional cost of living on their own, they did not expect how much fun they were going to have. “I knew it was going to be a good time, but it has been the best years of my life.”
“Being a performing arts student is different mostly because of the nature of the classes. Everything is really small, and you really get to know the people around you. I think it provides opportunities for a lot of close friendships and it’s just a great environment,” says Boese.
“The entire idea of university is different for performing arts majors. We experience different mental and physical pressures than other students. In theatre, we spend days dissecting our own emotions and where we find motivation to apply to our art. This is exhausting. I feel that people in other majors don’t understand, appreciate, or feel the same amount of emotional stress that we do,” adds Sokolow.
“Studying the performing arts in post-secondary education is a dream. We endure so much but persevere because of the raw passion we feel for our art. I think the payoff is well worth the struggle.”
