Daezhane (Dae) Day (preferred pronouns: any)  is a Senior Dance student here at Cornish College of the Arts. We recently had the chance to sit down with them for a brief Q&A to learn more about what life is like as a dance student at Cornish. They also gave us some insights into what some of their favorite things about the Cornish campus are, life in Seattle, and a little bit about their experience as a transfer student.

Q: What does a typical day look like as a dance student?

A: Very busy! 4-5 classes a day. I say I start my day at 6:00am. Get ready, get breakfast, go to yoga. Run to Contemporary. Come back. Eat lunch. Mondays and Wednesdays I have ballet. After that, if it’s Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ll have Improv, and sometimes another class. And then sometimes either teaching, or sometimes people have work after classes. So very very full days, Monday thru Saturday!

Q: What’s makes the dance community at Cornish unique?

A: I’m a transfer student, so something that I was looking for was a tight-knit close community – like what I had at my community college. And, Cornish definitely has a small community, really tailored to the individual needs of each person – which is really nice. And I don’t feel like a number. I feel like I’m a part of a greater whole when working with my cohort and the faculty. They make sure everyone is highlighted in a lot of different ways.

Q: What does your ideal dance class consist of?

A: Vigorous full body movement. Something that is exciting. Something that is insightful to the body and the space. When I feel like I’m learning something about myself and my peers, that’s when I feel most fulfilled. And when I’m just smiling the whole time – like when we can work hard, and laugh and joke at the same time.

Q: Tell us about one of your favorite memories so far being part of the Dance department at Cornish.

A: It’s only been a year, so it’s been a very short time. But I think this year, my favorite memory was us getting ready for our senior pictures. And, just us being all together – it made me feel like we were a family.

Q: What class or classes grew your technical skills the most?

A: Technique class with Charlotte Boye-Christensen or Markeith “Keyes” Wiley. Ballet for sure! And, Advanced Composition with Charlotte.

Q: What class or classes challenged your creativity the most?

A: Advanced improvisation! Only because I am a very analytical person and I do have a hard time pushing myself out-of-the-box in uncomfortable ways. And Improv has been pushing us to use voice, and touch, and just a lot of different impulses that I don’t typically use in my movement. It’s been a good push though!

Q: There are so many dance classes to choose from– how do you determine what to take each term?

A: I talk with my counselor 3 or 4 times before I even think about looking at the schedule, so that I have a clear idea of what to take. Because, when I was a freshman in college, I never spoke with an advisor – didn’t even think to – and just picked willy-nilly. And so now I want to make sure that I am picking according to plan and what would be financially feasible for me.

Photo credit: Winifred Westergard | New Moves Fall 2022 – “Forever and a Day”, Choreographer: Daezhane Day, Dancers: Daezhane Day, Faith Elder, Rose Amlin

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the community you’ve found here at Cornish?

A: What makes Cornish unique is the fact that it’s really central in the city, and that it is really accessible from many different areas. So, if you want to go into a suburban area – that’s really close. Near [University of Washington], International District, and also areas like Bellevue and Capitol Hill. It’s very diverse in that way

Q: What influenced you to transfer to Cornish?

A: I chose to transfer to Cornish because dance is my only way to success and I’ve only ever danced in school and I felt like I needed this way out to get to where I wanted to go next. And, it was between going here or to University of Oregon. and I felt like Cornish was going to give me a lot more opportunities and connect me with more people in the industry. So I made the right choice so far!

Q: Are you a part of any clubs or organizations on campus? 

A: I am! I am the president of the Hip-Hop Club – every Monday night! It’s an all major, no experience needed club. We just get together, learn a combo, and each week we build. And then end the month with an open session jam where we just showcase the skills we learned. This year has been a little hard because I wanted us to perform and we just started last year, so hopefully in the spring we can get a group of us to perform for Terpsichore’s Landing.

Q: After a long day of classes or rehearsals, what are your favorite spots near campus to relax and unwind?

A: I like to go on a walk with my dog. I’ve been really into British TV – fun fact. I’m also a big sister, so calling my family and checking in with them is important to me.

Q: Any favorite spots around campus or around the city?

A: The Fremont neighborhood is one of my favorite areas to go to – and anywhere in Bellevue.

Q: What’s next for you after graduating from Cornish?

A: I am going to continue teaching at Whim W’him. I’m also still teaching at eXit Space and Duvall Performing Arts. I’m really hoping to continue to perform. I’m going to audition for Cornish Dance Theater in the Spring and see what other performance opportunities come either continuing with Cornish or out in the world!

To view our full interview with Dae, check out the video on our Instagram @cornishcollegeofthearts – and to stay up-to-date with the Cornish Dance Department, follow them on Instagram @cornishcollegedance.