Erica edman - Chair

Watchung, New Jersey SAS - Urban Studies

Why did you join Arts House? I have been dancing my whole life and felt like I needed a go-to dance community in college.

What is your favorite style of dance? Contemporary

What are you excited about with Arts House? I'm also so excited to start choreographing! I can't wait to both create my own pieces and be inspired by other Arts House members' work.

NAtalia lee - Marketing Director

Hopedale, Massachusetts Wharton - Business Analytics & Marketing

Why did you join Arts House? Arts House had an extremely fun and supportive environment during auditions which really appealed to me, and I love that I get to continue dancing in a multitude of styles with other passionate dancers. Also, the idea that I can choreograph my own pieces for the shows is really cool.

What is your favorite style of dance? Lyrical dancing since it involves a lot of emotion and feeling. I'm also a big Celine Dion fan, so I always love dancing to her music.

What is your signature move? Any type of turn!

Clarissa Touchstone

Dallas, Texas Wharton - Finance & Business Analytics

What is your favorite thing about Arts House? My favorite thing about arts house is the welcoming and fun community that made me feel like I was at home from the second I joined!

What is your favorite style of dance? My favorite style to do is contemporary ballet and to watch is hip hop.

What is your signature move? This isn't necessarily a single move but I LOVE petit allegro!

SOPHIA JORGENSEN

Southborough, Massachusetts Wharton & SAS - Healthcare Management & Neuroscience

Why did you join Arts House? I joined Arts House so that I could dance with some really amazing and talented people. I am also SO excited to choreograph and see how a show is made from the bottom up!

What is your favorite style of dance? Lyrical

How did you know Arts House was for you? As soon as I met the Arts House members I instantly knew I wanted to join! Everyone was so passionate not only about dance, but the community that Arts House created.

Madison kang - artistic DIRECTOR

Midlothian, Virginia SAS - Health & Societies

Why did you join Arts House? I knew that I wanted to continue dancing post-high school, so joining arts house seemed like the perfect opportunity to do just that! I love that arts house is such a close-knit group of passionate and talented dancers. I also think it’s so incredible how the entire company is student run, giving dancers even more opportunities to use and showcase their creativity!

What is your favorite style of dance? Jazz and Contemporary

What's your signature move? Tilt!

talia smith

Holden, Massachusetts SAS - Biophysics

Why did you join Arts House? I have danced almost all my life and knew that I wanted to continue in college because it helps keep me balanced. I had explored Arts House videos online before coming to Penn, and their choreography and technique inspired me to audition. At the workshop, my first time dancing with Arts House, I absolutely loved the combination and felt so energized and happy afterward that I knew I would be lucky to have dancing with Arts House become part of my life at Penn.

What is your favorite style of dance? Jazz, Ballet, and Lyrical

What are you excited about with Arts House? I am excited about the incredibly energetic and supportive community along with their creativity and technique in dance. I am grateful to be able to learn from the other amazing Arts House members as dancers, students, and people.

lauren watkins - business DIRECTOR

Dallas, Texas SAS - Political Science

Why did you join Arts House? I joined arts house for the sense of community. From just the workshop I could tell that this was the place I wanted to be.

What is your favorite style of dance? Contemporary

What are you excited about with Arts House? Carnegie Hall!!

Katie zappetti

Clinton, New Jersey SAS - Neuroscience

Why did you join Arts House? I loved the community it is, and the creative freedom they give their members.

What is your favorite thing about Arts House? How close everyone is :)

What are you excited about with Arts House? To choreograph dances in the future!

Emma riebe

Ringoes, New Jersey Nursing

How did you know Arts House was right for you?
After talking to everyone on the team and getting to know their style, I knew it was a perfect fit. No two pieces are alike and I’m always learning new things.

What is your favorite style of dance? I love contemporary and musical theatre!

What is your favorite thing about Arts House? I love the people. I have made my closest friends through Arts House and it is such a welcoming environment.

Nora Elliott

Philadelphia, PA
SAS - Undecided

Why did you join Arts House?
I joined arts house because I wanted to keep what I loved doing so much in high school a part of my life at Penn. Dance has always been an outlet for me and provided a break from the every day chaos of my school life so making sure that I kept dance in my life in college was so important to me.

What is your favorite style of dance?
Contemporary

What are you excited for?
I am most excited about the community that arts house provides at Penn. I can already tell how close everyone is and it just makes me more excited to have group of best dance friends for four years and even beyond college!

AMANDA KOSSOFF

Potomac, MD
Wharton & SAS - Healthcare Management & Biology

Why did you join Arts House?
I’m really excited to grow in my technique and other styles alongside such amazing people.

What is your favorite style of dance?
Hip Hip

What’s your favorite thing about Arts House?
I absolutely love being a part of the supportive, fun, and welcoming Arts House community. Especially just starting my Penn journey, it’s meant so much to have a family on campus who loves dance as much as I do!

GABI PICCARO

Durango, CO
Wharton & SAS - Finance & Biology

What’s your favorite thing about Arts House?
Arts house allows me to pursue something I love in a fun, encouraging environment. I can take a break from school and other responsibilities to just grow and enjoy dance with some amazing people.

How did you know Arts House was right for you?
The community is so central to the organization. It is such an inviting and wholesome environment. I truly felt like I was being welcomed into a second home

What are you excited for?
I’m so excited to grow as a dancer by learning my peers styles and choreography and getting to take class from amazing teachers. Also potentially expanding my choreography abilities in the future!

Yuliya solyanyk - Scheduling Director

Uzhhorod, Ukraine
SAS - Mathematical Economics

How did you know Arts House was right for you?
I still remember the first day of auditions, when we all were sitting in a circle, introducing ourselves and listening to Haus members speak about what excited them the most about Arts House. I vividly recall how most of the people there put loads of emphasis on the tight-knit community within the company, which seemed to stretch far beyond the regular rehearsal schedules and performances. They truly felt like a family -- a family I dreamt of having here at Penn.

What’s your favorite style of dance?
Contemporary!! Modern styles typically resonate with me, but my preferences can shift based on the way I feel. There are moments I'm drawn to the energy of ballroom, while at other times, the calmness of lyrical dance calls to me.

What are you excited about?
To learn from people and let people learn from me. Arts House looks like a perfect space for safe artistic experiments, and the privilege of having so many dancers coming from absolutely difference artistic background gives everyone a chance to learn something new from one another every single day.

SUMMER COBB - Costume Director

Chicago, IL
SEAS - Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics

Why did you join Arts House?
I joined Arts House in order to continue my love for dance in college, to find community, and meet new people. Dance is something that takes my mind off of any stress I may have on a given day, so I knew I wanted it a part of my life here at Penn!

What’s your favorite style of dance?
For me, I am all over the place- on one hand, I love a good flowy and emotional contemporary/lyrical piece. But, I always love a hard hitting jazz :)

What’s your favorite thing about Arts House?
My favorite thing about Arts House would have to be the people that I have met! Arts House is such an amazing community and it has been great to meet people outside of my grade and major who share my passion for dance.

Emmy Harrison

Madison, AL
CAS - Biochemistry

What’s your favorite thing about Arts House?
Aside from the amazing choreography and phenomenal dancing, I LOVEEEEE THE PEOPLE!!! Everyone in Arts House is so nice and encouraging and caring to each other and I am so excited to be a part of it all!!!

What are you excited about with Arts House?
I'm excited to truly meet everyone and be a part of such a supportive and involved group. I'm also excited to continue dancing and having time outside of academics to express myself through dance. I'm excited to already have a built-in family at Penn that I can trust and feel comfortable with!

What’s your favorite style of dance?
Hip Hop :)

Mariana Nijensohn

Orlando, FL
CAS - Philosophy, Politics & Economics

Why did you join Arts House?
I wanted to be part of a community that allows me to share the art I love.

What is your favorite Arts House piece that you've ever watched and why?
The night we met. The choreo is insane.

What's your signature move?
A toe rise!

Jackie Vogel

Hinsdale, IL
SEAS - Computer Science

Why did you join Arts House?
I've been dancing since I was young but I took a break my senior year of high school. At the first Arts House audition, I had the best time dancing and realized I wanted to pick it back up in college. In Arts House, I get to do what I love, take a break from the stressors of school, and join an amazing community.

What's your favorite style of dance?
I love every style of dance, but my two favorites would definetly be contemporary/modern and high-energy jazz.

What are you excited about with Arts House?
I'm super excited to start working on the show and getting to know the members of Arts House!