Senior Spotlight: Shaakirah Bradshaw

Graduating senior Shaakirah Bradshaw is a creative force to keep on watching!  With four honor cords, this English Major and Dance Minor has turned some head in both arenas.  Recently initiated into the International English Honor Society, and closing the 6th Annual Dance Minor Concert with her work Meet My Emotions, she is highly expressive, full of vision, and has a desire to continue creating thoughtful works for public consumption. In her words:

"After graduation I plan to return home to Philadelphia where I will continue my training in dance. I also want to audition for many dance companies, go on tour, and just share what I love to do."

Bradshaw was recently selected to learn a dance work created and choreographed by the highly acclaimed Artistic Director of the Koresh Dance Company.  This work was performed here at BU as part of the Celebrity Artist Series.  She reflects on that opportunity:

"Dancing with Koresh was one of the best experiences I had here at BU. At the audition I was very nervous but excited at the same time. I just had to remember that this is something I do every day, I just had to relax and do what I love. Once I got in I was very happy and ready to work hard. In practice I worked a lot on finding the meaning of the dance within myself. I did not truly find the meaning of the dance until the company came for the performance. Seeing them rehearse on stage, working together so well,  and dancing with such grace and meaning made me truly understand what I wanted to do in life, and I finally understood the meaning of the dance for me. I am so thankful that I got the chance to dance for Koresh because it made me realize that dance is all I want to do in life. In the end I received a scholarship to dance at the Koresh School of Dance for the summer! I am really excited and cannot wait for new experiences!"

As her dance mentor, I couldn't be more proud of her bold nature, her drive for excellence, and her unique sense of artistry.  She will continue to move and change the world.

Submitted by Professor Julie Petry, MFA

To see the 6th annual Dance Minor Concert featuring Shaakirah's work, click here.

Brittany Churbika produced a video about Bloomsburg University's Dance Minor. Check it out here.