Sophomore Madalyn Rupprecht is a double major in dance and journalism at Montclair State University. Despite having limited time for herself and for mingling with friends, Rupprecht’s determination has allowed her to achieve a good academic standing. She is an advocate for the arts and hopes to utilize her journalistic skills by writing dance stories. Rupprecht admires the view of the Big Apple, as it has endless possibilities to thrive in performing and practical arts.
Q. Are you involved in any organizations on campus?
A. I wrote for Her Campus Montclair, an online magazine, last semester, but recently, I’ve been unable to find the time to get involved in any extra organizations.
Q. What do you love most about Montclair State?
A. I love the school’s proximity to New York City. Growing up in Maryland, going to the city was not as easy for me as it is now. There are so many opportunities there, and I have been taking advantage of that during my first year and a half here at Montclair.
Q. Describe your dance background.
A. I have been dancing since I was 4. I am trained in many styles of dance—ballet, modern, jazz, contemporary, tap, hip-hop and musical theater to name a few. Dance has always been a passion of mine, and I am so blessed to be able to study dance here at Montclair State in its prestigious program.
Madalyn Rupprecht strikes a pose in the amphitheater by Alexander Kasser Theater.
Photo courtesy of Khalid Dunton
Q. Is there a dance professor on campus you admire? If so, who and why?
A. I truly admire Jessie (Jessica) DiMauro. She teaches modern to freshmen dance majors, and she is amazing at what she does. Her passion for the art form is completely evident while she is teaching, and she instills this into all of her students. She exudes a very encouraging energy and gives her students something new to work on every single day, no matter what troubles she is facing in her personal life. She is also all about female empowerment, and this is something I feel strongly about. I feel like I grew into a much stronger dancer during my freshman year because of her.
Q. Are there any lessons you learned while dancing that you can apply to journalism?
A. Dancing has overall taught me to be an articulate human being. There is a mind-body connection required in dance, so I am always thinking about what I am doing and how I can improve. I can easily translate this mannerism to journalism so that I am able to fulfill my potential and be as accurate as possible with my writing and other projects.
Q. What topic do you enjoy writing about the most as a student journalist?
A. To be honest, I like covering news stories and making them more interpretive to students. It’s important to have a personal voice in your writing. I also really enjoy writing features because they’re always so interesting. I love learning about new people and features allow you to do this past the surface level of a simple meeting.
Madalyn Rupprecht arches in Life Hall.
Photo courtesy of Jenna Eberhardt Photo credit: Jenna Eberhardt
Q. What are the challenges you face while being a dance and journalism double major?
A. A large challenge that I face with a double major is creating my schedule every semester. My dance major is a BFA, which means I have many classes that meet every single day of the week. Working in my journalism classes around this already busy schedule is quite a task. Then, the actual semester comes. Rushing from a dance class to a journalism class requires a special type of focus. I am currently taking 21.5 credits. I am overloading my credits in hopes to be able to graduate in four years with both degrees. I am a hardworking student and so far have been staying on top of all of my work and maintaining my status on the Dean’s list.
Q. Describe the feeling you have when you perform on stage.
A. Performing on stage is one of my favorite things in life. I don’t think there has ever been a time when I wasn’t nervous before stepping on stage. Once I get out there, all of that energy turns into adrenaline and excitement. Being so vulnerable like that may seem intimidating to an outsider, but I love it. I am overcome with happiness, and I forget about any other worries that I may have. The coolest thing about performing is hearing what the audience thought about the show; I love sharing my art form with an audience. Many people might have seen videos of dancing before, but witnessing a performance in front of your very own eyes is a completely different experience.
