Professional dance is a competitive industry, but the benefits to those who make it are sublime, film and television choreographer Danielle Flora told students. Aspiring dancers should never stop learning, attending classes and watching peers’ performances, she said. “Entertainment can be a rough business, but dancers I’ve worked with have been able to see the world while on tour with some of the most famous musicians. They spend their lives doing fun and creative things.” Ms. Flora began her dance career as a New York Knicks City Dancer before joining Saturday Night Live, where she has choreographed sketches, monologues and musical acts for 17 years. Ms. Flora is also the choreographer for the Spike TV show Lip Sync Battle, and has worked on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the MTV Video Music Awards, and the feature films Trainwreck, Date Night and The Night Before. Ms. Flora was a Melissa Dilworth Gold ’61 Visiting Artist, and during her two days on campus, she taught dance and improvisation classes.
“Pay attention and watch other dancers. You get so much out of watching somebody do something well—their facial expressions, the angle of their hands. All those little details matter.”