TUCSON, Ariz. — Sometimes the finer things, like the arts, can get swallowed up by the rowdy crowds of a D1 University. However, this is not the case for Elizabeth Sutton.
Sutton, a sophomore at the University of Arizona, is double majoring in dance and communications. Instead of running laps on the burning turf in the stadium as many D1 athletes spend their days, her feet are sliding across, jumping around and gracefully hitting the shiny floors of the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre for hours each day.
With determination, dedication, and a true sense of love for the art of dance, Sutton has chosen to spend her college years, as well as her professional life, dancing and performing.
For years, Sutton has allowed family, friends, and audiences to watch her perform and grow, literally. She began dancing when she was only 3-years-old.
With a 4.0 GPA, dozens of scholarly accolades, as well as top scores on her SAT and ACT, many assumed Sutton would attend a top tier academic institution for college. Though in her heart, she knew that was not her path. She wanted to dance and she wanted to dance a lot.
This desire for the stage lead her to the University of Arizona, which is recognized by many as being in the top five most prestigious schools in the U.S. for dance.
Dance Majors at the UA participate in a competitive audition process with students from all over the nation. UA Dance Majors spend four years diligently training with professional faculty. The UA’s dance program professors have distinguished resumes and careers.
Students from UA’s dance program often graduate with job offers in professional companies, Broadway, and other amazing career opportunities.
Sutton plans on auditioning for a professional company upon graduating from the UA in hopes of touring the world performing. She sees dance as the one thing in her life that will always bring her joy, no matter what. She describes dancing as not only her career, but a therapeutic release to every stress she could ever have.
For the past two weeks, Sutton, along with the rest of the UA dance program, have performed two shows. Spring Collection, which features faculty choreography and Boundless, which is student choreography. In Spring Collection, Sutton had the honor of being in two pieces: “In the Shadows of the Dreamers” choreographed by Amy Ernst and “Do You Wanna Remix” choreographed by Michael Williams. In “Boundless” she was cast in “Fan the Flame” choreographed by DeQuan Lewis and “The Mind” choreographed by Tanner Boyer. Both shows feature students and the skills they have been working on all year in elegant, passion-driven and technically challenging pieces.
Elizabeth Sutton is this week’s Campus Celebrity because she is a representation of the amazing fine arts programs we have here on the UA campus. Fine Arts majors represent a large portion of our student body all together and their work is not only a talent but is beautifully displayed and shared with students, as well as the Tucson community as whole.
Sutton hopes to see the arts community grow with continued support from the UA.
“Like all other students here at the UA, we are passionate for what we do and we spread that passion and inspiration to others,” Sutton said. “We are dedicated students who are driven by our love for dance.”