guiDANCE Experience

Callista Mincks

I am so grateful for my time with the guiDANCE mentorship program because it has been an opportunity to learn from someone who is following a similar career path and has been through some of things that are likely in my future. Meeting Jordan Kriston, a professional dancer working in her field, was inspiring because I got to hear about what it was like for her to dance professionally and how she was able to find balance within the rigor of life as a dancer. It can be daunting to begin a career in any field of art because chances are, certain aspects of living will be less conventional than a 9-5 desk job. Pursuing dance requires self-motivation, drive, and constant individual growth which are all things that have played a part in Jordan's career. Getting to see how Jordan has progressed forward has been an example for me of how to incorporate similar values and priorities into my path as well. I was able to apply what I had learned in my mentorship experience when choreographing for a group of students who were also beginning the program. It was fun to see the group push their own creative boundaries and facilitate a space where they could be comfortable in doing so. I hope to be a mentor myself one day so that I can inspire someone the way Jordan did for me!

-Callista Mincks