DTH Company Artist Spotlight
Daphne Lee
DTH Company Artist
Class of 2020 Graduate
Congratulations to DTH Company Artist Daphne Lee for graduating with her MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) from Hollins University. Read our interview with her below to learn more about Daphne and her journey to accomplish this honorable feat:
Congratulations on completing your graduate studies at Hollins University! What did you receive your degree in?
Yes, I completed my Masters in Fine Arts in Dance at Hollins University virtually due to the global pandemic. This summer proved to be a little different since normally I would be spending five weeks in Roanoke, Virginia on campus and then three weeks in Berlin, Germany. I am also honored to know that I am not the only Dance Theatre of Harlem Artist to pursue this degree and other alumni include, Keith Saunders, Christina Johnson, Antonio Douhit-Boyd, Edalyn Taylor and Naima Kioski to name a few.
What made you decide to pursue a master’s degree?
I’ve always wanted to get a Masters Degree in general but the reasons I went for dance were very specific. I was at a point in my career where I was craving more artistic stimulation. I wanted to expand my community and network of artists and educators. I also wanted to make a statement about the validity of arts education as a dancer who works 9-5. I didn’t believe that what I do now in the studio was all my art had to offer. I wanted to reignite new ways of interpreting dance, choreography, and the sociopolitical narratives around the performing arts in general. Its been amazing to learn new things especially my Dance History Theory and Criticism classes. Lastly, I’ve sought interest in teaching and lecturing about dance at a university level.
My mother was also an entrepreneur for 30 years so I know a lot about business which is why I didn’t purse an MBA.
What was your experience like being a full time, touring company dancer and a graduate student?
This is a great question. On tour, I brought my books for research and my computer. During the mornings or off time, I would explore a city by finding a new coffee shop, and dove right into my research. What made this amazing to do was that I already knew what I wanted to research. Being able to write and dance at the same time worked to my advantage as it gave me a creative outlet to question, push and supplement my own practice. I am super grateful to Virginia Johnson [DTH Artistic Director] and Anna Glass [DTH Executive Director] for trusting me to complete this degree and still remain full time with DTH on tour.
What did you learn about yourself during this rigorous journey?
Well, 2020 has been an interesting year for many and proved to be significant for me. I lost my mother eight days after the new year in January while pursuing this degree. I had relationship complications with my boyfriend, of course navigating a pandemic, and still helping my father who suffers from Lewy Body Dementia. At the same time, I also accomplished school and launched a business in direct sales via Beautycounter. What I learned about myself was that I can handle a lot and my reliance on faith proved to be essential for my survival this year. Little things no longer bother me at all and I decided to become more bold and assure of myself and what I can handle. My favorite quote is “Nevertheless, she persisted” and that’s exactly what I did.
What advice would you give to individuals looking to simultaneously pursue a dance career and a master’s degree?
I definitely recommend making sure you look at the university. There are teaching MFA’s, choreography based MFA’s and ones that are more theory based. Look at what you want to be getting from it. A ticket of validation? Career opportunities? A raise at a current position? I also suggest looking at who graduated from that institution and asking for their feedback, weighing the pros and cons. Lastly, not to worry about tuition. Everyone has loans here in America but you can find ways to seek help. I got help from the Actors Fund and by competing in pageantry to help with costs.
Now that you have your degree, how do you plan on utilizing it?
My plan is to continue dancing full time and find ways to build up my resume in other ways that cater to higher education. I have recently been asked to do a lecture at the University of Oklahoma and ConQuest. Here at DTH, I hope I get more opportunities with college students and have lectures here and internationally as well. This wasn’t the end of something for me, but now the beginning of spreading dance education to the masses by sharing that its possible to survive on a dance degree on a bachelor, Master and Doctorate level. Education in art is just as important as a degree in medicine. We must remember that.
Congratulations again Daphne! This was not an easy task but you accomplished your goal and we are extremely proud of you!
Photo credit: Daphne Lee | Photo by Rachel Neville