In our fourth installation in this five-part series, we’re excited to showcase the talented success stories of our Art students featured in the first-ever Fine & Performing Arts Season Brochure, where all of the arts programming in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences come together in one place.    

Our students exemplify the Franklin Spark, the characteristics that unite the arts and sciences: ambition, curiosity, creativity, innovation, and leadership. Join us as we celebrate their accomplishments and invite you to experience their excellence firsthand. To purchase tickets for our complete season of events, please click here.   

Franklin fine arts students merge perspectives and passions to create meaningful work that reflects both their artistry and their academic innovation. Each combines their passion for the arts with another major to lean into the “&” in Franklin College of Arts AND Sciences. Let’s explore our talented, multi-disciplinary students that share their spark and make their mark.   

The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Dance at UGA has a long-standing tradition of training and educating talented and creative dancers who go on to dance professionally, teach in a multitude of contexts from studios to P12 schools, work as arts administrators in non-profits, pursue physical therapy, or other graduate work, as well as personal training, or forge creative interdisciplinary careers. Many dance students at UGA Dance are also involved in other pursuits such as our Double Dawgs degree, our teacher certification track, another minor, or double major. Combining the love of dance with another field can enhance a student’s versatility, wealth and breadth of knowledge, and a student’s understanding of how the world is more connected and interdisciplinary than one might think. 

 Abigail Schulze (AB Dance ’25, MA in Nonprofit Management and Leadership ’26) added the Double Dawg pathway in Nonprofit Management and Leadership shortly after working at the Joffrey Ballet School’s summer residency at the Department of Dance and as the marketing coordinator for the Atlanta Contemporary Dance Company. “I found it incredibly satisfying to coordinate dance to enrich local communities. The Double Dawg program allowed me to merge my love for dance and administration with advanced coursework at an accelerated pace that suited my professional goals. I can now pursue upper-level administration and directorship in dance programs.”  

“I have learned though my experience at UGA that my success is defined by the community I build around me,” said Schulze. “As a student, I was most satisfied when I connected with others and pursued opportunities that supported the arts on campus and in the state.”  

Schulze added that “for all four years of my undergraduate degree, I created space for dance in the university community by choreographing and performing in student-led works through our Department of Dance resources and curriculum. I also engaged in elective leadership opportunities in dance marketing and communication, which bolstered performance awareness and accessibility on campus. This project-based learning allowed me to connect with my peers in ways that accurately reflected my future career paths in the dance field.” 

 Nika Shlomi (BS Biology, BS Psychology, Dance Minor ’25) “When I made the decision to pursue a career in medicine, many factors came to mind while determining what undergraduate school, degree and overall experience would suit me best. I had grown up in the world of ballet. Although the career I wanted to pursue was drastically different from this passion of mine, I knew that I needed to maintain my dance training wherever I attended.” 

 Maintaining a dance practice while pursuing her pre-med curriculum has done more for Shlomi than simply supporting a passion. “The blend of my scientific and artistic studies will enable me to approach the medical field with creativity and with a greater understanding of the mindset, work ethic, and healing processes of young athletes. I am extremely grateful for the UGA Dance Department for facilitating my deep-rooted passion alongside my medical career goals, and for continuing to push me towards artistic and technical improvement every day.” 

Through their creativity, ambition, and curiosity, these students demonstrate how the arts at Franklin extend far beyond the classroom, shaping them into tomorrow’s leaders, prepared to impact the world. Their journeys remind us that the arts are not only performances and exhibitions but living experiences. Discover the power of the arts at Franklin. To purchase tickets for our complete season of events, please click here. 

To read more from our Fine and Performing Arts Brochure, click here.