Dance Advance

Cassidy Dermott '11 finds success through the arts

December 8, 2009

Cassidy Dermott '11 of Carlisle is flourishing at Dickinson and in Philadelphia as a major in the Department of Theatre & Dance.

Cassidy Dermott ’11 is opening new doors through dance.

Although the Carlisle resident had no formal dance experience before coming to Dickinson, she entered college with a desire to perform. Now, as a theatre & dance major, she is enjoying success on and off the dance floor.

“She’s not afraid to try new things,” said Sarah Skaggs, assistant professor of dance. “She’s wildly creative and really is ready to be a leader artistically.”

Dermott took her first dance class during the spring semester of her first year at Dickinson and “was pretty much hooked after that.” Later that semester, she joined the Dance Theatre Group (DTG) because, “as always, I was really hungry to perform.”

Dermott whetted her appetite by taking advanced dance classes, where she learned about flexibility, core strengthening and other valuable technical skills from Skaggs. This fall, she is earning Dickinson credits at the Headlong Performance Institute, a dance-theatre hybrid performance school in Philadelphia.

“I never considered myself a dancer, but dance was this new, different, awesome kind of performing that I hadn’t explored yet, and I really wanted to get a taste of it,” she said. “I was having a great experience, growing and improving my skills as a ‘new dancer’ in Sarah’s class and I realized that the precision and presence I was practicing and improving on are also a huge part of being an actor—being present, in the moment and compelling to watch.”

Since taking dance classes, Dermott has blurred the dividing line between theatre performance and dance performance.

“My current school in Philly, my dance classes, DTG and my acting experience on campus helped me to learn new ways to create a compelling presence on stage, whether I'm telling a story strictly with my body through choreography, creating a character for a play or creating original, hybrid dance-theatre performance art,” she said.

Through dancing and acting, Dermott is gaining the skill, drive and confidence to build on her accomplishments.

“I think it will be an interesting transition when I return to campus,” she said. “I look forward to trying to incorporate what I’ve been learning when I’m back, both in terms of techniques and with regard to what I’ve learned about myself and what I’m interested in exploring as an artist,” she said.

During her final three semesters at Dickinson, Dermott will continue her participation with the Mermaid Players and direct and perform with DTG.

“After graduation—I’m keeping my options open at this point,” she said. “Philly has a great art scene, so maybe I’ll end up back there.”