S T U D E N T P R O F I L E Q&A with student Santina Umbach


UMBACH (B.F.A. ’11, MUSICAL THEATER) HAS PERFORMED IN FOLLIES, 42ND STREET, RENT AND TWELFTH NIGHT AT THE BOSTON CONSERVATORY. SHE HAS ALSO PERFORMED PROFESSIONALLY WITH BOSTON’S SPEAKEASY STAGE COMPANY IN THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL AND NINE.


Q: When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in musical theater?


SU: I wasn’t serious about pursuing this as a career at the beginning, but then I auditioned for a couple of musical theater programs and ended up getting accepted into The Boston Conservatory.


It changed my life.


Q: What goes into a great performance?


SU: A great performance consists of hard work, research, trial and error and 100 percent commitment!


Q: How did the Conservatory prepare you to perform?


S T U D E N T P R O F I L E Q&A with student Giulia Pline


PLINE (B.F.A. ’12, DANCE) STARTED DANCING AT THE AGE OF THREE AT A LOCAL STUDIO IN HER HOMETOWN OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS AND WAS INTRODUCED TO THE BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT THE AGE OF 16, THROUGH THE SUMMER DANCE INTENSIVE. NOW IN HER JUNIOR YEAR, SHE HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM WORKS BY ALWIN NIKOLAIS, ANNA SOKOLOW AND JOSÉ LIMÓN. MOST RECENTLY SHE APPEARED IN MARTHA GRAHAM’S LAMENTATION.


Q: When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in dance?


GP: In the seventh grade after seeing Alvin Ailey’s Revelations, I was so


moved by the piece that I tried to recreate a section of the dance for a school proj- ect. It had such a profound emotional effect on me that I instantly knew this was what I was meant to do with the rest of my life.


Q: What makes The Boston Conservatory unique?


GP: The small community of The Boston Conservatory is a home to brilliance. Supported by a nurturing and welcoming staff, it is a diverse community of phenomenally talented stu- dents and dedicated faculty.


Q: How does The Boston Conservatory balance innovation and tradition


in its curriculum?


GP: My training has a firm grounding in both classical ballet and modern techniques. In addition to honoring the traditions that have come before, I am exposed to and encouraged to explore more current ideas and diverse dance styles.


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SU: Before coming here, I had never had a singing or acting lesson in my life, so they had faith accepting me into the school. The faculty has literally taught me how to sing; how to develop my own technique and process- es for acting and developing a character; and they have shaped my dancing into a technically strong and unique movement that only I can produce. Most impor-


tantly, the Conservatory has given me the self- confidence to go out into the world and show it exactly what I have to offer.


Q: How have the faculty prepared you?


SU: They’ve nurtured me when I needed nurturing and they’ve kicked my behind into gear when I’ve needed a pick-me-up. They are so in tune to who you are as a person and how you work as a performer so they know exactly when to push and pull.


Q: Who inspires you at the Conservatory?


SU: The students inspire me every single day with their attitudes, their performances and their talent.


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