Dakota Dutcher ('13)

Deciding on a college can be as difficult or as easy as you make it. For those who aren't sure what they want to do, a community college may be a positive and simple choice for them so they can discover their passion. For a student who knows exactly what they want to do, the choice becomes much more difficult, simply because they have to find the program that provides the perfect training. There is constant research, comparison, information sessions, phone calls, and emails involved in making that decision. The best part is that through all of the hard work and determination, a victor will emerge. For me, that "victory" was The Hartt School at the University of Hartford.

I had gone through the whole song and dance routine of searching through every Musical Theatre program in the country. I wanted to find a program that offered me a BFA rather than just a BA. I needed to find a program that would give me the most training to see my aspirations realized. During the search, I found and auditioned for seven different colleges, all offering a program that seemed to fit what I was looking for. As I came to find out, only the Hartt program could truly give me what I needed in order to succeed in the profession that I have so much passion for.

Hartt provides the most extensive training imaginable for a Musical Theatre program. It covers every acting technique, dance move, and vocal skill that each student comes in here having heard about or touched upon in earlier years of training. Not only that, but Hartt's program offers its students opportunities that are unique to this institution. We are given the tools necessary to be able to teach ourselves outside of class through courses like ear training, piano, and music theory. We learn how to do every range of make-up. We are given exposure into the technical side of theatre, and are put into those roles to gain an appreciation for what goes on behind the scenes. We have incredible guest artists that come and direct some of the numerous productions that are staged in our facilities. Because of those guests and inspiring faculty, a student will never experience a dull theatre production, because simply, they don't exist here.

Even though I came to Hartt being 98% sure I needed to be here, there was something I found that will forever make me stand firm in my decision: The atmosphere. All of my teachers have taken the time to find out who I am and how I work. They are acquainted with me and each of my classmates on a personal level. They find ways to challenge each of us individually, and support our education by attending to each individual need. If an idea isn't understood by a student, teachers will take the time to find another way of explaining it, so that it is. They make you feel like you're a part of a family. And in that, I have gained a second family through this program. Every one of my teachers, colleagues, classmates, and friends make me feel so welcome here. I couldn't help but love a program that makes me feel like a part of a family, without losing its competitive edge.

By the end of my first semester, it became clear to me why Hartt's theatre program is so sought after: excellent facilities, wonderful directors, and a faculty who knows what it takes to succeed. There is no second-guessing my decision. I know that I will leave here at the end of four years with the training I need to step into the world with my head held high and the tools to be a great success in the professional world of theatre.