by Susan Ambrosetti

Fine arts students at Franklin merge perspectives and passions to create meaningful work that reflects both their artistry and their academic innovation. Many combine their passion for the arts with another major to lean into the “&” inFranklin College of Arts AND Sciences. Our students exemplify the Franklin Spark, the characteristics that unite the arts and sciences: ambition, curiosity, creativity, innovation, and leadership.     

In this story, we focus on Abigail Schulze (AB Dance ’25; MA Nonprofit Management and Leadership ’26). Schulze 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,” she said. “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.”   

Schulze added that “for all four years of my undergraduate degree, I created space for dance in the university community by choreographing and performing 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.” 

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.  

“I have learned through my experience at UGA that my success is defined by the community I build around me. 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.”   

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.  

Through their creativity, ambition, and curiosity, dance 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.