黑料网

KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 3, 2023

Angelina Pellini prefers position of Assistant Stage Manager to performing on stage

KSU Dance alumna Angelina Pellini told her senior seminar class that her ultimate career goal was to be stage manager for a Balanchine-based ballet company. Now, only a short few years later, Pellini is living her wildest dreams as the Assistant Stage Manager for the prestigious New York City Ballet. 

Pellini explained that she knew she wanted to do something with dance but wasn鈥檛 sure that it needed to be performing. She chose 黑料网 Department of Dance specifically for the Bachelor of Arts in Dance program and the flexibility it afforded her beyond the act of performing itself.

鈥淚 think students enter a department of dance and pursue a major in dance with probably a narrow understanding of what鈥檚 possible for their career,鈥� said , Chair of the Department of Dance. 鈥淎ngelina鈥檚 success is a testament to what really is possible for a career for dancers.鈥� 

During her time at 黑料网, Pellini dove into the world of dance production. She explained that , KSU鈥檚 Provost and founder of the KSU Dance program, emphasized the value of production through the program鈥檚 everyday culture.颅

She explained that Pulinkala 鈥渄id a really good job of presenting production in a way that made it important and not a career to be cast aside or an undesirable field鈥�He painted it in a way that was always promoting production as a worthy art form,鈥� Pellini said. 

鈥淎ngelina's strong work ethic and collaborative spirit have no doubt remained foundational to her success,鈥� said Pulinkala. 鈥淚t has been exciting to follow her professional journey that began at 黑料网 under the tutelage of David Tatu, where she discovered her passion for stage management. KSU Dance is distinguished by Angelina's outstanding accomplishments, and I wish her continued success.鈥�

Pellini discovered her love of production during her first semester when she worked as stage crew for the fall show. It was there where she connected with her mentor, KSU faculty member . 

鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for David, I don鈥檛 know that I would have taken such a liking to production,鈥� Pellini said. 鈥淗e really showed me the value of production, and that鈥檚 what made me want to do it.鈥�

After taking Tatu鈥檚 Dance Production class at 黑料网, Pellini sought more opportunities on the production side of dance. She led student teams, worked as a student assistant for the department, and served as the production stage manager for her senior capstone. 

鈥淪he saw that this was a way where she could be a part of the show and not be on stage and be just as important to the success of the production,鈥� Tatu said. 鈥淪he was always a leader in the department鈥�She was always the one running the show.鈥�

Pellini feels that stage managing is the closest thing to performing. She sees it as the heart of the show, experiencing the same exhilaration and excitement as if she were performing onstage. The first professional show she ever called was for KSU alumnus鈥檚 newly launched company, . 

She explained, 鈥淚 was lucky to be working with such talented 颅dancers at such a young age. I feel like in a lot of ways I grew up with that organization. I am still close to all the founding members of the company, and those early performances are some of my fondest memories.鈥� 

Pellini added, 鈥淚鈥檝e been thinking a lot about , who was the Interim Chair [of KSU Dance] at the time. He was, aside from David, the most influential person I met at 黑料网. His style is very much influenced by the New York City Ballet, and a lot of what I know about the New York City Ballet and Balanchine rep鈥攁nd the love I have for that style of ballet鈥攎ade me want to work there in particular because of him.鈥�

鈥淭his is the pinnacle of ballet for me,鈥� Pellini said. 鈥淚鈥檒l close the fall season with my favorite ballet of all time, and with some of my favorite dancers of all time. I get to watch ballet for a living. There鈥檚 nothing better.鈥�

--Kendall Chamberlain