Design Student Spotlight: Kensie Waller ('26)

Kensie Waller ('26) is a talented dancer and is the current student choreographer of the Darlington winter musical, "Chicago: Teen Edition." Hear more from Kensie in her interview below.

What do you like the most about the design process?

I enjoy thinking about the deeper meaning of dance moves and how they relate to the show. I also like thinking about how the moves will look on the people that I'm choreographing for, so the choreography will look different depending on who I am choreographing for. 

What do you look to for inspiration?

Fosse moves. I’ve watched a lot of different takes on the choreography for "Chicago" that other people have done, including the original Broadway choreography, and taken inspiration from that. 

What is the most challenging part of designing in your world?

Coming into theatre as a dancer, my mind thinks differently than people who are solely based in theatre. So learning how to choreograph and especially teach choreography in a way that is better for them to understand has definitely been a learning curve for me. 

What experiences have you had as a result of working through this design process with projects at Darlington or how has it benefited you?

I’ve learned how to be a leader and I stepped out of my comfort zone in learning how to teach.