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"I will be able to make more meaningful connections before I get into the profession of professional dancing."

With plans to become a professional dancer, Brandon Paraharm's
Richter Scholars award manifested into a "summer of dance." While attending
the Dance/USA 2011 Annual Conference in Chicago, he observed multiple facets of the dance world -- from professional relations to the "weird arts" that involve more modern dance.

"The conference opened up my view of Chicago in general; each member of the dance community has a perspective worth listening to, and having this medium for communication is prime," Paraharm says. "Additionally, meeting people from other places in the nation (especially San Francisco and Rochester, New York) gave me connections to use when I venture beyond Chicago."

Unlike other college students, Paraharm said he never fully devoted himself to dance as a profession until he received his Richter award. From his experience, he decided to commit full force to his passion for dance and to gain a greater understanding of the dance community by watching showcases of the latest innovations and learning how to make a living with the art.

"I plan on being a professional dancer (dancing in a company, choreographing for competitive groups) after graduating from Knox, but it is vital that I have an extensive period of relentlessly immersing myself in the culture," Paraharm says. "With help from the Richter award, I attended the Dance/USA 2011 Annual Conference: ‘Spotlight on Dance in Chicago,' a conference intent on creating paths for dance companies/institutions, business associates, and students of dance to be more economically efficient in the new decade while remaining true to their artistic visions."

This experience led Paraharm to see just how much preparation it takes to become a professional in the dance education realm, something he had experienced before while teaching high school mathematics for the Upward Bound-South Chicago Summer Program in 2009. After teaching students a dance within the program, he was hooked.

"Every day is a day of preparation, as far as I'm concerned. If I get the chance to contact someone in the field of dance -- especially dance education -- there lies an opportunity for another experience in dance. Before the summer began, it was all about figuring out where I need to be and who I need to see. Now that all of that is set up, I can fully bask in the opportunities given and yet to receive."

Because of his Richter award, Paraharm says, "I will be able to make more meaningful connections before I get into the profession of professional dancing."