Beyond the dance studio: How Claire Schiffer choreographs success

In her years as a Fighting Pickle, School of Dance graduate Claire Schiffer has done it all. Discovering new strengths on and off the dance floor, she has honed her dance skills, studied with renowned artists, choreographed multiple pieces, danced in a faculty film, directed a film, performed in a drama production, started a student organization, became vice president of the Student Government Association, and built a network of peers and professionals that will last for years to come.

But there were times when she was skeptical about her own capabilities. Through constant exploration and risk-taking at UNCSA — and with a stellar support network — she dove into dance, collaboration and leadership. Schiffer is now on the precipice of launching her career and feels prepared to enter the dance industry; the future is just waiting to be choreographed.

A complete high school experience

Schiffer started training in contemporary dance at UNCSA during her junior year of high school. The High School Dance program was one of the only ones she’d found that offered both rigorous dance training and the traditional high school experience, complete with academics and prom. “There are very few programs that offer that,” she recalls. “UNCSA just fit.”

After graduating from the High School program, Schiffer decided to stay for her college. At UNCSA, she could earn her undergraduate degree in just three years, and the High School Tuition Grant meant she’d have free tuition. “It changed the entire financial system,” she says. “I’m now graduating with no debt, which is huge for an artist.”

Claire Schiffer (far right) with classmates at the UNCSA High School Commencement ceremony in 2021 / Photo: Wayne Reich

Schiffer also felt secure and supported at UNCSA, which empowered her to dive deeper into training and take risks without the pressure to prove anything; she could be fully herself. In the years of undergraduate study that followed, she elevated her craft in entirely new ways.

The art of dance writing

Though Schiffer has been dancing since she was young, she didn’t encounter choreography until Brenda Daniels’ composition and improvisation class at UNCSA. This new way of approaching dance intrigued and challenged her, helping Schiffer “make sense of dance.” “It’s a different way I can express myself; it’s control and curation of an idea,” she explains.

She has since choreographed multiple dances, including her emerging choreographer senior project, “Inhale Exhale.” Through this piece, Schiffer explores the idea of the individual and shared experience of breath. “I’m playing with how breath changes when we experience heightened emotions like anxiety, and how the breath is impacted by our soothing or comfort rituals for ourselves,” she explains in a short video about the piece.

For another choreography project, “Eyes on You,” Schiffer created a dance film inspired by the art, biography and music of Jean Michel Basquiat. She choreographed, performed and self-directed the short film at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA), and it was selected to be screened at the American Dance Festival’s Movies by Movers 2022 and Greensboro Dance Film Festival 2023.

“Eyes on You” not only showcases Schiffer's many talents but also captures her collaborative spirit as she works with colleagues from other conservatories.

Beyond the dance studio

When Schiffer decided to stay at UNCSA for her undergraduate studies, one of her main missions was to be more than just a dancer. “I wanted to expand my perspective artistically and as a person to other experiences outside of the art form,” she explains. As she shared a campus with some of the top emerging talents in drama, design and production, filmmaking, and music, the potential for collaboration was endless.

One opportunity for collaboration was “As You Like It,” a production by the Schools of Drama and Design & Production. The play was a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic story, and Schiffer took to the stage dancing and singing as a deer, lioness, royal subject and Ardenite.

Claire Schiffer with Drama student Maya Mays on set on "As you Like It" / Photo: Wayne Reich

“The drama process was very different from anything I’d experienced in dance,” she says. “Everything about it was new.” In collaborating with students from other art forms, Schiffer was able to explore who she was as an artist. “It allows you to identify yourself outside of your art school, and to share your gifts with other students,” she explains. “And with collaboration comes inspiration.”

Schiffer used these experiences to grow as a dancer, applying what she learned to her own medium. But the benefits go well beyond her artistry. Through collaboration, she has significantly expanded her network of fellow artists and friends. This network only grew as she continued to pursue opportunities, like dancing in faculty member Ashley Lindsey’s “The Way Back” short film. And then there was the incredible community Schiffer built through her student leadership.

Making an impact

When the COVID-19 pandemic caused a national rise in anti-Asian violence and racism, Schiffer felt it personally as a South Korean adoptee. “I was pretty worked up around social justice issues and I had no idea where to channel that energy,” she remembers. She felt like there needed to be a space for people of Asian descent and heritage on campus to join together in community. With encouragement from her mom, she created the student organization Asians Come Together (ACT), allowing her to channel a part of that emotional energy into something productive and celebratory.

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ACT’s official description is a student organization that “focuses on creating a social gathering space where Asian ethnicities or allies can come together.” Since its creation in 2021, the club has hosted numerous events such as Lunar New Year celebrations, wellness initiatives and movie screenings. “I’ve been really lucky to have facilitated events that have made an impact,” Schiffer says, remembering when ACT screened Oscar-winning “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the ACE Theater on campus. “Way more people came than expected. Even if they just came for the movie, they came for an event celebrating Asian actors on screen and off.”

That’s when Schiffer received an email from Associate Director of New Student Orientation Aaron Ross, the primary advisor to UNCSA’s Student Government Association (SGA).

Leading the way

When Ross asked Schiffer if she wanted to become involved with SGA, she was initially skeptical of her capabilities. But SGA offered an opportunity to make a change and a unique insight into UNCSA — before long, Schiffer had become Student Body Vice President. “I realized through my time as an SGA executive that I was doing exactly what I never thought I could,” she says. “Talking to people in administration, navigating conversations, bridging the gap between students and faculty — I didn’t know I could do all of that.”

I realized through my time as an SGA executive that I was doing exactly what I never thought I could.
Claire Schiffer

Through her position with SGA, Schiffer also had the opportunity to spend more time with one of her role models: Dean of Dance Endalyn T. Outlaw. “I look up to her a lot as a woman of color in a high position of authority and leadership,” says Schiffer. “It’s been an amazing opportunity just to have conversations with her, and to foster a relationship of mentorship.”

Meanwhile, Schiffer’s work with ACT brought her into regular contact with the Director of Community and Belonging, Tasha M. Myers. “She’s been an incredible voice of support,” Schiffer says. “It’s amazing to work with her — she really believes in my success and journey,”

As Schiffer prepares for commencement, that journey is about to take an exciting new turn.

Be the best you

While she hopes to become part of a contemporary dance company after graduation, Schiffer is staying open-minded. “During my time at UNCSA, I learned that narrowing yourself or your goals can block you from finding other opportunities,” she says. “Having versatility in your toolkit is critical.” With this in mind, she’s casting a net to include work in the commercial industry, on and off Broadway, arts administration, and more. Whichever path she chooses, a bright career awaits.

Claire Schiffer dancing / Photo: Andrew Bowen

For aspiring dancers and choreographers, Schiffer has this advice: “You can never be the best of another person; you can only be the best you and dance the best way you can dance. Comparison is natural, but you are unique and have something to offer and share that is different from everyone else — being who you are unapologetically gives others the space to do it too. And have fun! It’s just dance.”

By Sasha Hartzell

May 10, 2024