After a long career, WashU student Rebecca Cornett is planning for retirement. She is only 31.
“I do have an expiration date as to how long I can do this job that I love,” Cornett said. “I want a degree to prepare for what’s next, but I also need flexibility because sometimes my job is a day job and sometimes — like right now — it’s an all-day and all-night job.”
Cornett is a dancer for Saint Louis Ballet and a veteran performer in the company’s annual production of “The Nutcracker,” currently running at the Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She also is one of several Saint Louis Ballet dancers who have pursued their educations at WashU’s School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS). Ultimately, Cornett plans to support dancers and athletes as a nutritionist or to pursue nutrition research.
“The work is hard, but the advisers, the instructors, the fellow students — they’ve made it an amazing experience,” Cornett said. “Dance can be mentally draining and physically draining, so it’s nice to have this outlet that challenges your brain in a different way.”
Kilinyaa Cothran, CAPS vice dean and director of health programs, said that Cornett and her fellow dancers are, by nature and by training, disciplined and hardworking. They also serve as an inspiring example to their classmates, who also are balancing career, classes and home life.
“It can be hard to transition from one career to another and conquer that fear of starting something new,” Cothran said. “Because the careers of professional dancers and professional athletes tend to be short, these students are facing that challenge at a very young age. They bring something special to the classroom that we all can learn from.”
The students from Saint Louis Ballet have taken unorthodox paths to CAPS. Cornett earned her high school diploma online while training full time with the Boston Ballet School. Several years into her professional career at St. Louis Ballet, she enrolled in St. Charles Community College and later transferred to CAPS for its robust science courses and evening options.
CAPS classmate and fellow Saint Louis Ballet dancer Gwen Vandenhoeck was admitted to WashU Arts & Sciences as a high school senior but decided to pursue her dance career in Seattle and Kansas City, Mo. Now settled in St. Louis, Vandenhoeck is finally a WashU student, taking evening and online class through CAPS. After graduation, she plans to earn a graduate degree in physical therapy.
And recent CAPS graduate and Saint Louis Ballet alumna Liz Lloyd attended a ballet boarding school before training at San Francisco Ballet School. She learned about CAPS from her fellow dancers and graduated in 2022, earning the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence. She is now pursing a master’s degree in dance from Arts & Sciences, a remarkable turn for a dancer who never planned to attend college.
“I wanted a traditional well-rounded university experience, where I had the opportunity to meet people outside of my dance bubble,” said Lloyd, who aspires to teach dance at a college or university. “I did part-time semesters, full-time semesters, accelerated courses. It wasn’t easy, but CAPS gave me flexibility and support to meet my own timeline. I had zero questions about what my next step needed to be. My adviser made me feel like I was her only advisee, and my professors were always available.”
CAPS instructors are often working experts in their respective fields and know firsthand the day-to-day challenge of managing work and school. Cothran said the CAPS instructional design team help educators build courses that are student-focused, inclusive and challenging.
“I’m a WashU alum, and I value my experience and my degree, and if I’m going to award that to someone else, I want to make sure that they’ve had the same value and experience that I had as a day student,” Cothran said. “If we want to support our students, we need to support our instructors. … They understand that people need a little grace sometimes, but that grace does not mean lower expectations.”
Heading into finals, Vandenhoeck is working to meet those expectations in her three courses studying microeconomics, global health issues and health professions. The day after the semester ends, Vandenhoeck will dance 10 performances of “The Nutcracker” in six days. She can’t wait.
“Sometimes, little kids will come out of their chairs and dance in the aisles,” Vandenhoeck said. “That really fuels you. Knowing that you can spark that magic is really special.”
Cornett agreed. She has been dancing “The Nutcracker” for about two decades. She conceded there have been times when she was “so over” the ballet, but no longer.
“Now that I’m entering the late stages of my career, I have developed an appreciation for ‘The Nutcracker,’” Cornett said. “Being able to bring joy to people who are coming to the show and being part of their holiday tradition is really a gift.”
