Dancing Through Life

June 2025

Student Madeline Jennejohn dances in the BYU Theatre Ballet and plans to dance professionally after graduation. Jennejohn, like many students in the arts, will earn her degree in another subject. “I feel like my time in ballet has taught me how to consistently work at something, be attentive to details, and be open to lots of feedback. This has transferred well to the paper-writing, statistics, and research I have done in my political science classes,” she says. 

During the 2023–24 school year, the ballet com¬pany learned and performed George Balanchine’s Serenade. The company was mentored by a professional repetiteur, and Jennejohn says that she spent almost 80 hours practicing with that mentor in just two weeks. As exhausting as it was, Jennejohn says, “Even in the middle of really tiring rehearsals, every¬one was always cheering everyone on.” 

“The ballet she taught us—with its powerful music and choreography—was inspiring, and I felt the Spirit while I was dancing it,” Jennejohn says. “My time at BYU has helped me to be confident in sharing my beliefs. I appreciate that BYU doesn’t just emphasize reaching the top of our respective fields but encourages us to help others along the way.” 

Jennejohn says that donors have enriched her BYU experience and helped her to develop and share her talents. “I am grateful,” she says.