Salves Own Best Kept Secret; SRU Dance Member Casey Sheehans Demonstrates How Far Passion Can

Go By: Brooke Biolo Among the hundreds of students passing through Salve Regina Universitys Miley hall on a daily basis, one bright pink stands out, bopping along among the rest of the student body. Sophomore nineteen year old, Casey Sheehan, certainly has a case of what the Beatles would refer to as the hippie hippie shakes, as he strides purposefully around the cafeteria, mouthing the words and shaking his head to the beat of a song. He can hardly keep the rhythm inside himself as he walks around, seeking any opportunity to bust a move, even in the middle of a crowded cafeteria! Prior to attending Salve and joining SRU Dance, the sophomore from Warwick, RI had not even begun to experiment with the way he could move his body. His prior dedication to singing would later prove a likely motivator for his success as a dancer as well. Sheehans vocal career debut was when he was in sixth grade. He was the voice of Simba in a school production of The Lion King. Throughout high school, he continued to take voice lessons and pursue his passion for music. He followed his voice to an audition for Glee, though he did not get the part, Sheehan remained optimistic, as ever, if they dont want me, they dont want me, thats it. He plans to maintain this same mindset for his upcoming X-Factor audition. While his passion for music has followed him to Salve, where he is a member of the universities ocapela group Cliff-notes, Casey found a new form of musical expression. Thanks to the nagging of close friend and fellow SRU dance team member, Emily Morrison, as well as the instruction of SRU Dance coach, Lindsay Guarino, Sheehan has discovered his talent for dance. Coach Guarino speaks highly of Caseys new discovered gift, There is a certain element to dance that you either have or you don't, and it has nothing to do with technique or years spent training. Casey has it. Besides having it, Sheehan has for dance, what most students lack for their classes, one hundred percent motivation. He took on five dances this past semester. Each dance required an hour and fifteen minutes every Sunday for the entire semester. Of the five dances, one of them was his personal choreography. Sheehan and his dancers grooved to his own steps in Out of Your Mind at this semesters dance show. The audience raved at the performance; by the end he had everyone convince that he had danced straight out the womb. Coach Lindsay Guarino believes that Sheehans musical backgrounds aid his natural talent. As a business administration and theatre double major, with a minor in dance, Sheehan truly has a passion for performing. I think his background as a singer/performer influenced the way he takes dance classes; he is a performer at heart and he is able to connect to movement as a performer quoted Guarino of her dedicated student. While natural talent and musical background definitely lent him much support, there is much to be said about Sheehans own determination. Both his fellow dancers and dance instructors can see that he puts one hundred per cent into everything he does. Sheehans himself even notes, When you work hard at dance you can always get better,

in contrast to singing, which is limited by his vocal chord capabilities, with dancing, I can control how good I get. And control he certainly has. After dancing for just two years, Sheehan has been given the honorary position of Junior E-Board captain for next years SRU Dance team. Sheehan glowed as he talked about how excited he was for his new responsibilities, claiming he could not wait to, go big for the show with crazy music and great choreography. Caseys determination is contagious as he inspires everyone around him to push his or her limits. In his dance from this past semester, he took on new moves for himself and only when he was able to perfectly execute them, did he then turn around and push his dancers to master the moves as well. Sheehan plans to pursue his dancing career for the rest of his time at Salve and then eventually in his own life. Business Administration serves as an interesting backup to Sheehans true desire for performance. There is a saying that goes, it is only once youve reached your goals that you realize your limits, but whoever said that definitely did not know Sheehan, who dreams of attending grad school in New York City. He is limitless, with and unfaltering passion and dedication for dancing. Fellow E-Board member Emily Morrison acknowledges Sheehans perseverance, he has huge dreams and he is doing everything he can to make them happen. For Sheehan, there is no limit on success. His coach even recognizes his willpower, claiming, The sky is the limit for Casey. Sheehans overwhelming sense of determination will no doubt lead him to success in his life. In just two years, he was able to go farther with dance than most dancers go in their lifetimes. Casey is a living, breathing example of just how far determination and passion can go. Coach Guarino nails the extent of Sheehans newfound passion; I frequently use him as an example of fast you can grow as a dancer if you put your whole heart and mind to it. -30Word Count: 912