Elisia Daniels: Choreographer of People

By Aaron Blough ENGL 336.002

Elisia Daniels dabbles in a variety of arts. She enjoys dancing, writing, and the art of managing people. Daniels came to Frostburg from Prince George’s county with quite an interesting history of arts. She has been dancing for fifteen of her twenty-two year life span. She specializes in Modern dance, a particular style of dance. Daniels describes this type of dance as “based in Ballet along with some African beats.” This type of dancing is not the only style Daniels has in her arsenal. She is trained in Technical, Tap, Lyrical, and Hip-Hop dancing. With this repertoire of skills, she has been a valued member of the FSU Dance Company for 7 semesters.

What is most intriguing about Elisia is her major. She is a Mass Communications major with a focus in media management. She describes this major as the “behind the scenes of mass comm.” Daniels handles the people and the technologies used in the creation of a project. She said that she found herself “fascinated with the technology involved in Mass Comm.” Daniels has helped several students with their own projects; she often handles the cameras and managing the personnel involved in the production.

At first glance, this may seem like an odd combination of skills and interests. After further questioning, Elisia’s answers made it very clear why these two interests go together. Along with her dance career, she has had a lot of experience with choreographing the movements of her fellow dancers. Daniels compared the experience to writing. She even said that she has "experienced dancer’s block.” She described “dancer’s block” as a phenomenon very similar to writer’s block; sometimes she just couldn’t find the right steps! After some time and thought, Daniels eventually pushed on and finished the choreography.

After this comparison, the likeness of the interests immediately clicked. With media management, Daniels has to coordinate individuals to ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. This is particular true for Elisia in her role as Logistics Coordinator for Late at Lane. Elisia has to make sure that everything is setup for the regular Late at Lane events hosted by Frostburg State University Student Involvement. Not only does Elisia handle the logistics, she also handles the effort to advertise and reach out to the members of the campus. Suddenly, dance and management combine into a intricate array of motion. Elisia sets up the exact steps, and she leads her associates in the steps. It seems so clear how these interests merge together.

After this semester, Elisia hopes to find a good graduate program in media management. She hopes to find a school close to home, and Daniels hopes to pursue her dreams of working in broadcasting.

For more information on the Frostburg Dance Company, click on this link!