Episode #13
Chippy Wassung's Dance Journey
Chippy Wassung is in the business of dance education, but how did she get there? She started taking ballet at two years old because a doctor said it could help with her "knock knees." Then at three, she performed a surprising dance for her preschool class, and her teacher quickly recommended she be put into more serious dance training. Chippy took ballet six days a week after school and joined a pre-professional company from nine years old through high school. She then became a dance major at UCLA, where she got to explore more jazz and contemporary styles and truly found her movement voice. Chippy loved performing, but because she dislocated her knee her sophomore year, she focused on classes in dance history and pedagogy. This is when she developed a strong interest in teaching dance, but she thought the interest would fade once she was healed. It did not! She went on to get her master's in Dance Education at NYU and has had a fulfilling career ever since. Check out the full episode to hear more about Chippy's career journey and what her life looks like now as the Dance Department Chair of an arts-focused K-12 private school. Follow our dance journeys on Instagram: @by.chippy @DanceJourneyPodcast @TracyinLA
