Julia Linder

What companies/classes are you currently in?

I am currently a member of Tap Cats, Hoofers, and Senior Cats. I’m also in pre-professional acting and I take weekly voice lessons.

When did you start at Center Stage?

I started dancing when I was two years old, so 2005.

Do you remember your first dance routine?

This could be wrong, but I think my first dance was in one of those ballet and tap combo classes, and it was a bear themed dance for the Winnie the Pooh themed show.

What was your Center Stage journey?

I’m almost positive that I started in recreational tap and ballet combo classes, and spent a few years dancing like once or twice a week. In third grade, I joined company and made my way through Junior Cougars, Senior Cougars/Tap Kids, Junior Cats/Junior Tap Cats, Apprentices, and finally to Senior Cats/Tap Cats/Hoofers, which is where I am today. I’ve been in Tap Cats for 6 years, Cats for 5 years (including the 2 years of Apprentices), and Hoofers for 4 years.

Why has it been worth all of the energy you’ve put into it and the sacrifices you’ve made?

Since a very young age I’ve always loved the gratification of performing on stage and being able to showcase something to an audience that I worked hard for. As I grew older, dance truly became my outlet. If I was having a rough day, I knew I could come to the studio and express myself through improvisation or choreography, and in a way, dance has allowed me to discover who exactly I am as a person. Also, my time at Center Stage has given me AMAZING time management skills, while also turning me into a really ambitious person—teaching me that if I want something, I’m going to have to work for it. And the thing about Center Stage is that it isn’t JUST a dance studio, it’s a family, and when I walk into the studio I know that each and every person—from the staff members to the students—cares about one another. The relationships that I have formed at dance have undoubtedly changed my life for the better, and I am so incredibly grateful for the people that I’ve met through Center Stage.

Do you do other outside of school activities?

This list is really small, but at school (even though you didn’t ask), I am in the performing arts magnet program along with the Make-A-Wish Club and National Honor Society. Outside of school, I’ve worked at an ice cream place and volunteered with the organization Friendship Circle for the last four years.

What’s so great about tap dancing, anyway?

It’s actually really hard for me to put into words why I love tap, because it’s more like an indescribable feeling within me, but I’ll try my best: First and foremost I think as a young child, I really liked making noise. And I guess any little kid could say that, but alongside that, I also really lacked the discipline and/or flexibility required for other genres of dance, so that initially made them slightly more unappealing, I guess. But with tap, I found myself fascinated by the idea of endless exploration (and I’m still fascinated by it today). There’s never any point in your training where you can ever ACTUALLY master the dance (and I know every style of dance is like that, but it feels distinctly different with tap because people are constantly creating new steps). Because of this, nobody will ever know/perfect everything about the art of tap dance, making it so there is always more knowledge to be gained. Also, there is so much variability within the dance—you can put together any combination of steps and nobody’s sequence will ever be/sound remotely the same, as there are so many elements of tap dance, from the style, to the rhythm, to the meter, etc. Another HUGE thing that I love about tap is the tap dance community itself. In stark contrast to other styles of dance, the tap dance community doesn’t depend on the gender binary and has (relatively) no sexist stereotypes, body standards, or tap dancer “look.” Rather, companies (like Dorrance Dance and Caleb Teicher & Co.) create work to challenge the rigid gender norms and heteronormativity of the dance industry, allowing a man to play the role of “Clara” in the (tap) Nutcracker, or creating an intimate swing piece with two men or two women, instead of portraying the typical heterosexual “standard” of a man and a woman. And really what all tap dancers want above anything else is to spread joy and the love of the dance, and that is something that truly makes me proud to be a tap dancer. As I’ve grown older, I’ve remained attracted to the same elements of tap that cultivated me as a young child, but I think now, I’ve learned to also value the rich history of tap dance, which is deeply DEEPLY rooted in (African) American history (something I’m also really interested in). But above all else, Center Stage has truly allowed me to shape and direct my passion for tap dance. Each of George’s dances over the years have been SO DIFFERENT from one another, and it has really allowed me to explore myself within the dance. Without George and Center Stage in general, I wouldn’t be the tap dancer I am today (if I was even tap dancing at all), so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! okay I’m going to stop here… sorry that this is so long and I kind of went on tangents :)

Why vegan?

This is another question that will probably have a long response, but I first became a vegetarian during my freshman year of high school, because I developed a really weird relationship with meat, so it was just healthier for me to find substitutes for it. But during quarantine this past year, I went vegan in an attempt to do the 75 Hard Challenge, where you become “mentally and physically fit” (Spoiler Alert: I didn’t succeed at any other part of the challenge and I stopped after 35 days). During this same period, I was also starting to become really interested in sustainability and low-impact living, especially after learning about the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the meat and dairy industries. Being (a properly nourished) vegan has absolutely no downsides: it’s better for the animals, the water, the rainforests, the fight for social justice, and for your health, and I am confident that I will follow a vegan diet for the rest of my life because vegan food is REALLY GOOD. But as a tap dancer, it’s kind of impossible for me to adapt an entirely vegan lifestyle, since vegan tap shoes are overpriced and impractical, as the synthetic leather (which isn’t sustainable since it’s basically plastic produced with toxins) probably wouldn’t last long with the amount that I dance (which makes it even more unsustainable). Other than tap shoes, I don’t purchase any leather/fur/animal products (I would potentially buy these materials second hand, since that doesn’t cause these industries to directly profit from my purchase, but I still tend to avoid them since it makes me feel uncomfortable when I wear animals), but throwing out what I already have wouldn't be sustainable either. Also, I know that large corporations are mostly at fault for the majority of our environmental issues, but being vegan makes me feel like I’m doing my part at an individual level. I’m obviously not ever going to be completely zero-waste/the most sustainable person ever, but I try to do what I can where I can—and my veganism is a huge component of my more ethical and sustainable lifestyle. With this, I want to point out that I recognize that the ability to go vegan is a privilege that is not always a feasible option or the right choice for everyone. So I am absolutely not saying, “I’m better than you because I’m vegan,” but rather, I feel that it is a viable choice that I am able to make, that also best aligns with my personal set of values and health goals. No hate to anyone, vegan or not. Just do what’s best for your lifestyle/body, and I’ll respect your decision as long as you respect mine. 

If you could snap your fingers and have all the skills and training necessary for any job in the world, what job would you choose?

Okay, well I have two dream careers that are so different from one another: the first is obviously a professional tap dancer, but I don’t really know what it would look like to have “all the skills and training” in a performing arts field… would I just know every single step? And the second is a lawyer at the ACLU, so yeah, I would absolutely love to just snap my fingers and have all the qualifications without going to law school. 

If you could create a job that doesn’t currently exist that would best utilize your skills, passions, and personality traits, what would the job be?

I mean in general I’m really passionate about a lot of things, but maybe like a tap dancer for a vintage themed company (think more like 60s/70s… so not Postmodern Jukebox) that advocates for social justice, sustainability, and mental health awareness, and we all wear orange. That’s literally so random, but I tried my best to combine things together. 

If someone were to write you a personalized self-help book that would make living your life a breeze and a joy, what would the book be called?

I don’t think it would just be a self-help book, it would have to be more like a self-help series… and honestly, I have no idea what it would be called, but if someone is willing to write me a personalized self-help book/series please let me know because that would be greatly appreciated. (serious inquiries only)

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be a lawyer just like my dad, so as a child, I would literally type up contracts on my Grandpa’s computer that looked like legitimate legal documents because I wanted to be a lawyer so badly. 

Did you have an imaginary friend?  Do you still?

Of course not, because I had/still have Jessica.

If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would it be?

I feel like most people my age wouldn’t know who this is, but Daria Morgendorffer from the 90s cartoon Daria. I feel like we’re cynical in a very similar way, and it would be so funny if we hung out. Another contender would be Diane Nguyen, from Bojack Horseman, because although I never had the chance to finish the show, I always felt so connected to her in the few seasons that I actually had time to watch. 

If you could eliminate one thing from your daily routine, what would it be?

Definitely the time between getting in bed and falling asleep, where I overthink everything I’ve ever done :)

What’s next?

I will be attending Barnard College (of Columbia University!!!!) and as of right now, I will be double majoring in sociology and political science, while also studying on a pre-law track (but I’m not positive yet so we’ll see when we get there, since I’m also kind of interested in a human rights major too). Also, since I’ll be in New York, I will be taking as many tap classes as humanly possible, in addition to joining the tap club at Columbia. this sounds a lot more ambitious than it actually is but I SWEAR IT'S ACTUALLY MANAGEABLE.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Okay well first of all... the idea of being 27 years old is nauseating, but if I’m going to be completely honest, I have almost no idea where i’m going to be in 10 years from now... maybe I’ll be a tap dancer, maybe I’ll be a Civil Liberties Attorney, maybe I’ll be something entirely different... literally who knows? I feel like if I’ve learned anything from the past year, it’s that you never really know what’s going to happen at any given moment, and just when you think you’re on some exact track to a specific destination, life throws you some kind of curveball that reroutes you to an entirely new/different future. All I can say is that in 10 years from now, I hope that I am happy, understand myself a little bit better, surrounded by people and things that bring me joy, and advocating for the things that I'm passionate about.

Will you come back to visit Center Stage, or are you gone for good when you’re out the door?

I actually wish you guys luck getting me out the door because Center Stage has been my LITERAL HOME for the past 15 years of my life, and I genuinely could not tell you who or where I would be without this studio. I will 1000% be choreographing things for the studio, attending every event I can possibly come to, and just stopping in to say hi. Center Stage is my family and there’s no way I could ever just walk out the door and leave forever… plus I know you guys would miss me too much :)