Get to know our featured Alum—Pamela Hetherington! Philadelphia native Pamela danced with Penn Dance during her years at Penn. Additionally, from 1999-2001, she collaborated with other dancers at Penn to form an offshoot of Strictly Funk that specialized in tap. That group has since grown into its own organization now known as Soundworks Tap Factory. Pamela shares that all her friends in school were dancers because they spent so much time working together. In addition to performing, Pamela also dipped into the production side of the dance world, and she developed skills related to production, networking, budgets, and public speaking that have since served her well in her career.

After graduating, Pamela entered the workforce in corporate America. Four years ago, she quit her day job, and in 2015, she opened a dance studio called Sound Space. Her studio offers classes for children and adults in percussive and world dances and runs a community tap project that is funded by the city and state. Part of the mission of Sound Space is to offer people the opportunity to try a form of dance they might not otherwise be able to and to keep different percussive art forms alive. In addition to her work with Sound Space, Pamela directs a tap dance and jazz music company called Take It Away Dance, which has performed at major Philadelphia venues. In September, they will make their New York debut at Dixon Place. 

Pamela remembers her time at Penn fondly, including painting murals, taking dance classes in the city, and improving as an artist with a supportive group surrounding her. Pamela shares an important reminder related to pursuing life in the arts: no one is going to be more excited about your idea than you, and you have to be the most excited about it for it to succeed. She also advises artists to support one another whenever you can. Pamela finds her deepest fulfillment through dance and its communities. She believes that the arts bring people together, and she wants to do whatever she can to give back.

Photo Credit: Anthony Dean Photography