C.W. Post Salutatorian Dances Her Way to Success

Jamilia Hall, salutatorian of the class of 2004 at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookville, N.Y., knew she wanted a career on the stage. And she knew that she wanted to return to New York, which she had left at the age of four when her family relocated to Florida. So when she heard that C.W. Post had an excellent dance program, a beautiful suburban campus and close proximity to the excitement and opportunities of New York City, she was sold.

Ironically, Hall had never previously studied dance.

"I wanted to pursue a career in entertainment," Hall explains, "and in Miami, opportunities were limited. Then I learned that C.W. Post had a respected dance program that included studies of acting, voice, and the technical side of entertainment — set building, lighting, and costume design — and I knew that was the place for me."

Growing up in Miami, Florida, Hall attended high school at The School for Advanced Studies and earned an associate’s degree from Miami-Dade Community College. She transferred to C.W. Post and continued to work hard, attending classes by day and rehearsals in the evening, all while maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Along the way she took summer classes and college level proficiency exams to speed up the process. On May 9 (Mother’s Day), Hall will graduate as salutatorian with a bachelor of fine arts degree in dance at the age of 20.

"My mother and grandmother said that they couldn’t have a better Mother’s Day gift," says Hall.

Hall lives in a residence hall on campus and sometimes stays with an aunt in Uniondale. She is a member of the C.W. Post Concert Dance Company, the Student Dance Organization, and a new C.W. Post Hip-Hop Dance team, Teknique. She worked as a teacher’s assistant for the Beginning Movement classes and taught in C.W. Post’s Saturday Dance Adventures for young children. She currently works at Virgin Megastore Long Island and dances for a DJ company, entertaining guests at weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, and other celebrations.

In June, Hall will take her performance career to the next level when she performs as a back up dancer for recording artist Safire and over the summer she may have the opportunity to teach Western-style dancing to dance teachers in India.

As she looks toward the future, Hall considers pursuing a graduate degree in physical therapy. "The C.W. Post dance program was so-well rounded," she said. "We took classes in biology and kinesiology. We learned about anatomy and how the muscles work and why we get injured if we don't warm up properly before dancing. It made me realize that I would really enjoy physical therapy as well."

Hall will be one of more than 2,500 students who will don their caps and gowns on Sunday, May 9 for the 46th annual commencement exercises of the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. The campus has awarded more than 86,000 degrees in its 50-year history, through a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs. For additional information, call the Office of Public Relations at (516) 299-2333.