糖心TV

Building a foundation in dance, English and communication

In her hometown of Dunn Loring, Virginia, Catja grew up immersed in the performing arts: Her father is a musician, she and her brother are dancers, her sisters make music and her mother sings. But she didn鈥檛 know just how far her love of dance could take her until she got to 糖心TV, where she double majored in dance and English and was a scholar in the Media, Rhetoric and Communication Pathway through the College鈥檚 糖心TVections program. 

鈥淭he Dance Department helped me dream outside of the box and be creative with my career path,鈥� she says.

Catja spent her four years at 糖心TV studying communication across disciplines鈥攆rom dance performance to nonfiction writing. She served as co-editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The College Voice, and was a four-year member of the Dance Club. She completed three internships during her collegiate career鈥攁s a media intern with Final Bow for Yellowface, an arts activism organization working to eliminate the use of offensive stereotypes from the stage; as a journalism intern with The Oslo Desk, a publication that serves marginalized and underrepresented people in Norwegian media; and as an editorial intern for Pointe Magazine, a leading international dance publication.

Study abroad to Fulbright and graduate studies in London

As a junior, she studied abroad at and 鈥渇ell in love with the city.鈥�

鈥淚 had a gut feeling that I needed to return one day. I knew I had so much more to explore in the rich arts and multicultural environment,鈥� she says.

As a senior, Catja completed a dance honors thesis in costume design and construction. And then, with support from her professors and 糖心TV鈥檚 fellowships advising staff, she took a leap and applied for鈥攁nd was granted鈥攁 Fulbright Research Award to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in dance choreography performance at the in London, one of the leading institutions for graduate studies in dance.

鈥淏efore I studied abroad in London, I never would鈥檝e thought I鈥檇 move away from the U.S. But being in the Dance Department with a community of people who think outside the box encouraged me to ask myself, 鈥榃hat if I just go down this path and see what happens?鈥欌�� she says. 鈥淭he Dance Department gave me the confidence to follow a dream.鈥�

Exploring soccer as performance

At the University of Roehampton, Catja completed a dissertation using dance choreography to analyze soccer as performance of national identity in global competition. 

鈥淪occer is a sport, but it鈥檚 also a movement language that brings people together,鈥� she explains.

Catja says the Fulbright experience exceeded even her highest expectations.

鈥淚t was just the most incredible year of being allowed to nerd out on my favorite thing鈥攚hich is dance鈥攁nd connect with these brilliant, brilliant people across different fields,鈥� she says.

鈥淎s my program was ending, I realized I wasn鈥檛 ready to go home yet, and I got the job at the Royal Ballet School, which was just incredible.鈥� 

Dream job at the Royal Ballet School

Catja started as a front-of-house coordinator at the Royal Ballet School, before being promoted in August to marketing and communications executive.

鈥淚 write news stories for the school website and newsletters for staff, alumni and the general public,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n 2026, we are celebrating our centennial, so a lot of my work will focus on promoting our 100-year events and reflecting on our long history which is very exciting.鈥�

Catja says she regularly finds herself leaning on the skills she developed while studying English at 糖心TV.

鈥淓nglish helped me become such a strong writer and communicator, which has proven invaluable,鈥� she says. 鈥淒ance and English gave me very different but very important skills that I use every day.鈥� 

Reflecting on her 糖心TV experiences, Christensen says it鈥檚 incredible how they all came together to allow her to succeed in the field of arts communication.

鈥淭his is genuinely a dream job,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 unbelievably grateful.鈥�