Senior Profile: Michael Novak, GS

Michael Novak started dancing when he was 11 years old.

He used dance as a means of expressing himself when speech was not an option. “After a severe stutter problem prevented me form verbally communicating ... dance class was a safe-haven, a place where I didn’t have to worry about speaking fluently,” Novak said. “I was able to use dance ... to release all the frustration I bottled up throughout the day. Dance, in many ways, liberated me from myself.”

Now he is graduating from the School of General Studies with a degree in dance, having founded the Columbia Ballet Collaborative, a student ballet group that has been featured in the New York Times. Anna O’Sullivan, an administrator at GS, said that Novak stands out for “his commitment to spreading his love of dance throughout the Columbia community,” but also notes he is equally dedicated to all his classes.

“There’s something about paying $1,000 per credit that motivated me to push myself in my studies—to read all the texts, to write beyond the page limit, and to constantly ask for criticism from professors,” Novak said. “I was determined to get the most out of this education.”

Novak, who has performed at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and other theatrical venues after preparing for a professional dance career at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, was injured in 2003. He moved to New York and got a job “building and installing showcase displays for leading cosmetic and fashion houses,” he said. He thought he would never dance again.

Eventually he made the decision to apply to GS, saying, “it seemed like the perfect opportunity to study dance, explore new career opportunities, and satisfy the thirst of scholarship that I had missed since high school.”

Now, at 26, he has made up his mind to work at becoming a professional dancer. He said, “When I consider the future, I see myself performing and/or choreographing for a number of years, and then returning to academia for my graduate degree in arts administration or dance education.” His ultimate career goal is to become the artistic director of a dance company.

Novak said his schedule is not one for the faint-hearted. He dances at least 10 hours a day during peak season, and the majority of Columbia performances are scheduled during or around finals, which he said can be exhausting. But, he added, “There are many of us who thrive on this schedule, unhealthy though it may be. We need intellectual stimulation and artistic expression in our lives. GS provides a place where we can make these two worlds meet.”