Georgia Tucker ’25 blended journalism and dance to empower communities through storytelling and movement.
by Kaia Mikulka, class of ’25
A dancer since she was a toddler, Georgia Tucker had always known her life would include dance. She didn’t expect she would fall in love with writing as well.
“I’ve danced since I was a toddler and always knew I wanted dance in my life,” she said. “But I didn’t realize until high school that writing would be another thing I cared so deeply about.”
In high school, inspired by powerful women writers like Gloria Steinem, she started to see that journalism and dance have similar roots.
“I fell in love with being able to write and tell people’s stories,” Tucker said. “In dance, too, it’s all about telling stories through visuals.”
Torn between two very different paths, she decided to try both. She double majored in journalism and dance at the UO School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC) not just because she could, but because it made perfect sense to her.
“There were times when I was taking 23 credits at a time,” Tucker said. “But I didn’t want to give up either one.”
As winter term of her senior year approached, Tucker began searching for an internship that would allow her to combine both of her majors and contribute something to the community. That’s when SOJC’s Assistant Director of Undergraduate Student Services Emily Henkelman-Parker introduced her to Miranda Atkinson, executive director of #Instaballet and a former SOJC advisor herself. “She connected me with Miranda and said, ‘I think you’d be perfect for this,’” Tucker said.
Using journalism and dance to build community
#Instaballet is a nonprofit on a mission to bring ballet out of the theater and into the community. Founded by dancers Antonio Anacan and Suzanne Haag, #Instaballet’s mission is to use creativity and movement to foster personal growth and connection — something Tucker experienced firsthand.
“They’re trying to break that boundary between performer and audience by letting the audience be the choreographer,” Tucker said. “The dancers come to an event with 10% of a dance done. And they let the audience choreograph the 90%.”
In addition to engaging with audiences at private gatherings, First Friday Art Walks and other events, #Instaballet works with children in foster care, people with disabilities and those who have experienced trauma.
“They bring dance and creativity into those facilities and give people opportunities to experience and create in new ways,” Tucker said.
Through #Instaballet’s collaborative and inclusive experience, dance becomes a shared dialogue and a form of healing. “It helps people break out of their shell,” Tucker said.
Putting SOJC skills to work promoting #Instaballet
The internship came with a variety of responsibilities.
“It ended up giving me my dance fix, but it also let me utilize my skills in journalism and communications,” Tucker said.
The classes she took at the SOJC gave her the tools she needed to begin a professional role confidently.
Tucker worked on press releases, created event postings and built a profile using GuideStar, a platform designed to increase nonprofit visibility. Her Reporting I and Reporting II classes helped prepare her for those tasks by teaching her how to write in a structured way, she said.
Tucker also tabled at events and helped collect donations. Her Audio Journalism class proved especially useful when she interacted with groups of people.
“I learned how to talk to people in the right way and keep the conversation flowing,” Tucker said.
She even used #Instaballet as the subject of her final project for Audio Journalism, a 2- to 3-minute audio story centered on someone from the Eugene community. She interviewed Atkinson and incorporated sound from community events. “The class really pushed me out of my comfort zone,” Tucker said.
In addition to the media work, Tucker got to perform.
“I got to dance in the children’s workshops, at outreach events and the Lane Arts Council’s end-of-year gala,” she said. “I'm so thankful that I get the opportunity to work with Miranda and Antonio. They bring so much joy and fun into my life!”
Her faculty advisor, Damian Radcliffe, played a key role in making the internship meaningful.
“He’s been really supportive throughout the whole experience,” Tucker said. “I sent him a reflection every term to recap and figure out what I wanted to get out of the internship.”
Exploring a career in journalism and dance
What began as a way to explore her interests grew into something she now sees as part of her future. “Within the first week of doing it, I could see myself doing this as a job long-term,” Tucker said. “I’m big on community things, and have always wanted my own dance community center where kids who can’t afford it can dance for free.”
Tucker graduated in June, but she isn’t done with #Instaballet. “At this point, it’s a passion project for me,” she said. “I’m volunteering my time and still doing what I’m doing with the media, and I’m planning on continuing on into the year.”
For Tucker, the two disciplines have become inseparable. “I feel like I couldn’t imagine my life without both dance and journalism,” she said. “I think I will always find opportunities to utilize both.”
Kaia Mikulka is a senior advertising major, business minor and an art director at Align magazine. Her passions include design and art direction and their intersection with technology and psychology.