Jullianna Oke

Jullianna Oke: 2022 FCAT Fellowship Award Recipient

Jullianna Oke is a student in the contemporary dance program in the School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) at SFU and recipient of the 2022 FCAT Undergraduate Research Fellowship award.

Throughout the duration of her studies in the SCA, Jullianna says she has had the opportunity to work closely with local Vancouver artists and develop interdisciplinary skills, while learning more about herself and the type of artist she seeks to be.

Jullianna says that both the fellowship and SCA’s senior capstone shows have given her an opportunity to show what she has learned in an academic and given her a career direction to work towards after graduation.

Read our full interview with Jullianna to learn more about her fellowship and experiences at SFU:

Why did you choose to pursue the dance program at SFU?

I was interested in pursuing dance beyond high school, but also wanted a bachelor’s degree – the SFU Dance program seemed to a perfect blend of these things. I really liked how the School for Contemporary Arts supported you in learning what you needed to be able to support yourself as an independent artist. I also saw how much they encouraged interdisciplinary collaboration, and touring the school and seeing the facilities and how closely the departments worked together was also a reason I chose to pursue dance here!

How did your experience in the School for the Contemporary Arts shape you as an artist?

The courses that the SCA offers really supports you in finding what subjects and topics you are interested in, but also helps in preparing you for what comes after graduation. There are courses like Critical Writing in the Arts and Intro to Stage and Production Management, which teach a lot of transferable skills that I can use when I write applications and engage in more administration-type work. I have also found the specific dance courses like our Technique course and the Repertory/Intensive Studies in Performance course to be great opportunities to get to know local artists in the Vancouver area. Through these experiences and courses, I feel like I have learned more about myself and the type of artist that I seek to be.

How did your fellowship project impact your studies or future plans?

The Fellowship impacted my studies and future plans by giving me the opportunity to learn hands-on alongside a professor, while also allowing me to not be stressed about finding separate work outside of school. For a period of time, the research and development that I was doing was the paying work, and being able to experience an aspect of the arts in this regard was a very fruitful and informative experience. It impacted my studies by giving me a career to work towards upon graduation and it provided me with an opportunity to show what I have learned in an academic environment thus far.

What piece of choreography or performance during your degree had the most impact on you as an artist?

I think the most recent senior dance capstone show “Propositions” would probably be the performance that had the most impact on me! We spent both the Fall 2022 Semester and the Spring 2023 Semester building these pieces, and getting the opportunity to showcase the solo I have been working on was incredible! I also got the opportunity to dance in another capstone that was in the show, and both of those pieces were truly works that I am proud of and hope to continue! I would love to expand on my solo more and present it in different iterations, and I think that the capstones gave me a good foundation and piece that I can now build off once I graduate.

What did you learn from your experience presenting at the FCAT Undergraduate Conference?

This was my second time presenting at the FCAT Undergraduate Conference, but the first time I presented was during Covid-19 and the conference was held online. This year’s in-person experience was so much fun, and as I was preparing my presentation, I quickly learned that if I had cue cards or notes for me to read, then I became so intent on reading my words exactly as they were written that I would lose my actual presenting skills. Due to this, I decided to just memorize key points and speak from with no reference material – this was a little daunting at first, but I believe that it ended up working in my benefit. I did not feel tied to anything and could read the room and spend longer on a certain area of my topic if the audience seemed engaged.

What are your most memorable experiences at SFU?

I think the moments I consider the most memorable would be the moments where I was collaborating with others. Whether it was for a class or for a personal project, I really enjoyed being in group settings. This is something different than what I found in high school – I really didn’t like group work back then and enjoyed working primarily alone, and so this has been a very pleasant and much needed shift in my life.

What is one piece of advice you would tell your first-year self if you could?

I would tell myself to not beat myself up so much over the small things, and that it is okay to take breaks and take time to myself too. When I was in first year, I was trying to do everything all the time and this resulted in me feeling burnt out a lot right before everything shifted online during the pandemic. If I had taking time to myself and done extra-curricular activities in moderation instead of all at once, then I think this would have resulted in a healthier mindset and emotional wellbeing.

About the UGC:

The UGC is an amazing opportunity to connect with grad students from your department, and with SFU alumni. As Anastasia explains, the speaking skills and the presentation skills you will gain from the conference are useful for your resumes and CCR, and the experience will be a great reference when you want to apply to grad school.

About the FCAT Undegraduate Research Fellowship Award:

The FCAT Undergraduate Research Fellowship Award aims to encourage students to pursue research in their field of study. The program offers students the opportunity to interact with top professors in the field, gain critical leadership, team-building and critical thinking skills, and earn money while gaining valuable research experience. Learn more HERE.

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