Contributed photo: Clymer hopes to attend grad school for movement therapy.Kelly Clymer has combined a passion for dance and other art. Mercyhurst has provided her with many opportunities to pursue these passions by allowing her to declare a minor in art therapy.

Clymer started dancing at age three after her mother took her to see a performance of The Nutcracker in her hometown of Cleveland.

It was then she fell in love with ballet.

She decided to come to Mercyhurst because two of her dance teachers from her home studio are Mercyhurst alumni.

Through her four years at Mercyhurst, Clymer has developed a love for choreographing. She admits she did not initially like choreography, but after signing up for a choreography II class on a whim, she realized how fun it was.

Another reason Clymer enjoys choreographing is because it gives her the opportunity to use her love for other types of visual arts as well. In some of her past choreography, she has used colorful paint to inspire her dancing.

In regards to the dance department at Mercyhurst, Clymer said it has provided her with many performing opportunities that she might not have gotten at another school.

She is also thankful she discovered choreography, since it is not something she would have tried otherwise. She is glad she decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree, as she feels it has prepared her to go further with her dancing in the future.

Like most of the senior dancers, she plans on auditioning for several different professional companies and is looking for a more contemporary company because she feels that will fit her dancing style better.

Clymer said she would like to eventually go to graduate school for movement therapy, which is using kinesthetic movements and awareness to help special needs children. She would like to use her art therapy degree to help autistic children.

Clymer is especially interested in the professional company Corbin Dances, a contemporary dance company that is very involved with art therapy programs.