Who says tomboys can't dance? The talented feet of MSU senior Haritha Nannapaneni prove that, for some, athletic ability and a natural rhythm in the performing arts can go hand-in-hand.
The former Fayetteville (Ark.) High School track state champion, who also played basketball and volleyball, wanted to explore opportunities apart from sports as a young student, so she turned to theater and dance as her creative outlet.
Moving to Starkville in 2007 when her father became a Mississippi State professor, Haritha received a Presidential Endowed Scholarship as a university freshman in pre-medicine. She soon realized, however, that she couldn't shake the calling to "get moving" in the arts again. The Harpenden, England, native changed her major to communication with an emphasis in theater and joined Lab Rats Comedy, MSU's improvisation troupe.
Off campus, she found employment at Dancing Feet Academy, where she currently teaches the senior company in modern, jazz and lyrical dance. In a recent Applause Talent regional dance competition, Haritha's work won the choreography award out of more than 300 dances showcased during the meet. Her talent also has led her to jobs as choreographer for Starkville High School theater productions and the West Point High School show choir.
Haritha will continue to be "on her toes" as she pursues several new ventures after graduating from MSU this spring. While she plans to enter nursing school, she also wants to obtain a Mississippi teaching license and eventually realize a dream of having a master's degree in fine arts with an emphasis in dance.