Devanshi Mishra
Dance major, Entrepreneurial Management for Performing Arts certificate
Chandigarh, India
While stomping her feet to the beat of the drums, Devanshi Mishri gracefully winds her hands through the air, forming precise hand gestures along the way. In Indian dance, the dance of the hands tells a story word by word. As the only international student in the Department of Dance in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Mishri brings this little bit of home with her to Halsey Hall. Mishri is graduating this May with a degree in dance and a certificate in performing arts entrepreneurship. At the UI, she took to her roots joining the Iowa Andhi Bollywood dance team, was on the executive board for Walk it Out—a multicultural fashion show—and served as a Pick One ambassador for the University, all while holding a job with UI Housing and Dining.
How fast did your time go at Iowa?
The time here went crazy fast. I can still remember the first day I got here. The Indian Student Alliance president drove me to campus from the Cedar Rapids airport…I had two overweight bags and that’s all I came with to this country. I just can’t believe it’s almost over…But I’m excited—I’m excited for what’s coming next. And I’m glad I came to Iowa, and I learned so much and I am who I am now.
Why did you choose to come to Iowa?
I chose Iowa because, first, I got into the dance program…I feel like coming here was the best decision I could have ever made for my higher education, given the fact that it is such a beautiful campus and the department here is just amazing. They help you in every way possible—not just the dance department, but people here, your peers. There’s so much opportunity to grow as a person, as a leader. And I feel like that was the best part.
Where do you hope to be in 10 years?
In 10 years, my dream is to own my own company, a dance company, and travel the world.
—Interview by Nora Heaton (BA 2013) and Dora Grote (Class of 2015); photo by Jill Tobin