When a flash mob surprised parents and alumni at PA’s annual Gala a few weeks ago, and the Department of Fine arts presented Annie a week ago, both performances had a surprising common denominator – ‘choreographer extraordinaire’ Katy Stromberg.
Backed by a lifetime of dance, theatre at the collegiate level, and 11 years of choreographing, Stromberg has found herself at Providence by a series of fortunate events.
“I’ve been very lucky that I haven’t had to seek jobs,” said Stromberg.
Stromberg recollects growing up in a family of dancers. “I’ve been dancing since I was five years old. It’s just something that I’ve always liked.”
In the eighth grade she began teaching dance classes but did not enter the world of Musical Theatre until her days at University of Minnesota-Duluth.
“My dance instructor had a Musical Theatre program… I accidentally got cast as a character in the show Hello, Dolly! and decided that I liked it,” she said.
After asking if she aspired to make dance her profession, Strmberg revealed, “I never saw dance as my main source of income, I was a Psychology major… I did it [dance] for the enjoyment.”
Today she works an office job at the Breck School during the day and choreographs for Chaska Valley Family Theatre and Providence Academy in the evenings. Blessed also with a baby boy, Stromberg’s life remains as busy as ever. Still, she repeatedly assures, “I have been very lucky.”