We were lucky to catch up with AvaRose Dillon recently and have shared our conversation below.
AvaRose, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)?
Working as a marketing intern for Pointeworks has been an incredible and transformative experience. As a full-time college student and dancer, I was initially hesitant to take on another responsibility. However, working under the guidance of Director and CEO Sophie Williams has not only been manageable but also highly rewarding, enhancing both my education and my dance career.
Sophie’s leadership is deeply inspiring. Her motivation and proactive approach to launching and completing projects have pushed me to overcome my own tendencies to procrastinate. She has shown me the value of initiative and perseverance in achieving goals.
Pointeworks’ dedication to respecting and celebrating dancers and artists has been equally impactful. This core value has reminded me to embrace gratitude for my own artistic journey, deepening my appreciation for self-expression through dance every day.
Additionally, the tasks I’ve been assigned—such as creating marketing materials, developing projects, and contributing to collaborative initiatives—have provided me with invaluable real-world experience in arts development. These opportunities have allowed me to apply lessons from my academic studies in meaningful ways, significantly enhancing my skills and confidence in the field.
My internship with Pointeworks has been a unique opportunity to merge my passion for dance and communications, creating tangible change in the ballet industry. It’s an experience that will continue to influence both my professional and artistic growth for years to come.
AvaRose, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is AvaRose Dillon and I am originally from Chicago. I have been dancing for 11 years and I am happy to be a professional ballerina with Texas Ballet Theater. Along with my dancing, I am pursuing my bachelors degree online in Public Relations and Strategic Communications through Texas Tech University. I chose this degree with intentions to use it to make beneficial changes to the ballet industry like using marketing and communication skills to bring the arts to more communities. Dance has brought me purpose and joy in my life and I think more people should have access to it as well.
I heard about Pointeworks through fellow dancers at Texas Ballet Theater who performed with Pointeworks in 2024. When the internship opportunity arose, I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to use my dance knowledge and communications skills from school to gain experience and connections in the field. I also got to witness, through proximity, the dedication and sheer drive of Pointeworks founder Sophie Williams as she built Pointeworks from the ground up which inspired me greatly and encouraged me to be a part of such a passionate vision.
Pointeworks is a nonprofit ballet company committed to showcasing world-class dance, providing work opportunities for dancers during off-seasons, and championing female choreographers—an underrepresented group in the field. The organization strives to set a new standard for the fair treatment, equitable pay, and respect of dancers and artists, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment in the ballet community.
After joining Pointeworks as an intern, my primary goal has been to promote and expand the company’s audience. Pointeworks is set to tour New York City in March, performing at the renowned Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater. My efforts have focused on cultivating an NYC-based audience and establishing meaningful connections to support our tour. I have developed outreach initiatives targeting arts organizations, ballet schools, museums, and academic institutions, fostering collaborations that can amplify Pointeworks’ presence in the city. These partnerships aim to promote our performances while building long-term relationships with the local arts community. Additionally, I’ve enjoyed presenting tailored offers to these organizations, such as discounted student tickets, invitations to open rehearsals, access to company classes, and opportunities for performance collaborations. These initiatives have been both rewarding and instrumental in ensuring the success of Pointeworks’ NYC tour.
In addition to my outreach, I have enjoyed creating a fundraiser campaign for a new work Pointeworks will present in New York by Gabriel Speiller utilizing four dancers from Dance Theatre of Harlem. It was such a pleasure to interview Speiller and hear his vision and plan for his creation and also have so much freedom to drive this project in my own way. After my research and interview I created a newsletter, a blog page, and social media posts to generate excitement in our audience about his upcoming work.
Sophie Williams has also tasked me with graphic design projects such as the flyers that are currently posted around NYC for our open rehearsal experiences, open classes, and of course our shows. Sometimes I find myself struggling to find the confidence to go into these projects on my own, but I know I can always as Sophie a question or ask for more details and she has never failed at inspiring me into creativity.
I think one thing that sets me apart from others is my genuine excitement about this company. When I work on projects it does not feel like a disconnected assignment but a piece of a whole picture that I am influencing, and that feels really awesome to be a part of. I love the vision that Sophie has created with this company and it is fascinating to be on the marketing and administration side of a performing company rather than on stage like I usually would. I am learning a lot and have already seen Pointeworks grow in the last few months I have been a part of the team.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The goal driving my mission and creative journey as a marketing intern for Pointeworks is to bring the performing art of ballet a bigger audience. I think performing arts like dance are essential in communities and benefit society by providing an outlet for performers and creators to express themselves as well as a way for communities to come together and share experiences. There is something uniquely human about a live performance and seeing bodies moving in unison to the same beat at once. It reminds us that we are all apart of something bigger than ourselves. My goal with my work in this field is to bring dance to more people by educating those that may only know a stereotyped version of dance and expose people to dance that may have never had to opportunity to see live dance or take dance classes. At Pointeworks we prioritize this mission by having discounted youth and student tickets, veteran discounts, and collaborations with mental health programs at universities. These make ballet more accessible to more people and expands the impact of ballet to more people. We want to generate support for ballet in younger audiences so that they can continue to be arts supporters for the rest of their lives.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
At Pointeworks we keep in touch with clients through our weekly newsletter and social media posts, along with private email updates. All of these forms of controlled media align with our branding and remind our clients about our companies’ values and programs. We offer a variety of events throughout the year that foster brand loyalty especially in our home of San Diego. We have audience members, contributors, and partners that are loyal to supporting Pointeworks for the second year and show interest in our company through ticket purchases and donations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pointeworks.org/
- Instagram: @pointe_works
- Facebook: PointeWorks
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pointeworks/posts/?feedView=all
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@POINTEWORKS
Image Credits
personal photo: Elias Valverde