As we recognize Women’s History Month, it is important to acknowledge the contributions all women make in our community. The women within theatre, dance and music departments at UW-Whitewater make many differences every day. Nicole Kuhnz, Lauren Koslowski, McKenna Camacho and Lillian Nicholas are four women who have made a significant impact in their respective fields, inspiring those around them while at UW-W.
Kuhnz is a senior marketing major with a minor in dance. Kuhnz has been a part of DanceScapes 2022 through 2024 and will be performing again this year. Two years ago, she was a part of “Pal Joey,” and this year she was in “Lady Windermere’s Fan.”
After graduation, Kuhnz plans to find a job in marketing, continuing to teach dance to younger ages.
Kuhnz was appointed the first dance representative in the history of UW-W. For the past three years, she has been a dance minor representative and has been helping students in many ways. She attends weekly meetings to bring student issues to light and helps better the connection between the two sides of the Department Dance/Theatre.
“I am the student’s voice,” Kuhnz said. “If a student has a concern but is too scared to bring it up to the department, it is my job to hear the student and bring it up.”
Kuhnz’s female role model is Barbara Grubel, the artistic director for the dance minor program. Advice is words that can stick with anyone for the rest of their lives and Kuhnz had a few words of advice for her younger self and younger arts students.
“It is okay to say no, one thing I struggled with is I took on so much and I thought I was helping but I was only hurting myself. Go out and try new things but don’t be afraid to say no, having fun is more important than writing your name in books,” Kuhnz said.
McKenna Camacho is a junior music education major with a choral emphasis. Camacho plays the clarinet and is in Vocal Jazz and Chamber Singers as a soloist, both audition-based programs. Camacho has been a part of Gala 2022-24, all choir concerts, and “The Pirates of Penzance” in 2023. This spring she will be performing in Jazz 1’s spring concert, “The Maid Turned Mistress” and “Dido and Aeneas.”
Camacho is also part of two e-boards, Student National Association of Teachers of Singing (SNATS) and National Association for Music Education (NAfME). She is currently vice president of SNATS and stage manager coordinator of NAfME. Her job for SNATS is to keep everyone motivated and find guest artists regarding vocal health. For NAfME she makes sure both vocal and instrumental connect with others to keep them strong, helps teach choir, strings, band and brings in artists that teach multiple areas.
“Impactful is a little bit of a scary word, I think of myself more as a team player instead of a leader to help the ensembles. I would love to help girls like me. It’s okay to love what you do and be so proud of yourself and not be unapologetic about who you are,” Camacho said.
To Camacho, being a part of music and helping others in the departments is about more than just music, it’s about making sure people feel accepted.
“My passion for music comes from a very early age. I have ADHD and when I was growing up it was hard to feel academically validated but music was the one place where I felt accepted and where my disability wasn’t wrong,” Camacho said.
Camacho’s female role models are her mom, who is an art teacher, associate professor Sharri VanAlstine and Dr. Rachel Wood, the associate professor of voice.
Lauren Koslowski is a sophomore instrumental music education major and is an alto 2 player in the Jazz 1 ensemble. Koslowski has been a part of their annual trips to Louisville, Kentucky and Elmhurst, Illinois. As well as school visit performances and masterclasses.
Women can be inspiring quietly just as much as they can loudly, sometimes a powerful presence is just as loud as powerful words.
“Being a woman playing jazz is good for young girls to see, especially since most music
professionals tend to be men,” Koslowski said.
Her role models are her parents who taught her that money isn’t as important as a job you love.
“Remember that your self-worth is not based on your skills,” Koslowski said. “You are still a wonderful human being with a soul, a heart and a mind.”
Our final woman is Lillian Nicholas, who instead of performing herself manages behind the scenes. The fourth year is a BFA theatre major who is part of stage management. “She Kills Monsters” was her first show as an assistant stage manager. Later that year, in the spring of 2022, she stage-managed her first show at DanceScapes ‘22. Her job tasks range all over the department from piles of paperwork to the actual production, lights, costumes, scenery, technical direction, marketing/house management, staging (the director) and the performers.
“It’s my job to blend all the elements together, which is terrifying but fun. I am the main human that knows how all the elements fit together. I am the advocate for the actors, there have been multiple situations where I had to stop and speak on behalf of a performer,” Nicholas said.
Nicholas’s top priority as the stage manager is to create a warm comfortable environment for both the performers and the crew.
“I’m a bit of a mama bear – protective – I’m that trusted ear for faculty and students, I’m hard working, direct, I command the room,” Nicholas said.
Nicholas shared advice for her younger self or younger students in the arts programs. “You are strong, you got this. Theatre is mainly about sending a message to the audience. What message do you want to send?” Nicholas said.
Nicholas’s female role model is Ruth Conard-Proulx, a fine arts professor at UW-W.
These four women and many others deeply impact the Whitewater arts programs for the better every day. Women’s History Month may be just a singular month, but women’s impact inside the UW-W arts scene lasts a lifetime.
“I am so thankful for all the women in this program, we have some really amazing women in this program,” Camacho said.
“I feel like there are current individuals who are looked up to,” Kuhnz said. “As they graduate their name never lies in the department, they still talk about these women.”
