Hi everyone! Maggie Bergman here!
I graduated from Northland’s senior line in 2017, alongside a fabulous group of ladies and with wonderful teachers and mentors who inspired me to continue to pursue my passion for performing to this day! Even though I was only a part of the Northland family for two years, I still feel so incredibly grateful to have been welcomed with open arms as a stranger in a place where so many of my new teammates had been dancing together their whole lives. As scary as it was to leave behind what was familiar and make this change so late in the game, I knew that if I wanted to even see if this dream was possible, I had to fully commit to it and train somewhere that pushed and challenged me to begin to unlock my fullest potential. All of that growth along with amazing friendships and unforgettable experiences is why I look back on my time at Northland with such fondness and love.
During my final year at Northland, I traveled around the country auditioning for college musical theatre programs. I’ve always gravitated towards the theatre and felt incomplete in my artistry as solely a dancer. I was passionate about storytelling and other skill sets and wondered what a career in performing might actually look like for me and how I would get there. Musical theatre training seemed like it would open all of those doors and four years later I graduated from Boston Conservatory at Berklee with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and an emphasis in dance.
And in June of 2021, a month after graduating, I moved to New York City! I’m so grateful to have been able to build a network of connections during my time in Boston, which made moving to the big city not seem so scary! I love living in New York as a theatre artist because, especially where I am now early in my career, a lot of work I get takes me away from the city to regional theatres or touring shows. This way I get to spend time in so many different places and then come home to the best city in the world with a new experience under my belt and that same excitement I had when I first arrived.
Since I started working professionally I’ve performed in theatres in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Long Island, Atlanta, Massachusetts, and right at home in Minnesota! And last summer I was so lucky to have been cast in the international tour of a show called A Chorus Line that traveled to Tokyo, Japan. In the show, I played Cassie, an incredibly iconic and challenging role that I never thought I’d get the chance to even try, let alone at this early stage in my career. Traveling to Tokyo and performing in this show will forever be a highlight in my career and life; it taught me so much and showed me I’m capable of more than I ever dreamed. And I couldn’t have done it without every single person who’s touched my life and helped to set me on this path.
After returning home from Tokyo, I spent the holiday season at home performing in The Ordway’s fabulous production of Beauty and the Beast in Saint Paul. It was so wonderful to reconnect with friends and family and even see some familiar Northland faces! I’m now back in New York, busy with auditions, and ready for whatever’s next! I’m so lucky to have made it this far and wouldn’t be here if Northland hadn’t been a part of my life. Now looking back it truly represents a turning point where I started to let go of the fear of failing or not being good enough and slowly replaced that with the excitement of all the possibilities unlocked by leaning into what scared me the most. And for that, I’m truly grateful. Thank you always to my incredible Northland family!
Maggie
