Dual Pursuits in Justice and Grace

Khiara M. Bridges is now a law professor at UC Berkeley, but back in 2012, she was profiled while teaching at Boston University—and still actively pursuing a professional ballet career. Yep, seriously. While most people struggle to juggle one intense career, she was teaching law and landing major roles like the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.

In her interview with Bostonia, she talked about how her mindset shifted over time. At first, she thought she could lean on being good at one thing to take the pressure off the other. But eventually, that changed. “I had to reach for excellence in both,” she said. And she meant it—calling both her academic work and dance “all-consuming” and saying she went after them both “doggedly.”

Her story is seriously inspiring. She graduated valedictorian from Spelman College in just three years, then earned both a law degree and a PhD in anthropology from Columbia. While doing that, she was on the Columbia Law Review and racked up honors left and right. At the same time, she kept up with ballet at incredible places like Miami City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey, and more. She even performed with companies like Ballet Noir and the Brooklyn Ballet.

Bridges shows that you don’t have to pick one path. Her dedication to both her mind and her art is a reminder that it’s possible to chase multiple passions with everything you’ve got. Honestly, it makes me feel more grounded and encouraged to keep dancing alongside whatever career I end up pursuing, too.

For a deeper insight into Khiara M. Bridges' inspiring journey, you can read the full article on Boston University's website:  https://www.bu.edu/articles/2012/the-balletic-legal-scholar/