Being on stage in Brazil is where Isabel Lima ’24 wanted to be most as a child. Landing her first musical theater role when she was only eight years old led her to seek out any creative classes that put her in the spotlight: dancing, acting, singing.
As a preteen, she even starred in two professional Brazilian productions: The Sound of Music and The King and I.
As she got older, her classes started to take up more time. “If you really want to dedicate yourself,” says Lima, “then you’re going to class five days a week, plus weekends, instead of two or three times a week.”
Her dedication lasted well into high school, where she narrowed her focus to classical ballet. After graduation, however, it became clear to Lima that dance was a passion, but not something she wanted to study in college. She was ready to learn something new—but what?
With a world of opportunity in front of her, she decided to study business at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in Brazil. At the same time, she was accepted into Brazil’s Cisne Negro Dance Company, where she could continue to follow her passion as she pursued a path in business.
She danced with that company for five years—until the pandemic hit. “Although I had become very comfortable there, I also wanted to see what else was out there and try something new,” she explains.
After attending a workshop at her dance company, Lima felt a connection with the workshop leader. The two began talking, and Lima was offered the opportunity to join the Bodiography Contemporary Ballet in Pittsburgh. She transferred to La Roche University to finish her undergraduate degree while she danced there for two years.
Although she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Management, she still didn’t have a clear career path. In pursuit of one, she decided that graduate school would be her next step. She briefly considered an MBA before deciding to research arts management programs instead.
Isabel Lima ’24 performs on stage in Mrs. Margaret with the Cisne Negro Dance Company. Choreographer: Barak Marshall. Photographer: Marcelo Rebouoças.
“It took a lot of research, visiting schools’ websites, and looking through the classes they offered to find something that interested me,” she explains. “The MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises (MSLCE) program seemed like a perfect transition for me, tailored to what I wanted to learn. Although I felt like I had a lot to offer in terms of my artistic background, I didn’t have confidence in what that meant from a business perspective, even though I had gone to business school.”
One of the classes she credits for opening her eyes is Clinical Assistant Professor Allison Henry’s Business Models course.
While Lima assumed that the more business-focused courses wouldn’t appeal to her, she was quickly proven wrong—thanks in large part to how the class is taught.
Every few weeks, students analyze a creative industries company selected by Professor Henry, using what they discussed in class as a framework.
“It was like what I would envision a small consultant experience to be,” Lima describes. “We look at everything surrounding what caused the problem this company is having. What are the issues? What are the opportunities? We studied everything from theater companies to LeBron James’ entertainment production empire.”
She also enjoyed hearing from Fri Forjindam, co-owner and chief development officer at Mycotoo Inc., who spoke as part of the MSLCE Speaker Series about the work her company takes on, from building theme parks to creating immersive experiences based on movies or TV shows—other fields Lima had never considered.
Every conversation she has helps her step out of her comfort zone, meet new people, learn about new possibilities, and move one step closer to determining where and how she fits in the creative industries.
“I’m in this moment where dance was always the biggest thing in my life, and now it’s not anymore. But that’s okay. It’s time for me to find out what else I’m good at. Where else can I add value and still learn at the same time?”
Right now, her sights are set on combining that consumer experience with social impact, making sure art is available to anyone who’s interested in it—and she thinks the MSLCE program is helping her bring it all together so she’ll be ready to make a difference.
5 new industries the MSLCE program has empowered Isabel Lima to explore:
After spending so many years dedicated to dance, one of her biggest priorities was to find a program that would allow her to discover other career options in the creative industry.
“I didn’t even realize how many paths and possibilities there were,” she describes. “As I look for summer internships, I’m considering such a wide variety.”
- TV production
- Film production
- Advertising and marketing
- Arts organizations
- Nonprofit foundations
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