Growing up in Beijing, China, education for Kexin (Virginia) Liu ’24 was more about theory and less about practical application. This teaching approach wasn’t the best fit for someone who preferred to dance instead of study.
For Liu, dance serves as a form of faith. “I wouldn’t say I’m a dancer, but I love to dance,” she explains. “I think it saved me. After doing coursework at night as a child, I remember feeling relieved that I finally had time and space to dance.” To get her fix while she was in school, she studied traditional Chinese dance. During her primary and high school years, this was the only way she could pursue her dream.
She went on to earn an undergraduate degree at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou, China, where she studied media and communications. When she wanted to dance, she visited K-pop and hip-hop clubs in China.
“It was quite different from what a communications track in the United States might be,” she describes. “It was basically a research-based program.”
As part of that program, she chose to research sociology and psychology, which spurred her interest in things like movies and music and their impact on mental health. “This gave me a way to think critically and rethink how I engage with society and with my own mental health,” she explains.
For one of her undergraduate projects, she conducted qualitative research and interviewed 25 Chinese street dancers to learn more about how they use social media and what they struggle with professionally and personally.
As she earned her degree, she knew she wanted to pursue a graduate program that would give her more hands-on opportunities. Even though she studied media and communications, she realized she didn’t know how these industries work. “If I could learn the business side, it would make me more complete,” she explains.
She didn’t want to study online; she wanted to interact face to face with her peers and professors. As she searched for graduate programs, she was attracted to Chicago and its hip-hop scene.
When she discovered Northwestern’s MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises (MSLCE) program, she found what she was looking for. “The courses here are really different. It matched what I wanted at the moment,” she says. “It seems like it was designed for me as my dream program.”
Liu is thrilled she gets to study alongside other creative individuals, from DJs and musicians to actors and filmmakers, who all want to know more about the business side of creative arts. While many of their interests align, she also says her classmates are all very different.
“I really value the relationships I have with them,” she explains. “When we work together, we learn so much from each other. You can listen to what they think and hear their perspectives. We work in a very harmonious way.”
She also found the practical application she wanted: MSLCE courses give her exposure to real-world, hands-on work.
For example, in Understanding the Creative Industries, led by Lecturer Freda Love Smith, Liu worked with a team to create a business and merchandise plan for a K-pop show. Part of the assignment included a 20-minute presentation. As an introduction to the presentation, her team chose to dance to show their classmates what K-pop was all about.
The program’s emphasis on teamwork has also helped her gain confidence. “In the past, I was afraid of working with people. It was a challenge for me,” she says. “But this program has showed me how collaboration can work—and work really well.”
She was also excited to take Associate Professor Larissa Buchholz’s Cultural Nonprofit Organizations course, which she says does a great job of combining theory and practical work. Before she even applied to the MSLCE program, Liu read about Buchholz’s academic work and hoped to connect with her to learn how to support and improve cultural nonprofit organizations.
When she’s not studying or in class, Liu has found a way to continue dancing—this time with Wonder X, a dance group she helped form on campus with friends.
Career-wise, she anticipates using the business and marketing skills she sharpened in the MSLCE program to join an entertainment company, where she can conduct research and use what she learns to offer up unique and creative ideas.
“As I was putting my résumé together, I realized how much I’ve learned here,” she explains. “I’m ready to go to work. I now know I have the skills I need to earn a living and also continue to dance.”
Kexin (Virginia) Liu’s Top 3 MSLCE Courses
We asked Liu which classes she’s enjoyed most during her time at Northwestern so far. Here are the courses that resonate with her most:
- Cultural Nonprofit Organizations
- Organizational Processes in Creative Enterprises
- Understanding the Creative Industries
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