Mean Girls' Becca Petersen on Finding 'Happiness on Another Level' Through Dance

Growing up in Carmel, Indiana with three sisters and a brother, Mean Girl's cast member Becca Petersen started dancing early. "My mom put the girls in dance class when I was four years old," she said. "I did that for about a year and then decided it wasn't for me and went into soccer. It wasn't until I was 10 years old and my friend invited me to her dance class that I went back to dancing. I walked into the studio and never left, it became my second home. Once I went to that dance class, it felt like my life was complete. As a 10 year old, a lot of things can make you happy. This was happiness on another level."

Petersen's second home at the dance studio is what solidified her decision to pursue musical theater. "Ever since I was a little girl, I said I wanted to be a performer on Broadway," she said. "Being from Indiana, I'm not entirely sure where that bug got in my head, but I'm so glad it did. My studio was owned by someone who had been on Broadway, and it was very musical theater-focused. From day one, we were singing and dancing at the same time and learning all different styles of dance from tap and jazz to ballet and modern. It really prepared me to make the move to New York."

After high school, Petersen went on to get a BFA in musical theater at Brigham Young University. After she graduated and paid her dues in regional theater, the young performer made her way to New York City, where she made her Broadway debut in Bandstand before heading to Mean Girls. "I never really had a plan B. I knew that this is what I wanted to do and felt that I had the passion and tenacity to go for it. I feel like we mostly see the flashy exciting things of this business, but you do get so many nos. That's why it's important to have those 'yes, and' people. Surround yourself with yes," she said. "Find your crew of people who support and encourage you, that give you constructive criticism to help along the way. You [might] have those days where you feel like giving up, but this is my dream and it's all worth it."

Watch the video below to hear Petersen talk about Mean Girls and more!

Photo Credits: Photographs by Matthew Murphy | Styling: Greg Dassonvile for DassonVogue| Grooming: KeLeen Snowgren | Assistant: Evan Zimmerman
Video Credits: Directed by Kyle Gaskell | Produced by Paul Wontorek & Caitlin Moynihan Additional camera: Alex Goyco