Benta Gets to Work: A Spring Internship at BTM
- Cindy Case
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
You might remember Benta Owino as the inaugural recipient of the Robert Sutton Young Artist Award, as detailed in our most recent blog post. Coincidentally, Benta recently concluded a two-week internship with Digital Content and Marketing coordinator Lauren Martinez. Follow along as I visit them in the BTM office to see what they've been working on!
How Benta Got Here
Each year, the senior students at Benta's school do an internship instead of sitting for second semester exams. "It's great," Benta told me, then laughed. "My brother is doing his chemistry exam today."
"But the goal of it is to get your hands dirty in the field you want to pursue and get a feel for it. I go to a school that doesn't have a lot of areas of study. Marketing and graphic design aren't courses that I can take in high school. So getting to do this internship before I decide to commit to it in college has been a really great opportunity."
Benta is headed to Elon University in the fall, where she hopes to double major in dance and either marketing or advertising. Putting these two pursuits together is very special to her.
"I love dance, and I love to share my love of dance with people. Using the digital world as a tool to do it is really important, especially as everything is becoming digital."
What They've Been Working On
The internship Lauren developed for Benta was a 10-day sampler of important areas in marketing and digital content. That included branding, website design, digital ads, layouts, and the infamous Four Ps of Marketing.*
All of these different areas are intended to work together, just under the surface of every Facebook ad, Instagram story, or e-newsletter you come across. Each piece of media and every line of communication reflects a thoughtful approach to sharing BTM with our wider audience. There's a lot that goes into it--but if everyone does their job right, it should look effortless!
Benta enjoyed getting this inside look of the process. "I don't know a whole lot, so I'm trying to take all the information and see what I gravitate towards. Learning more about the SEO [search engine optimization] side and the coding side has been really cool."
The day that I visited happened to be for photo editing, which is a passion of Lauren's. Getting good photos is only the first step in creating a pleasing image: after uploading dance shots onto the computer, it's up to the editor to crop the image, remove extraneous details such as tape markings on the stage, fix defects like red eye from a camera flash, and bring the photo's potential to life.
After Lauren and Benta went over the different tools in Lightroom and Photoshop, Lauren set Benta up to make edits on photos Benta had taken of a Swan Lake dress rehearsal. Lauren asked open-ended questions about different aspects of the images, giving Benta room to find the right edits to make the images pop. You can see the result below:
What Makes It Meaningful for Lauren
Almost everything you see from BTM's website and social media is thanks to Lauren, whose expertise covers a wide range of marketing activities. While Benta appreciated taking this closer look, Lauren also loved sharing it with her.
Lauren says, "It’s been incredibly rewarding to share my love of ballet marketing with Benta. Watching her apply her artistic background as she brings her creative ideas to the table reminds me why I love this work. It’s a full-circle moment: passing on knowledge while continuing to learn from the fresh perspective she brings."
In my own experience, dancers have become more and more likely to work in these kinds of roles during their careers or after their retirements. Lauren shares:
"There’s real value in having current or former performers behind the scenes in arts organizations. They understand the art on a deeper level and know how to connect with audiences honestly. Their experience helps shape the marketing and storytelling in a way that feels genuine and meaningful."
This sincerity can't be overstated. Dancers, like all artists, are passionate about what they do. Being able to help get the word out about the company you dance for is immensely gratifying.
Where These Steps May Lead
For the last few years, Benta has been one of many students at BTM who have shared the theater with the professional company through multi-week runs of The Nutcracker as well as our spring ballet.
These young dancers become accustomed to seeing the dancers not just onstage, but also in rehearsals, leading their classes as teachers, and working behind the scenes on costumes, sets, admin, photography, and much more.
It's a uniquely close relationship, and it means more to us than Conservatory students may realize. The day I came to visit, Benta commented,
"I think it's really cool that so many of the dancers work in the office, and it's cool to be with them in the studio and then come intern with them in the office. It's really awesome."
As she gets ready to head to college, she's walking away with a greater understanding of the world of marketing and how it might be part of her future journey.
I asked Lauren if she had any advice for other young dancers who are interested in a similar path. She emphasized that dancers already have a head start. She advises, "Stay curious, learn the business side, and know that your creativity is a powerful asset in arts marketing."
Want to get involved with BTM this summer? Conservatory classes start next Monday, 6/23, for our 6-week session. With options for Ages 3 through Adults, there's something for everyone! Visit our Summer Classes page to register.
And it's not too late to save 30% on tickets to our 2025-2026 season by purchasing a Season Subscription! Choose your favorite seats in the house for every show when you reserve your tickets today.
*To save you a search: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Some folks add People as a fifth.
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