Timeless Devotion: A Fibers Senior Spotlight
A glimpse into Sylvie Raith’s senior thesis.
Written by Sarah Johnson. Photos by Sarah Johnson.
I first met Sylvie Raith, Fibers 2025, while studying in Lacoste, France. We bonded over our shared love of blue and yogurt with granola for breakfast. I know her to be a sweet friend, a dedicated student and a passionate artist; by the end of this, you will too!
Inspired by her mom, a dancer, Raith always wanted to be a professional ballerina as a child. At 14 she left home to begin training at Boston Ballet, for the next four years. “I was on the brink of starting my professional career with the San Diego Ballet Company. Then, COVID-19 hit, shutting down my school and canceling my apprenticeship. As I finished my senior year on Zoom, I took time to reflect and ultimately decided to pause my ballet career.” This is what led her to discover the Savannah College of Art and Design. Upon arrival at SCAD, Raith reconnected with a former dance friend from Boston Ballet, who was a senior Fibers student. She says, “The program’s open-ended approach intrigued me, as I’ve always loved exploring different areas of interest, and it seemed like the perfect fit.”
Raith states, “My inspiration comes from a deep connection to ballet, the ocean, and personal memory. The grace, discipline and emotional depth of dance influence my artistic approach, while the fluidity of water and the ever-changing tides of my home of Nantucket shape my creative vision. I find beauty in movement—whether in the sweeping lines of a dancer or the rhythm of the sea.” In each piece of her senior thesis, she connects these inspirations so evidently. Her senior thesis, “Timeless Devotion” is about, “bridging a new path for ballet into my life.” Raith states, “Ballet has always been more than just movement; it’s a language of expression, a way to communicate feelings that words simply cannot convey. For my senior work, I have aspired to translate the fluidity of a dancer’s form, the rhythm of motion and the intense emotion of performance into my art.” If you attended the Fibers Open Studio, you would have seen Sylvie’s work displayed as you walked in. Photographs of her dancing printed on Organza hung above nine-pointe shoes, all while a projection of her dancing was played in the background. To the sides of her display are two poems she wrote that complement her work. She says, “By merging the essence of ballet with my artistic vision. I have created works that resonate with the same beauty, emotion and storytelling that dance has always inspired in me. This integration allows me to honor my past while creating a new, expressive language that speaks to both the dancers and the artist within me.”
When I asked her what she wanted viewers to see through her work she said, “My goal is to captivate those who seek connection with the art and draw them into a world of remembrance, strength, devotion, grace and a love that is both profound and unwavering. Each piece is a reflection of the emotions and experiences I’ve gathered along my journey with ballet, and I want viewers to feel that same sense of wonder and depth.” Through such an immersive display of visuals, Raith truly allows viewers to step into this world of personal growth and her journey with ballet.
Raith would use the word reflective to describe this chapter in her life. She says, “Reflective perfectly captures this chapter of my life as I approach graduation. It has been a time of looking back on the journey that shaped me andhonoring the influences of my artistic evolution. Through my work, I’ve revisited past memories while embracing new creative possibilities.” As beautiful as her work, she states, “As I step into the next phase, I do so with gratitude, awareness and a deep connection to where I’ve been and where I’m going.”
As she reflects on her senior year Raith encourages all SCAD students who are about to enter their senior year to, “Trust your journey! Your past experiences, inspirations and challenges have all shaped the artist you are becoming. Senior year is about owning your craft and stepping confidently into the next chapter.” I would recommend that all students, if you have not already, go experience the Fibers department and the student work on the walls, especially this labor of love that is, “Timeless Devotion.”
