Pace Alumni Take the World Stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony

On July 19, 2026, one of the most watched events in the world, the 2026 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, featured fourteen Pace University Commercial Dance alumni.

These alumni performed in front of 84,000 fans packed into the stadium while over a billion viewers watched on television around the world.

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For alumnus Aiden Pressel ’21, it was everything he had hoped for and more. “Performing at the World Cup Closing Ceremony was a dream come true.” He shared. “The highlight of the experience was getting to share the stage with so many Pace Commercial Dance alumni. The energy was truly electric. I’m grateful for the incredible community Pace has given me.”

The importance of the Pace Community was echoed by alumna Svetha Nallapaneni ’23, who described the feeling of walking onto the field as something she could not put into words. “The adrenaline rush before performing and connecting with the other dancers out on the field is an indescribable feeling.” she said. “The people, the place, and the roar of the crowd are engraved in my brain forever.”

Alumna Hadley Koger ’23 found herself trying to soak in every second of the experience. “Walking onto that field and seeing more than 80,000 people in the stands, knowing it was reaching 1.5 billion people around the world, felt surreal.” she reflected. “A World Cup final in New York City will probably only happen once in my lifetime. I just wanted to take everything in and be present.”

From Broadway to the big screen to globally celebrated events like the FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony, Pace Commercial Dance alumni are taking center stage, collaborating with industry-leading choreographers and captivating audiences around the world. Their success reflects Pace Commercial Dance’s position as one of the nation’s top dance programs, where performing artists like Aiden, Svetha, and Hadley receive the expert training and unparalleled industry access they need to launch their careers and fulfill their dreams.