A woman with gray hair and an unsteady gait clings to the railing as she made her way down her front steps. From the seats, the muumuu-clad abuela seems genuine, but junior Ciara’ Dixon’s passion shone through the makeup and hair coloring.

Sunday concluded Elon University’s production of “In the Heights,” a musical about a Latino community in Washington Heights set in contemporary New York City.

Abuela Claudia, the community matriarch, is a crucial character in the show. She mentors the residents of Washington Heights and serves as a role model for the characters Usnavi, Nina and Sonny, among others.

Dixon embodied the confident, world-weary and wise Abuela Claudia with a skill that astonished the audience. Her portrayal, combined with strong performances from the rest of the cast, earned standing ovations at every showing.

“[‘In the Heights’ is] a very contemporary show that’s so individual,” Dixon said. “It’s very young, fun and energetic. It still has a good message about home community and what it means to you.”

A star from the start

Dixon, who is double-majoring in music theatre and strategic communications, has been in many of Elon’s shows since her arrival at Elon. She is one of 17 students in the music theatre Class of 2016.

Her greatest Elon memory was performing in “Ragtime” in fall 2013. Dixon was a member of the Harlem ensemble, and the show helped her connect to herself as an African-American woman. The musical was particularly poignant at the time because Elon was dealing with an incident that generated a fragile racial environment.

In Sept. 2013, an offensive message consisting of a drawing of a swastika, the letters “KKK” and a drawing of male genitalia was found on a white board outside the room of a Jewish student and a black student. This incident, along with others that had occurred over the last few years, led to several campus discussions of racial, gender and religious tolerance.

“Musical theater teaches you to connect with yourself and your inner feelings,” Dixon said.

Dixon can channel her feelings to the audience through music theater. Because of this wide range of emotions present in each moment of music theater, Dixon views it as one of the most complex forms of performance art.

“You’re able to express yourself through another person’s story,” Dixon said. “It’s therapeutic. It’s incredible to have people watching you for two and a half hours and make them feel emotions.”

Junior Ryan Monroe, Dixon’s friend and a music theatre and arts administration double major, said Dixon inspires him. The two connected immediately because they share an especially ambitious attitude.

“Ciara’ inspires me in ways that I don’t even understand,” Monroe said. “She brings a warmth and respect to her work which makes her more approachable than a lot of people I’ve had to work with in the past and, I’m sure, the future.”

Dixon usually falls in love with the show she is working on at any particular time. But if she could play any role, she’d want to be Usnavi in “In the Heights” or Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde,” though she said she couldn’t play these roles because she is a black woman.

Creative on and off the stage

While Dixon enjoys her work in the music theatre department, the time she spends working in strategic communications is equally rewarding. She is grateful for the opportunity to take advantage of the creative challenges offered in both majors.

“I’m really lucky to have two majors I’m passionate about,” Dixon said. “I feel fulfilled.”

Her interests in strategic communications are rooted in her fascination with the almost infinite ways in which individuals interpret messages. They allow her to expand artistic outlet and find unique ways to communicate with people.

“Strategic communications allows me to be creative in a new way,” Dixon said. “I find it so interesting and really intriguing.”

Dixon’s work with in the field challenges her to both be creative and to produce ideas in an environment that is more realistic and conventional than that of music theater.

“Using my creative niche in a different avenue is really fun,” she said.

Navigating between two departments, Dixon meets a wide variety of students with a multitude of passions.

“I have the opportunity to be exposed to different sides of Elon people don’t see if they stay in one place,” Dixon said.

Balancing it all behind the scenes

In addition to the classwork required by her two majors and the considerable time commitment that goes along with it, Dixon is an RA and typically takes 20 credits a semester.

Learning to balance classwork from her two majors was difficult at first, but Dixon has developed a system that works for her. Early in her time at Elon, she tried to work on multiple projects at once, but she quickly realized that multitasking was not the best solution for her.

“Whatever is in front of me gets my full attention,” Dixon said. “You can’t give your attention to all things at once, so putting stuff on the back burner was something I really learned to do.”

Junior Jillian Hannah, Dixon’s roommate, commended her positive attitude.

“Being a double major, Ciara’ always has a ton of work to do,” Hannah said. “What has always stood out to me is her ability to always stay positive, no matter what.”

Now that “In the Heights” — and its long hours of rehearsals — is over, Dixon wants to take some time for herself. She is currently watching AMC’s “The Killing” and The CW’s “The 100” and, if she schedule allows it, she might binge-watch “Scandal” once the season is over.

Dixon said that disconnecting from Elon is a way for her to de-stress.

Planning a future

After graduation, Dixon wants to eventually earn a master’s degree at New York University for business administration. She hopes this will help prepare her for the professional world and give her experience she can apply to future jobs.

She has other plans as well, such as traveling and demonstrating her musical talents on cruise ships. During her lifetime, she hopes to both see the world and entertain as many people as possible.

“Ciara’ is someone who I am incredibly proud to call my friend,” Monroe said. “I cannot wait to see the tour de force she makes of her life.”