SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - Communicating emotions through words can sometimes be difficult. It can be even more of a challenge for a person with autism.

The struggle is all too familiar for Mount Holyoke College sophomore Robyn Pilecki.

She is a choreographer who said she has found dancing to be a powerful tool to overcome autism and interact with others.

"My parents put me in ballot class when I was 4 years old to try to help me start socializing with my peers," Pilecki said. "And I found that I really loved ballet because it was very structured and structure is something that really helps me navigate the world."

Pilecki said having autism made it difficult for her to connect with her peers growing up.

She said dancing has been a great help because it's allowed her to have a dialogue with her community in a way that's more natural for her.

"Dance is essentially a big vestibular stim, and stimming is a self-stimulatory behavior," she said. "Again, everybody does it, autistic people just tend to do it in more obvious ways like flapping their hands or rocking back and forth, those are some of the ways I do it."

On Wednesday, Pilecki was at the campus dance studio practicing a piece she has been working on since February called, "With Me" which will be performed later this week as part of a student-led concert.

A duet exploring communication and celebrating connection.

"I was really interested in pulling away from social norms," she said. "And 'How do we navigate a connection that feeds into and pulls away from the social norms that are standard in society?"

Dancing has helped Pilecki find her voice, and she hopes by continuing, her peers will be able to understand her better as well.

"People who connect with the world differently," she said. "Autistic people, neurodivergent people, they offer so many diverse perspectives and opening your world to them will make your world richer, so I hope people will look for beauty and opportunity."