Sloan Performing Arts Scholarship Brings a New Generation of Talent to Campus
September 3, 2025
- Author
- Caroline Roy '20
Aiyana Thornton ’29 and Aishya Pillai ’29
In 2002, Perry A. Sloan Jr. ’39 helped fund the transformation of the then-student union into the Sloan Music Center, a hub of musical creativity that introduced to campus rehearsal rooms, recording studios, a music library and a performance space.
This year, thanks to the estate of Perry A. Sloan and his wife, Lillie Duke Clements Sloan, Davidson College launched its first-ever scholarship for performing artists.
The Sloan Performing Arts Scholarship is awarded annually to two students demonstrating outstanding talent in music, theatre or dance. The inaugural recipients, dancer Aiyana Thornton ’29 and actor and production manager Aishya Pillai ’29, have arrived on campus ready to flourish as performers and artists. Each year, two additional students will become Sloan Scholars, bringing the total to eight scholars on campus.
“This is a special and transformative gift for the college,” Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Shelley Rigger said. “Davidson already has fantastic curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular ways for students to participate in the arts. This scholarship allows us to strengthen those programs by recruiting high-level performers.”
Through the Fine Arts Academy at her high school in Harrisonburg, Virgina, Thornton collaborated on an interdisciplinary performance for a senior capstone project.
Aiyana Thornton ’29: Dancer, Choreographer, People-Person
Since she was three years old, Thornton has leapt at every opportunity to dance, whether alone in her room, competing on stage, with an ensemble or behind the scenes as a choreographer.
Most of all, she loves working with groups of other dancers and artists, watching everything come together after countless hours of practice.
“You form such strong bonds with one another, kind of like a sports team,” Thornton said. “I enjoy seeing how others pick up choreography. I love big, flowy modern movements, but other dancers prefer intricate jazz. Everyone has styles that come naturally and skills that take more work.”
Through the Fine Arts Academy at her high school in Harrisonburg, Virgina, Thornton collaborated with a group of eight other artists on a senior capstone project: a multi-media performance exploring generational connections that included dance, music, spoken word and visual art. Partnering with different kinds of artists gave her a strong appreciation for interdisciplinary work, which she hopes to continue at Davidson.
Outside of dancing, Thornton was president of her high school’s Black Student Union and participated in speech and debate all four years. She says years of dancing on stage gave her the confidence to tackle public speaking. At Davidson, she looks forward to taking classes in psychology and political science, which she hopes will inform her artistry.
“I’ve always had a fascination with studying people, what they believe and how they make decisions,” she said. “I want to make art with intention and purpose. When I’m creating or on stage, that's when I feel most myself, most confident, most at home.”
Aishya Pillai ’29: Actor, Technician, Initiator
Pillai comes to Davidson from Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, where she blossomed as both an actor and a production assistant.
After watching her older sister in a production of Peter Pan, Pillai signed up for her first elementary school musical. By the time she auditioned for the School of the Arts, she’d been in multiple productions and had become an experienced actor and performer.
Her sophomore year, she attended a technical theatre camp at the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, where she learned about behind-the-scenes work from the first auditions to the final production.
“Seeing the audition process made me realize how much work and preparation goes into a show from the very beginning,” Pillai said. “I enjoy planning and executing from behind the scenes.”
That year, she was a crew member for her school’s productions of Seussical the Musical and Legally Blonde.
Since then, Pillai has helped manage theatre productions with the Theatre Arts Guild and performed with the Dilworth Players in Charlotte. When it came time to choose a production manager for the Northwest School of the Arts’ annual Dionysia Festival, a student-led showcase featuring five original works, the theatre department asked Pillai to take charge.
“Organizing so many moving pieces definitely made me a stronger leader,” she said. “I had to learn how to initiate decisions rather than just respond.”
Managing the festival gave Pillai the confidence to apply to be assistant director for her school’s spring play, Space Girl.
“That show was a beautiful experience,” she said. “There were so many completely student designed aspects. I loved watching the audience react to scenes we worked hard to block.”
Pillai was drawn to Davidson’s Honor Code and knew it would give her the chance to explore her many interests outside of theatre. In no particular order, she’s looking forward to the Humanities Program, computer science classes, guitar lessons and learning Arabic.
“I’m ready to explore,” she said. “I’m from Charlotte, but I know Davidson will open up a world of new experiences.”
Pillai comes to Davidson from Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, where she blossomed as both an actor and a production assistant.
Kind, Generous, Determined
While not a performer himself, Sloan showed his deep appreciation for the arts through his philanthropy and remained passionate about making space for creativity and performance at the heart of Davidson’s campus.
Sloan studied business administration at Davidson and enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after his graduation. When he was honorably discharged as a captain in the Army after World War II, he and his wife, nicknamed Dukie, settled in his hometown of Durham, North Carolina, where he spent a 40-year career with First Securities Corporation and eventually became the firm’s president.
He remained a devoted member of Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church in Durham until his death in 2018 at the age of 100, serving on the finance committee and leading stewardship efforts to expand the church’s resources.
Members of the Trinity Avenue congregation remember Sloan as a man “respected for his kindness, generosity, determination, humility, and faithfulness.”
“This gift has highlighted how integrated the performing arts are to the Davidson experience,” Rigger said. “It allows us to bring talented and dedicated students to Davidson who are ready to lead and create. All the arts will grow together.”
