The seminar was conceived of by 跳舞 professor 克里斯·约翰逊 in collaboration with 跳舞 alum Zee哈特曼04年, and had been in the works since the fall of 2020. The long planning period was partly due to the extra travel restrictions COVID-19 had caused, but additionally they knew funding would be a challenge. Fortunately, the trip was made possible with the help of the 职业生涯通道 程序(特别是 艺术频道), 全球体验办公室和校友Nor Hall ' 69.

The two seminar leaders first began brainstorming when Professor Johnson had reached out to Zee asking them to participate in the new alumni mentoring program that Chris was starting up. The program connects 跳舞 alumni with current 十大菠菜台子 student 编排s. The many online meeting platforms that are now regularly in use made it possible to connect students with alumni from all over the world including dramaturg and 编排 Hartman, who is from South Africa but is currently living in Berlin.

研讨会期间, students were able to see many cultural sites in the city, take morning master classes with leading 跳舞 professionals residing in Berlin, and see cutting-edge 表演 in the evenings. 在下午, they participated in a workshop conducted by Hartmann called “Saying No: Dramaturgical Strategies in the Dance-Making Process.在这个研讨会上, Hartman led them through a compositional 跳舞 process that aimed to strengthen collaborative work while maintaining individuality and personal conviction and employing a productive 评论家al thinking initiative where questioning takes precedence over answering. The students also utilized a writing practice as part of the workshop and their creative processes.

The seminar culminated in a performance of works the students made during the workshop, as well as four full-length 跳舞s they had prepared before the trip. The showing was open to the public.

The students had an incredible experience and learned so much about themselves and their approach to making art. 24岁的马特奥·马雷克说, “Zee’s mentorship and teaching through this workshop experience has greatly developed my artistic process and self-growth.” The overall atmosphere that was created was exactly what the students needed to be able to try new approaches. 25岁的Julia Newmark分享道, “I felt as though the studio space, 公司目前的, and creative mindset allowed me to stop thinking so much and simply try things until they flowed or felt correct. Overall, I found this experience to be so fulfilling.”

Some of the students had just graduated (on the day they left for the seminar!), and are looking to professional careers in the world of 跳舞 where one often does not have the luxury of a whole semester or even a year to create. 一位资深, Charline Davis-Alicea的22, shared that they valued the approach taken in the workshop and are leaving this experience “with a deeper appreciation for creating work quickly. The fast-paced process allowed little time for us to be precious or perfectionistic about what we created, allowing for very raw and intuitive products.”

另一位, 凯利贝格利的22, has recently been experimenting with stillness, very slow movement and pushing her audience’s comfort zone. She found the workshop with Zee to be a perfect opportunity to keep investigating these approaches and was more than satisfied with the result. 公演结束后, Kelli noted “my art was invoking the kinds of reactions I am interested in.”

Zee, who is a highly sought-after dramaturg, 编排, 评论家, and teacher in Europe’s 跳舞 scene was quite impressed with the students. About the students, Zee said they “were incredible and so intensely committed to the work.”

除了上课, 表演, workshop and public showing the students had many opportunities to see Berlin. 朱莉安娜天使' 12, Associate Director of Global and Immersive Learning at 十大菠菜台子, was along on the trip to help plan and coordinate the many activities. Julia Newmark felt this was an important aspect to the success of the seminar, 评论, “I think being able to experience a city in the way we did is very eye-opening and meaningful. Even though it is a new place and should be slightly nerve-racking, it almost felt like we were living and working there instead of just being tourists.”

The 全球参与研讨会s are new, and the college is hoping to continue with these opportunities for students going forward. The students are enthusiastic about the prospects. 正如艾玛·洛加斯所说, “I really enjoyed being able to step out of my comfort zone and take on new challenges. All in all, it was an amazing experience, and I would love to do it again!”