Professors Valarie Williams (Dance), Sergio Soave (Art) and and Curator of Dance Mara Frazier (University Libraries) led a group of students on a study abroad tour to Paris, France focused on investigating and experiencing how the arts can both change and exist within the cultural practices of global society. Students studied the many parallels of the two art forms in learning about the works of visual art masters and choreographic masters.
“Students discovered the legacies of master artists and how the social and political climates of the nations influenced artistic developments in both countries,” according to the program webpage. “Program participants engaged in focused inquires of choreographic and artistic works, investigated the compositional practices of select visual artists and choreographers, while working toward the ultimate artistic and academic goal of multiple concert performances and exhibitions on campus and abroad.”
Dance students Jaylyn Sanders, Isabel Brandt, and Abby Buchanan led the pre-performance lecture before the DaNCe2U dance majors performed Martha Graham’s Steps in the Street and Anna Sokolow’s Rooms for a sold-out house at the Conservatoire du 13e Maurice Ravel. They took classes at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. To top it off, they expanded their view of another culture by visiting famous landmarks, such as the Arc de Triomphe, Versailles, and the Louvre and attended a performance by Paris Opera Ballet at the Opera National de Paris. Students Brooke Gist, Camryn Little, and Sydney Lettau participated in the Buckeyes Abroadcasts podcast about their experiences pre and post departure.
BFA Student Gianna Buffano along with Vanessa Bonilla, Jordyn Hersch, and Teddi Vargas, led a lecture demonstration at the Institut National d’Historie de l’art. “Three of my fellow company members created a two-hour PowerPoint slide show and organized an open presentation and conversation about the importance of the embodied archiving of dance,” says Buffano. “We discussed the history of the two pieces we performed on the tour and explained how this experience affected our lives for the better. The most incredible part of the experience was the fact that the audience was made up entirely of art history students and educators who did not have any dance experience. The exchange I was able to have with the group provided me with a new perspective on the arts and showed me the beautiful intersection that different art forms can have and the value they can add to one another.”
“While in Paris, I realized just how much other countries value the arts,” says BFA Student Sydney Lettau. “Going to a university like Ohio State, I have always felt supported in my dance studies and have felt as though Ohio State values what we do in the department, but I see now what is possible. After experiencing Paris and learning about all the resources they have for dance artists in their country, I am aware of the potential the U.S. has in valuing the arts the same way. As I continue in my last year as an Ohio State dance student, I will not be taking any opportunity for granted because I know it is a special thing when the arts are taken seriously, especially at such a big university.”
