{"id":248,"date":"2016-08-16T12:52:47","date_gmt":"2016-08-16T12:52:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/loyoladancetheatre\/?p=248"},"modified":"2016-08-16T12:52:47","modified_gmt":"2016-08-16T12:52:47","slug":"eeexccelllent-dance-roma-and-an-unforgettable-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/loyoladancetheatre\/?p=248","title":{"rendered":"Eeexccelllent! Dance, Roma and an unforgettable experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThat was one of the craziest weeks of my life.\u201d That, is how I started the journal entry I wrote in the airport while waiting for my return flight from Rome\u2014and what a crazy week it was. From the moment we stepped foot in Rome, my eight peers, our Faculty Mentor Amy Wilkinson and I never stopped moving. From airport, to Vatican, to six-hour rehearsal, to Trevi Fountain, to rehearsal, to Nureyev ballet performance, to rehearsal, to a concert of Vivaldi\u2019s \u201cFour Seasons,\u201d to rehearsal \u2026 to performance with Mandala Dance Company, our time in Rome was defined by a rigor and sense of adventure that I think we all agree transformed us as dancers and human beings.<\/p>\n

“Going to Rome was a trip of many firsts. Not only was it my first time legitimately dancing for a professional company but it was also my first time going overseas. I learned a numerous amount of things from these two “firsts.” I learned how to independently grasp how to live in the Italian culture, which helped me grow as an intellectual. I also learned that dance is a universal language; even though the Loyola dancers and the Mandala dancers didn’t speak the same language, we communicated through our common art form, dance. Rome was truly an unforgettable experience that I am forever grateful for.”<\/em> \u00a0– Skyler Summerson<\/p>\n

Keep scrolling to read more about our travel, dance and research opportunity\u2014including reflections from the dancers themselves and a video recap of our adventures in Rome. To see performance videos, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"INTERNATIONAL
“I know that when I look back a few years from now to this moment, I will consider the collaboration with Mandala Dance Company as a turning point in my dance career. Not only did I grow as a dancer this past summer in Rome, but I also grew as a person.” \u00a0 – Yariana Baralt-Torres<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Timeline:<\/strong> Chicago June 17-23, Rome June 24-July2<\/p>\n

The team:<\/strong> Amy Wilkinson (Faculty Mentor\/Educator\/Choreographer), Yariana Baralt-Torres, Maria Blanco, Phoebe Coakley, Katarina Ivanovic, Jordan Kunkel, Sofia Mazich, Skyler Summerson, Isabelle Taylor, Gina Wrolstad<\/p>\n

The Project:<\/strong> A week before Rome, six Loyola dancers met in Chicago to learn and rehearse a trio My Life Closed Twice<\/em>, choreographed by Amy Wilkinson. Those dancers then met up in Rome, Italy with three others to study and rehearse with Mandala Dance Company. We performed My Life<\/em>\u00a0and two other pieces in collaboration with Mandala on July 2. Now, in anticipation of our return to classes and dance at Loyola, we are tasked with documenting our experiences as research through a series of journal entries.<\/p>\n

The Research:<\/strong> We are asked to explore how our experiences in Rome affected our performance of My Life<\/em> and how our approach to studying dance has changed. Topics such as how our identities as Americans affected our approach to the movement, how we learned and connected with others despite language barriers, and any other reflections we may have are also being explored in these journals.<\/p>\n

\"INTERNATIONAL
“The dancers of Mandala Dance Company were all incredibly individualistic in their approach to movement, but still were able to convey a common, universal artistic message which is what made the company so outstanding. They reminded us of the importance of individuality and uniqueness in our artistic expression.” – Gina Wrolstad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A huge thank you to Dr. Kevin Kaufmann and the Center for Experiential Learning for helping make our trip possible through the Provost Fellowship.<\/p>\n

Grazie to Paola Sorressa and the Mandala dancers for welcoming us into your city and your studio this summer. You made our experience the best it could have possibly been.<\/p>\n

And of course, thank you to Amy Wilkinson: without you, this adventure would not have been possible, and it definitely would not have been so successful.<\/p>\n

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Check out this video recap of our trip, created by Gina Wrolstad:<\/p>\n