Dance major Emma Macmanus received a Sally A. Radell Friends of Dance Scholarship to attend the staibdance Summer Intensive in Italy this past summer. Read on for a reflection of her experience.
This summer, I attended the staibdance summer intensive in Sorrento, Italy with Emory faculty member Professor George Staib. The experience was equal parts inspiring and challenging, starting from the moment I stepped off my flight into Naples. Throughout this program, I was able to try various styles of movement I had never before trained in.
My favorite class was taught by Anna Bracewell, a staibdance dancer who teaches contemporary in Atlanta. Anna took a more non-traditional approach to movement classes. One exercise Anna had us do was write in a journal driven by a train of thought. This “word vomit” (for lack of a better phrase) later translated into movement. When prompted to exist in a mindset where thoughts existed and transitioned into each other in the absence of judgment, I was more readily able to move and create based on feeling over thought.
The instructors themselves took advantage of the opportunities to learn from the other instructors of the program, creating an environment where dance transcends time, experience, and age. This example set forth by the instructors exemplified the collective nature of the company George has cultivated. The Italian culture of pleasure, indulgence, and hospitality also facilitated my movement, an aspect of the intensive I was not initially expecting. It was charming to interact with locals who were excited to watch the attendees dance at the conclusion of the intensive, without really relating to us on a personal or cultural basis.
One evening at a local bar and restaurant, I met a dad and his young daughter. We exchanged small talk, and I invited them to our final performance. After the show, I was greeted by the daughter with roses, who spoke little English but was able to tell me how much she enjoyed the show.
Movement is a universal language, encouraging connection in the absence of communication. Movement is joyous even in the moments when it is not intended to be, for the mere experience of feeling is something to celebrate. I am incredibly grateful for the ability to have been able to dance in such a beautiful space. I had never before been so quickly cracked wide open by a group of people, and the experience reminded me how much of a gift it is to move and feel.
Thank you for sharing this reflection Emma! Click here to learn more about The Friends of Dance at Emory.
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