Goodbye For Now. We Hope You Enjoyed the
Journey...
As sad as we are about
bringing this summer's movement research to a close, we are
also thrilled to admit our accomplishments! The last two
and a half months have flown by, leaving us with some of
the most memorable moments of our lives. European culture
embodies much more than what you may initially believe. We
encourage all of you to begin with some research to
discover your specific interests, otherwise it may become
slightly overwhelming. Once you have the basic idea of what
is going on in each city, you can start to make decisions.
Here are some quick pointers that we learned through our
travels:
1. Start with background research (read everything you can
get your hands on: dance magazines, websites, travel
guides, history books etc.)
2. Plan ahead! ...but be open to changes.
3. Make connections in advance via email/phone
4. Once you arrive, go to information centers for brochures
and event listings
5. Don't just go to the typical tourist spots...check out
some of the cities' hidden art galleries, markets, etc.
6. Reserve performance tickets in advance (usually you can
just pick them up right before the show...)
7. Get to know the public transportation systems the first
day you are there, so you don't waste time getting lost!
(ideally, you could study the tram/metro routes before you
even get there, but let's be honest- that's pushing it when
you are going to see as many cities as we did!)
8. Stay after performances to ask the
dancers/choreographers questions. (oh, and you should be
taking notes during shows- yes, that may sound tacky or
obnoxious to some of you, but how much are you going to
remember after a two hour show??)
9. Go see festivals!!! Whether dance or film- this is one
of the best ways to meet people within the dance community.
Everyone flocks to these events, so reserve your tickets in
advance!
10. Take classes at as many studios as you can fit in, so
that you can get a feel for the various teaching and
movement styles. This is also another way to make
connections so don't be shy!
11. Go to auditions just for the experience...We can never
get enough of that eh?
12. Workshops are things to know pretty far in advance,
although many of our new friends from Anouk's signed up
last minute...We say it is better safe than sorry, so
transfer the money and save yourself a spot for something
like this. (Oh and did we mention that the workshop we
attended was life changing, incredible, amazing...but don't
get us wrong, we are not making a dogma out of it.)
** The majority of German people speak English...Oh how
spoiled we Americans are. They are incredibly friendly and
open to sharing their knowledge of dance with you...So
ASK!! The worst thing that could happen is for them to say
no. Boohoo.
** Sadly, not EVERYONE knows about modern dance, but there
is a definite difference in audience appreciation. The art
form is funded by the government, and a much larger
percentage of the population has seen a performance or two.
There are huge efforts to keep dance archives up to date,
not to mention the advanced level of dance technology in
general.
** Dancers are given health insurance and other great
benefits, but are likely to have one other 'real' job on
the side to make the money to pay the rent...(hey at least
it's better than having to work two or three!)
** Each city has a different level of expenses. Berlin, for
example, is much cheaper than it seems. Amsterdam, on the
other hand, was quite pricey. These are things we couldn't
really predict, yet were easy enough to adjust to quickly.
** Tips on how to save your
euros: Buy food at local fresh markets and cook
for yourself instead of eating out every night. See if
dancers are renting out their apartments for the
summer...tends to be much cheaper than a hotel room! Keep
track of what you spend in a little notepad that can fit in
your purse...(That one we learned after the fact).
Depending on how long you stay in a city, ask about the
public transportation package deals.
