Internships and Experiential Learning | Dance

ACDA has been one of the most incredible experiences that our program has to offer. We were able to take classes from Graham technique to Israelian folk dance but the best part was presenting my work as a student choreographer and receiving feedback from professional adjudicators.

SETC offers several opportunities for dancers like ballroom, burlesque, and theatre jazz. My favorite part of the experience was taking the audition workshops to prepare for future auditions.

-Amanda Rossi, ’17

Our students regularly receive experiential learning opportunities through working with guest artists, traveling to showcase their work and take classes at national conferences like the American College Dance Association Conference (ACDA) and the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC), and through summer internships. Read more below.

Internships

Madison Bryan – American Dance Festival

Madison Bryan interned with the American Dance Festival as an Arts Administrative Assistant in the fall of 2015. Her responsibilities included managing and updating the database, sending targeted mailings to top dance programs, and creating orientation packets for students attending the Winter Intensive Program.

How did you get this internship?

“At ACDA in the spring of my senior year (2015), the conference held an ADF scholarship audition. If I hadn’t gone to ACDA that spring I may not have ever heard of ADF, enrolled in the 6 week summer intensive, or interned there in the fall.”

Any advice to students on how to go about getting an internship like yours?

“Don’t be afraid to ask for it! When I was a student at ADF in the summer I asked the Director of Arts Administration about her job and Arts Administration in general. I asked if she was looking for an intern and she was, so I applied and got it. Another piece of advice is to ask your professors for help. They will certainly help guide you in the right direction.”

Danielle Criss – Urban Bush Women

Danielle Criss interned with Urban Bush Women in New York City as an archival intern after graduating in 2016. She learned the behind the scenes operations of running an organization with over 30 years of dance legacy and the importance of documenting and archiving artist’s work for future use.

How did you get this internship?

“After participating in their Summer Dance Intensives I maintained a relationship with the organization and was able to continue working with them after I graduated and moved to NYC.”

Any advice to students on how to go about getting an internship like yours?

“Know exactly what you’re going after, and go get it. Seek mentors or organizations that highlight your values and core goals. If you have the opportunity to plant that seed with them early, do so! Organizations seek to work with individuals they know of or know that they correspond with their values. DO YOUR OWN PERSONAL RESEARCH. There are so many things out there that everyone doesn’t know about. So go find them. I wouldn’t be a New York City performing artist if I didn’t foster a relationship early with the company. If you want something, YOU HAVE TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE POSITION TO GET IT, NO ONE ELSE CAN DO THAT FOR YOU!”

Student Choreography Opportunities

Watch the videos below to learn more about three of our student choreographers for the 2017 Spring Dance Concert!