Chloe Smith, a 2024 graduate of the Theatre and Dance Department in the South Carolina School of the Arts at 91福利社, experienced an immersive two-week dance program in Italy July 12-26.听
Atlanta-based staibdance organizes through its Italy program experiences that bring world-class faculty together听for two weeks of intensive dance instruction, against the beautiful and historic backdrop of Sant鈥橝gata and Sorrento, located along the Mediterranean coast near the city of Naples.听
It鈥檚 been a wonderful experience for Smith, who grew up south of Augusta, Georgia and followed her older sister鈥檚 footsteps into dance as a young girl. Looking back, it鈥檚 hard to imagine that at first she didn鈥檛 want to dance, quit once, then resumed dance lessons when her cousin opened up a dance studio in her hometown of Waynesboro.听听
Smith describes her dance style as upbeat and athletic. She loves contemporary and jazz dance styles and appreciates how the staibdance intensive has expanded her horizons. She has been immersed in daily classes that include Counter Technique, Contemporary Ballet, James Wilton Dance Repertoire and Creative Failure.听
Creative Failure, Smith explains, is essentially an improvisational class focused on the idea that creativity can come from the midst of what we perceive as failure.听
鈥淚f we completely broaden our horizon and our perspective and just start moving,鈥� she says, 鈥渋n the end, we might not like what we did, but it鈥檚 still creativity. To us it can be failure if we don鈥檛 like it, but to somebody else, it might not be. It opens a perspective on the art that you鈥檙e making.鈥�听
Smith has learned much from the instruction of the international faculty of staibdance, which includes American and European teachers.听
鈥淚 just think experiencing an intensive like this in another country is very beneficial because of the different ties to different countries, the fact that you鈥檙e somewhere you don鈥檛 know at all and you鈥檙e having to totally readjust and meet new people,鈥� she said. 鈥淓very bit of it is just an eye-opening experience in both regular everyday life and also the dance culture that you鈥檙e used to. There are moments in classes where it can be something that you鈥檙e totally used to and are comfortable with, and there are also moments where you鈥檙e learning something you鈥檝e never done before. I think it takes you out of your comfort zone.鈥澨�听
An unforgettable experience for Smith was experiencing a ballet in Naples.听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the oldest opera houses. It was gorgeous,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e got to see 鈥楽erata鈥� by Jerome Robbins, a choreographer we got to know a lot about in AU classes. I also enjoy his choreography style, so getting to see a ballet he choreographed in another country and in one of the most beautiful opera houses鈥攊t was very insane, but it was so much fun.鈥澨�听
The staibdance intensive wrapped up with a performance from the students, followed by a celebration before heading home early the next morning.听
Smith will return to Anderson and teach at Anderson School of Dance. She also plans to continue working in the competition dance world, something she grew up around.听听
鈥淚 am still very open to performance opportunities and still planning to seek those as well,鈥� she said.听