QUT Dance Performance students Erin O'Rourke and Alexa Dewar travelled more than 14,000km to Europe and gained a once in a lifetime experience.
Erin and Alexa received the QUT International Dance Performance Scholarship and travelled to Berlin to participate in activities including a dance intensive at b12 Berlin Workshop Festival.
The dance intensive not only helped them brush up on their dance skills but also challenged them to think about why they need to share their movements with the world.
“The experiences have changed my trajectory for the future and impacted my practice this semester and going out of university into post-graduate life,” Alexa shared.
“I believe that this opportunity and experience came at the perfect time for me commencing the final semester of my degree as it has affirmed my passion and determination to make a career out of my dance practice.”
The scholarship allowed the students to experience a new culture and gain insights about dance from different perspectives.
“Thank you to the wonderful donor for providing this scholarship because it presented new opportunities to see a lot of new things; amazing performances and so many workshops which I probably would not have been able to do it if I had not received the scholarship,” Erin reflected.
“Essentially, this trip solidified my ambitions. It made me realise that I want to pursue a career in dance.
“This experience has given me insight into the possibilities of the future and the depth of the contemporary dance industry at an international level.”
Erin and Alexa also mentioned that learning dance from somebody whose first language is not English was a unique experience. This scholarship aims to also help them enhance their dance practice and enable networking and career opportunities.
In Germany, Erin and Alexa attended many workshops that pushed them to their limits and boosted their technique. They shared their experience with the rest of the student cohort upon returning to Australia.
The QUT International Dance Performance Scholarship provided $5,000 to assist with funding for an international dance experience to enable transition into professional practice.
Learn more about the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance).
Authors
Bachelor of Creative Industries (Media and Communication)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance Performance)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance Performance)