Troy University’s partnership with Italy’s Danza in Arte a Pietrasanta was celebrated once again with the inaugural TROY-DAP International Dance Experience from July 31 through August 1. The two-day intensive included master classes, training, rehearsals and performances that featured renowned international dancers. 

Brooklyn Albritton, a sophomore dance major from Athens, Alabama, said the chance to learn from the visiting artists made a lasting impact on her.

“It was such an incredible experience to meet all of our international guests,” said Albritton. “We gained so much knowledge from the guests, our faculty here, and to have them pouring into us made my heart so happy. I’ve definitely improved because of this experience.”

Danika Allison, a dance student from the University of Alabama, was awarded one of the scholarships to travel to Italy for the DAP Festival. She learned about TROY-DAP through her own university but said TROY’s reputation in the dance world was already familiar to her. 

“I’m a competitive dancer and a lot of people in the dance world know about TROY because it’s known for dance,” she said. “A lot of people talk about it, and we saw this intensive being offered. I enjoyed the environment here because we came here to dance because we love it and we’ve helped each other grow.”

Allison Plant, a dancer from Enterprise Academy of the Performing Arts, enjoyed her experience at TROY-DAP.

“I got to learn from so many outside teachers and learning new combos,” said Plant. “I also learned about how to push myself and try my hardest.”

During the Grand Gala Performance, the final event of TROY-DAP, Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. celebrated TROY’s role in international collaboration. 

“Over the years, we’ve been taking TROY to the world, now we have brought the world to TROY,” said Hawkins. “We want our students to understand the world around us and I think in the process of doing that, not only do they have a deeper appreciation of the world, but also this country. We’ve witnessed extraordinary talent both in the students and also the professionals that came from around the world to TROY.”

Adria Ferrali, TROY-DAP’s Associate Artistic Director and the DAP Festival Director, said the longtime partnership with the university and the start of TROY-DAP has meant a lot to her.

“I would like to thank Mrs. Janice Hawkins and Dr. Hawkins for supporting this collaboration from the start in 2017,” Ferrali said. “After 10 years of partnership it’s very important that we start with new challenges. It’s a natural development and expansion of our experience together.”

Sebastian Kloberg, an award-winning Danish choreographer, dancer, director and TROY-DAP featured dance artist, spoke to the value of international and cultural exchange through dance. 

“The value of people coming to see us who have no preconception of what they should expect or what they should be watching is really why I think we are trying to dance and share the mystery,” said Kloberg. “Dance is not like sports; you can’t predict a fixture. Dance is not like a graph that you can make predictions of the future or create algorithms from. We don’t have any data. I think that’s the beauty, that we come in here and maybe the audience was touched by something. Maybe they will hum our songs or will dance with our moves. Maybe you will play a song with someone you don’t know, and maybe you will start a new conversation. I think that’s the biggest value.”

The Grand Gala Performance featured the premieres of two new dance pieces: “Evening of Roses,” choreographed by TROY-DAP Associate Director James Boyd and performed by TROY dance students, and “A Part Apart,” choreographed by TROY-DAP featured dance artists Maxwell Simoes and Stefanie Noll. Simoes shared the duo spent two weeks choreographing the 15-minute duet and what the process was like.

“You have to really be in the space, have curiosity, and have a partner that’s open and willing to trust your ideas and play around,” said Simoes. “I want to thank Stefanie because this is a very brand new, fresh partnership in the creative sense and in friendships.”

Tori Lee Averett, TROY-DAP Program Director and Chair of TROY’s Department of Theatre and Dance, said it was remarkable to see the event come to fruition and to see the collaboration expand and grow. 

“It was inspiring to witness all the learning, performance, and cultural exchange happening with the students, guest artists, and audiences, and to see TROY shine as an international institution and a flagship institution for the arts and arts education,” said Averett. “I’m grateful for everyone who contributed to this inaugural year. I think we’re all looking forward to the future.”

Pictures from the TROY-DAP Dance Experience can be found here.