Testimonials
Photo courtesy of Savannah Lee Sickmon
ARTS in NYC is an important innovation in dance education, featured in the National Endowment for the Arts, Dance/USA publication “Dance from the Campus to the Real World.” Highlights: students attend multiple events per week and regularly interact with leaders in the field. MFA and mature BFA seniors can study with studio teachers of choice, and attend choreographic workshops, as well as research at the finest libraries. Here are what past students have said about the program:
Between lecture classes and guests who are the renowned dance-makers of our time, the internships, and the freedom to take class and see shows, the ARTS in NYC program allowed me to discover my own cogs and wheels and how they fit into the machine of the New York City performance world.
– Andrew Chapman
I learned how to respond quicker, think faster, and be concise; I had to learn how to turn garbage into gold using what little I had AND have the moxy and the organization to keep on making outside of school (I am happy to say I have been successful). These are lessons no amount of academic training can teach you.
– Hans Rasch
The program encourages self fulfillment, providing the space for students’ budding artistry. It also gave me access to a network of diverse leaders in the field who still give support as I develop my career.
-Mikaila Ware
The ARTS in NYC program was pivotal in my transition from student to professional dancer, as it is truly an insider’s guide to living and thriving artistically.
-Maggie Cloud
Through ARTS in NYC, I gained an immense amount of knowledge on how to independently navigate the crazy world of NYC and I made connections that will propel me forward in my 5 year plan. I feel like my brain has grown 5 sizes. I also feel like I can have an intellectual conversation about dance, dance history, and critiquing other people’s work. If I could do this program 5 more times, I would.
-Ashley Pierre-Louis
As someone not from the dance dept, the ARTS in NYC was a perfect opportunity for me to explore and embody the dialogue that exists between the visual and performing arts.
– Nathaniel Hendrickson
Graduating students will be able to contribute to any artistic ecosystem in the US by learning how to thrive in the largest and most complex environment as we do in ARTS in NYC… Any dance program that focuses exclusively on the creation and development of artistic work without exposure and immersion into the producing realities of the current field is remiss. Technique and craft alone are not enough.
-Lauren Slone
Our co-directors often ask us to think about how we’re going to “support our art habit” in the current dance environment where it’s so important that as artists we’re also able to fill the role of composer, dramaturg, production assistant, etc. The structure of the program offers us the ability to really “try-on” all these hats and understand how to create our own niche within the field.
-Cydney Watson
ARTS in NYC was one of the best experiences I have had in my collegiate career. As a non FSU student, this program provided me with a community and allowed me to experience new perspectives. The individualized curriculum gave me confidence to find my own path within New York City.
– Nicole Miller
This program was a crucial experience for my development as a person and artist. While being immersed in the non stop life of NYC, I was forced to weigh my options on a daily basis, honing important skills such as time management, networking, and budgeting—while still exploring myself creatively and understanding my identity as an artist.
– Maximo Olivera