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Geoffrey Solomon: Physical Theatre, Emory University GA

The Accademia is a completely different program from anything I’ve ever been a part of before. 

Students at the Accademia are encouraged to break personal boundaries through an incredibly demanding and technically rigorous practice. This challenging work is combined with a core of truly supportive teachers and staff who help students get back up after they fall. 

The Accademia is a place where intense work, technical mastery, and deep compassion mix to create an original space. A space for our ensemble to discover new parts of ourselves – as individuals, as student, and as performers. 

My brief time at the Accademia has already impacted the way I interact with the world. I can’t wait to see the ripples of this experience in the years to come.

September McCarthy: Dance, Muhlenberg College PA

Transitioning from the Physical Theater to the Dance program is challenging but has certainly been rewarding. In my experience, the Physical Theater program had a strong focus on devising work from improvisation, movement, sound and developing ambiances to add layers to that work. The Dance program initiates from a similar impulse, however, the movement vocabulary is quite different, with a stronger focus on dance technique and choreography. I am looking forward to learning different entrance points to devised work, strengthening my dance technique, but also putting a twist on my choreography by applying some of the skills I developed last semester!

Massimo Gerardi: Interim Dance Program Director

The group is really heterogeneous so it is interesting to have so many “colours” in the classes. They all share quite a big interest in contemporary dance in this way it is easy for me to catch their attention and concentration. Nonetheless, there is a lot to do in terms of passing on “technical” information about contemporary dance or dance in general. I would like them to go back to the States with a bag full of notions and experiences which they can take out whenever they need them…or just leave them in the bag.

Lilo Baur: Visiting MFA Professor

What have been some highlights of the semester so far?

LILO: The joy and readiness the actors showed when we improvised.

What are you most looking forward to about the rest of this process?

LILO: To putting their short improvised pieces of work together.

What would you say is unique about your approach to devised work?

LILO: My approach is unique in that I give freedom to the actor, so that failing is not wrong but is part of the process to create a piece.

How would you describe the process so far working with MFA Cohort IV?

LILO: They were very hungry to explore these absurd stories and to play around with them.

Where do you typically look for inspiration?

LILO: Everywhere in life. I love looking, observing, contemplating.

Faith Sullivan: MFA Cohort V

In what ways does this semester feel different than previous semesters for you?

FAITH: I definitely feel that our group works together more cohesively than we did our first semester together. We know and understand each other better. Personally I feel that I’m stronger and bolder than last semester, which has made the semester a lot more fun so far. I also feel more at home here and after having been home for break, I appreciate the beauty of Arezzo even more.
We are working towards Commedia as well as circus school at the end of the semester, so I’m a lot more driven and excited!

What are your personal and artistic goals for the semester?

FAITH: One of my personal goals is to continue improving my strength, endurance, and flexibility for circus school at the end of the semester. I would really love to be able to do a split before we leave for Torino! Artistically, I’m trying to focus a lot on the creation of meaningful work and exploring impulses and inspirations in and out of class.

Which class are you most excited about this semester?

FAITH: We’re taking stage combat this semester with Taylor Hohman and I’m super excited about it! It’s something that a lot of us have always wanted to try. We get do rapier and dagger work as well as unarmed combat and it’s great because it’s pretty different from everything we’ve done so far. It’s very challenging and technical, but we still get a lot of room to play and explore.

Aubrey Clinedinst: MFA Cohort IV

In what ways does this semester feel different than previous semesters for you?

AUBREY: Being the last Arezzo semester of the MFA program, this semester has an air of finality to it. Also, the way our course work is set up is super different. Instead of traditional class, we are in rehearsal for virtually all of our class time, which honestly feels so ideal. I wish the rest of my life could operate on this schedule.

What are your personal and artistic goals for the semester?

AUBREY: This is the semester we do our grad labs, so I am really hoping with this work, as well as with the devising with Lilo Baur, to really lay the groundwork for my future professional work, both in developing ideas and seed projects to take into the professional world, as well as figuring out and really establishing my aesthetic.

Which class do you imagine will be your most challenging this semester? Why?

AUBREY: The grad lab, because this is the practical part of my thesis, and it is an independent study that is virtually all on me to make it successful; though, I have a really fantastic cast who I would be completely lost without, and I wouldn’t be able to do it without them.