Geneviève Durst

Saying goodbye to our Student Life Coordinator and ADA Guardian

Every two years the Accademia opens two coordinator positions as an opportunity for recently graduated alumni to take a leadership role in arts administration, marketing and technical coordination. This August the ADA will say farewell to one of its most dedicated ADA Alumni, Geneviève Durst, Spring 2012 Alumna, former ADA Summer Intern and current Student Life Coordinator (SLC) and Guardian.

During her time at the ADA, Geneviève fostered consistent growth in the position of SLC. She seamlessly balanced  the student experience and administrative projects. She has taken on new projects in Marketing and Undergraduate  Academics as well as executing existing tasks under the mentorship of Monica, Director of Student Services.

 In the Fall of 2014 I took Stella Medvedeva’s movement class with the theatre students. (I also took Feldenkrais with the music students – shoutout!) Her class had a very deep impact on me, as it was Stella and Sabine Fichter who truly introduced me to Laban Movement Analysis. Our assignment for our final project was to examine an event in history, fictional or factual. My group tackled the influence of Gutenberg’s printing press and drew parallels to current issues like net neutrality and freedom of information – all in neutral mask. It was a very weird little piece, but the journey to find clarity in storytelling with only the body as our instrument was very satisfying.

Tramontos have always been a highlight of the semester for me. Tramonto, which means sunset, is an event that takes place at the beginning, middle and end of the semester and is organized by yours truly. Tramontos seek to bridge the gap between academic and student life and provide the students with a framework for how their experience is landing at critical moments of the semester. In the final Tramonto, I ask the students to share one thing they found or learned at ADA that they will take back home with them: lighthearted or sincere, whatever feels authentic. Their responses to that question have been some of the most moving testimonies I’ve heard in my life, and to think that I have been a small part of making that experience possible humbles me.

I will be moving to Chicago in September, which is something of a leap of faith. I have aspirations in the long term that include pursuing an advanced degree in psychology and a certification as a Laban Movement Analyst, but how life may guide me toward that path has yet to unfold. For the near future, I’m excited to explore entering the music scene in Chicago. I am a singer-songwriter and have shared some of my original music with students for the first time over the past two years. Continuing to express that part of my artistic voice will always have its roots here at the ADA. 

It has been said that parting is such sweet sorrow, and this resonates for me, but the people I’ve met here are my family, these experiences are imprinted on my heart, and I know this is “a presto” instead of “addio”.