Semester Physical Theatre Program

It is so wild to think that there are only 3 weeks left here. So many emotions arise when I think about leaving this place- sadness, anxiety, excitement, nervousness, aching within both the body and mind, etc. I am excited to experience what it is like going back to the states and to my university with all the knowledge and collaborative skills I have learned at Accademia. With this, however, comes nervousness to return to what was once a familiar space but will no doubt feel so new and foreign when we return. Along with this excitement and curiosity to move forward also comes extreme sadness; sadness to not only leave my new friends and the beautiful landscape surrounding us, but also leaving this learning environment.

  As we approach the ending of our journey here we are forced to reflect on all we have learned throughout our time here and devise final performances together and showcase our newfound skills. This collaborative process has proven to be a very difficult one that we are continuously working on. Having so many people in one place, all coming from different backgrounds and different processes of working have caused many head-butting moments and tension in the air. Sometimes it may feel as though the process shouldn’t be this difficult and it is a fault in our system, but I would disagree. A big part of what we are here to learn about is how to collaborate and create in a ensemble and that process is never an easy one, especially when you put a ton of creative, inspired minds with big artistic energy in one room. We are here to learn how to communicate with our peers and how to be flexible and compromising  in our own creations,  and focusing on the good of the group instead of just serving ourselves personally. This is never an easy process, nor would I want it to be because then what would I be learning?

With that said, what I am most grateful for, as I continue to reflect on my time here, are all the challenges I have been faced with and the personal boundaries I have been able to push. And although sad to leave this life behind, I am very much looking forward to continuing my artistic journey with the new person I have grown into while here and to continue to push her limits to become the best artist I can be.

Semester Physical Theatre Program

One of the most important things that one should take care of is their mental health. For many, especially those uninsured in America, this can prove to be an issue to get health if one were to have mental illness. This is the case for me. It’s very hard to take care of your mental health, even more so if you don’t think anyone would understand. But here, the faculty aren’t just understanding, they are willing to do what they can to help. I had a series of manic and depressive episodes that started to affect my friendships, and the faculty here helped me seek help. They were able to find me a way to speak to a psychiatrist and helped me get reimbursed, so I didn’t have to worry about my financial situation. This was the most help I have received for my mental health, and having this outlet of support was everything I needed. The ADA truly does care about their students, from having open arms to listen to issues, to seeking help so a student shouldn’t have to deny themselves from taking care of their mental health.

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Jalil Bonds, Coastal Carolina University

One Year Physical Theatre Program

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” 

     -Ernest Hemingway

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Dylan Gleason, Muhlenberg College

Semester Physical Theatre Program

Things are ramping up as the end of the semester draws near. Everyone is supportive of one another and it is such a wonderful positive environment for growth. We are all working together towards the collaborative final, and everyone is excited for it!

Ryan Estes, Muhlenberg College

Semester Physical Theatre Program

I have a very strong sensory memory.  One of my favorite things in the entire world is music. These two concepts of music and sensory memory have been in constant conversation in my life for just about as long as I can remember, but it’s definitely been especially prominent throughout this past semester. 

As our time at the Accademia is nearing the end, I would love to share a playlist of songs with you all.  If I could, I would list 500 songs, but I will keep it capped at 20. Some of them are super sentimental, and others are just weird and fun, but they all mean a lot to me, and they are songs that I will forever associate with the amazing people I’ve met and all of the amazing experiences I’ve had so far this semester.  

I know that, if I turn any one of these songs on, say, forty or fifty years from now, I will be brought right back to specific memories of my time here.  I’d like to list certain flashes of memory that come to mind for each song. And so, in no particular order, here it goes:

1) The Head and the Heart – “Rivers and Roads”

– sitting in Weezie and Myriam’s room, blaring this and singing along

– listening to it with Olivia to “cool down” after an intense rehearsal

– “been talkin’ bout the way things chaaange” BOOM BOOM BOOM (complete with drumming gestures)

 

2) Maggie Rogers – “Color Song”

– playing it on the roof of the teatrino at sunset many-a-time

– listening to it in Paris, sitting on the “banks” of the Seine and watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle

 

3) Ying Yang Twins – “Get Low”

– making a Movement Class-inspired remix of this song, replacing “skeet skeet” with “tak tak” hahahaha

 

4) Conan Grey – “Crush Culture”

– dancing to it with Weezie on the first weekend of the semester, in the middle of our first-ever conversation, and then dancing out the window at the people doing homework on top of the teatrino

 

5) The Weepies – “Sunflower”

– using it for my Sarah Kane movement piece, and literally falling in love with it

 

6) Maggie Rogers – “Dog Years”

– Aliza and I dancing to it on our way back from dinner in town the first weekend of the semester

– BLARING it in the Sala Danza one night and just deeply feeling each and every one of the lyrics throughout my entire being

 

7) Tones and I – “Dance Monkey”

– Olivia’s obsession with it!

– hanging out in my room late at night with Olivia, Bryan, Jake and Blake, letting the hours waste away 🙂

 

8) Sylvan Esso – “Slack Jaw”

– using it for my Dream piece

– whenever I found myself in a funk, I will always remember feeling “heard” by this song

 

9) Elvis Crespo – “Suavemente”

– Karen teaching a group of us how to salsa dance one night in her room!

 

10) Blackbear – “Hot Girl Bummer”

– listening to it for the first time while unpacking my suitcase on orientation day

– Olivia and Blake trying to remember the name of the song, calling it “Hot Bummer Summer,” and me laughing hysterically

 

11) Rihanna – “Cheers (I’ll Drink to That)”

– a group of us screaming along to this in the limo late on a Friday night after a crazy stressful week

 

12) Ben Platt – “Grow As We Go”

– Daliah’s Sarah Kane piece, and how moved I was by it

– always viewing the “we” in that song as me and my cohort, and how we’re all here growing together

 

13) Dominic Fike – “Phone Numbers”

– Weezie & Myriam introducing me to this song one night in the limo!

 

14) Ben Platt – “Temporary Love”

– listening to it on my earbuds on the train back from Pisa, and accidentally singing along LOUDLY (you should have seen the look on Olivia and Helena’s face!)

 

15) Rufus Wainwright – “Hallelujah”

– deciding to sing at open mic night LITERALLY as I rose my hand

– the first time I truly felt “at home” here

 

16) David Bowie – “Heroes”

– Milla and I dancing our asses off to this song one night, marking the beginning of our close friendship

 

17) Darren Criss – “Not Alone”

– sitting in the teatrino at night so I could listen to this song in the room in which it was written (so cool!!!)

– also, when he did this program, he stayed in room G5…I’m staying in G5…this will never stop being cool to me!!!

 

18) Benji & Fede – “Dove e Quando”

– being in the taxi with Amanda & Daliah on the first day of fall break

– putting this song in our Italian skit and thinking we were so originally for doing so, until we realized that it was literally in maybe four or five other skits!!!

 

19) Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Senorita”

– Helena’s remix, which goes “I love it when you call me Ryan Estes…” (don’t ask me why lol)

 

20) Alanis Morissette – “Hand In My Pocket”

– similar to “Slack Jaw,” in the times in which I felt stressed, frustrated, confused, insufficient — this song always made the world make sense again <3