Week 4

Week 4

I can barely believe this is my last week in Paris! I have learned so much from this study abroad program and it really was a life changing experience. Even though I have been here for four weeks, I feel there is more to explore. Paris has so many wonderful things to offer and I would love to come back to visit soon.


Monday, May 3:
I took Wayne Byars technique class at Studio Harmonic. It was a great class and I feel like his advice is really helpful. Although he discusses small details, these details make a world of difference and can completely change the way you approach a step. After lunch, we took a technique class with Crystale at AADP. I like how she changes her combinations every class. It’s nice to have variety and keeps you focused. We had a lecture upstairs at AADP then went back to the FIAP for dinner. 



Tuesday, May 4:

We had technique class with Jenny at AADP. I enjoy her class because she has a positive attitude and encourages everyone to do their best. After lunch we had a lecture at AADP about Isadora Duncan. Learning about Isadora is fascinating and I’m glad I was able to visit her grave at the Pere Lachaise. We walked to the Bourdelle museum. They had a great collection of sculptures at this museum. In the garden area, we took sometime to reflect in our notebooks. It was a nice ending to the day and sitting outside was relaxing because the weather was beautiful.



Wednesday, May 5:
We began our day with a yoga class taught by Peter Goss. This was my second yoga class with him so I had a better idea of what to expect. His yoga classes are different from others I have taken back in the states. His class is challenging and he pushes you to try new things. For lunch, Leslie, Rosa, and I went to L’As du Fallafel in the Marais area. The fallafel’s were delicious and it was fun eat at Lenny Kravitz’s favorite fallafel restaurant in Paris. Later that day we went to the Rodin Museum. The place of the museum was actually Rodin’s home in Paris. His house and the landscapes were incredible. My small group was assigned “The Thinker” sculpture. I recognized it from the movie Midnight in Paris. Later that night most of the group went to the Australian bar Oz where we had fun dancing. 



Thursday, May 6: 

We had a master class in Isadora Duncan technique. Dancing with the scarves in class was my favorite part. The movement is free flowing and relaxed. We had a lecture about Josephine Baker then went on the Josephine Baker walking tour led by Rick. We stopped by a place called Le Paradis du Fruit. Rick and Joyce treated us to the most delicious drinks named after Josephine Baker. The drink was made of passion fruit, mango and coconut milk. I will definitely try to make this yummy drink when I get home. After the tour we went to the Palais Royal, and had a great time doing a dance photo shoot.



Friday, May 7:

A small group of us went to the Repetto store in the morning. The store had beautiful displays inside and I purchased a pair of tan ballet flats. The group met at the Palais Royal for the Paris Opera Ballet exhibition. This exhibition had amazing costumes displayed and interesting pictures. I especially enjoyed watching several videos of Paris Opera Ballet performances. After the exhibition, we came back to the FIAP for our photo project presentations. Everyone’s project was unique and I enjoyed the graduate students creative projects.



Saturday, May 8:
Sadly, this was my last day in Paris. I went down to the Champs Elysees and bought macarons to take home to my family. Later that night we met at Refuge Des Fondus for our last dinner together. The restaurant had a fun atmosphere and the fondue was delicious.


I feel blessed to have had this amazing experience and will truly cherish my memories of making so many great new friends and spending time in this beautiful city!

Week 3

Monday, May 27:
Our first technique class this week was with Crystale at AADP. I really enjoy her class and I like how she gives everyone individual corrections. After technique, Crystale taught a Repertory Forsythe class. We learned “In the Middle Somewhat Elevated.” Last year at the Joffrey Chicago ballet intensive, my class watched a video of the company perform this piece. It was a really fun challenge, especially since I had never learned it before.

Tuesday, May 28:
We began our day with a student guided walking tour of the Marais area. The tour took a few hours because the Marais area has so many great things in it to visit. At the end of the tour, we visited a chocolatier in the area that had many different kinds of yummy chocolate. We took technique class with Brooke and had a lecture at AADP. We watched Balanchine’s Apollo and my favorite dancer Patricia Barker was dancing in the piece. I met Patricia Barker at the PNB summer course and always bought her leotards during the summer intensives. She also was a Sugar Plum a couple years ago in my ballet school’s Nutcracker. Seeing her dance in Balanchine’s Apollo was inspiring.

Wednesday, May 29:
We took a yoga class with Peter Goss in the morning. After his class, my hips felt so much more relaxed and my body more aligned. We ate lunch at a cafe then went on a tour of the Pere La Chaise Cemetery. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy walking around a cemetery but it was really interesting. The two people I chose to research who were buried there were Jim Morrison and Edith Piaf. I learned that Jim Morrison actually attended FSU for a year before he moved to Paris.

Thursday, May 30: 
On Thursday, we went to Studio Harmonic and took ballet class with Wayne Byars. This was the first time that I took his class. He was a great teacher and gave very good advice about the importance of body facings and the alignment of your back. I’m looking forward to taking another technique class from him next week. After class we hurried back to the FIAP to eat a quick lunch and get ready for the fashion tour with Anne. on the tour we visited designer stores like Dior, Chanel, and Ferragamo. The stores were all so beautiful and unique from one another. Dior had gorgeous flowers in every room and I could spend hours admiring the clothes in Chanel. After the tour, we went to the Musee Pompidou. This museum was much different than the others we have visited. The building is contemporary and is meant to look like a machine on the outside. On the inside there is a lot of glass and steel architecture. The exhibits were all so creative, my favorite was the shadow room with the Eiffel tower on the wall. When we finished at the museum, a small group of us went to a small restaurant called Blend which had gourmet burgers. There was a long wait to get a table, but I think it was worth it.



Friday, May 31 – Sunday, June 2-
Leslie and I traveled to Barcelona this weekend. We had such a great time visiting Spain and relaxing. Some highlights of the trip include:

-Visiting La Sagrada Familia
-Eating at a tapas restaurant called Ciudad Condal on La Rambla
-Walking around the El Borne Area
-Laying on the beach
-Going to the London Bar where Ernest Hemingway and Picasso used to enjoy drinks

Week 2

Monday, May 20:

We had our first technique class at Studio Harmonic. The set up of the class was very different from the ballet at AADP. This was an open class so anyone was allowed to participate. The room was packed with great dancers, including some Paris Opera Ballet School students. There were several POB school boys ranging in age and then a couple older girls. Their technique was so clean and I couldn’t help but notice them. The teacher was a man from POB and he taught the class in French. I realized how much closer I had to pay attention while he demonstrated the combinations because I didn’t understand things he was saying. It was fun to take class from him because his combinations were really different and fast. Later that day we had a walking tour of Montmartre in the rain. It is a beautiful place and I would like to go back again to visit on a day when the weather is nicer. After finishing the tour, everyone met in a cafe and drank hot chocolate to warm us up from the cold.

Tuesday, May 21:

We had a three hour master class focusing on Cunningham technique with Cedric. The class went by fast and I really enjoyed learning more of the Cunningham technique. He had a great warmup following several combinations across the floor. My favorite was the last combination with direction changes and big jumps. We had a special dinner at the FIAP with the other study abroad students from the U.S. It was nice meeting them and being able to hear the exciting things they are doing in Paris.

Wednesday, May 22:

We visited the Musee d’Orsay and had a wonderful tour guide named Christophe. The museum used to be an old train station and still has the same rod structures. The artwork was spaced out nicely and the museum had a good flow. Christophe did a great job of explaining the art work, which helped give me a better knowledge of the Impressionist period.



Thursday, May 23:
We had originally planned on having a yoga class this morning but we ended up taking a beginning contemporary class. Going back to the basics was nice and helped me focus on my alignment. The teacher spoke French the entire class so I payed close attention to her small movements. After class we went to the Musee De L’Orangerie. This museum was smaller than the Musee d’Orsay. I loved the murals of Water Lilies painted by Monet on the first floor. I felt like I could have sat in the room all day and looked at the beautiful paintings.


Friday, May 24 to Sunday May, 26:

During the long weekend, I traveled to Nice, France with Leslie and Paige. Nice was such a gorgeous place with beautiful beaches, unique restaurants, and friendly people. We had an amazing time walking along the beach in the sun, exploring Old Town, and taking a train to the Cannes Film Festival. I hope I can go back someday in the future!

Week 1

Week 1

My first week in Paris has been amazing! The city has such a unique charm and there is so much to explore. I arrived mid afternoon on Saturday May 11, and my time here is flying by. I adjusted rather well to the time change and didn’t have any major problems going to sleep or getting up in the morning which was good. I usually enjoy sleeping in a little but I don’t mind waking up at 7am here because I’m always excited for the day that awaits. I have learned something new each day in this wonderful city.



Monday was our first day of classes at Académie Américaine de Danse de Paris (AADP). I was very impressed with the dance studios. I did not expect them to be so large and nice considering they are in a big city where I think the rent must be extremely expensive. Our first ballet technique class was taught by Jenny Sandler. She used to dance with the Joffrey Ballet in New York. She has now retired and teaches classes regularly at AADP. I really enjoyed her class because it was a challenge. Her combinations were fast and made you think. I’m hoping she teaches another technique class. I would like to hear about her experience as a dancer in the U.S. and how she ended up in Paris.

After technique class, we had a lecture about the Paris Opera Ballet School and how closely tied it is to the company. At night, we attended a Paris Opera Ballet performance at the Palais Garnier. The architecture and design of the opera house was incredible. We saw pieces performed from Firebird, Afternoon of the Faun (the Ballet Rousse version and the Jerome Robbins version), and Bolero. The dancers were captivating with their perfect technique and artistry. They all have such poise and excellent stage presence. After the last piece, Bolero, I was in awe. The Paris Opera Ballet dancers are very versatile, being able to perform classical ballet with just as much strength in contemporary.

Tuesday we began our day with a discussion about the Paris Opera Ballet’s performance and a lecture about Versailles. We had an afternoon technique class with Brooke Desnoes, the founder of AADP. Several of her students took class with us. Her students were quiet in class and very focused. Outside of class they were friendly and outgoing. After we finished technique class, Rick took us on a walking tour of the Ile de la Cite. We saw Notre Dame, Shakespeare and Company bookstore, and the oldest tree in Paris. We also went to a cute shop called Amorino and ate some delicious gelato. When we arrived back to the FIAP, we went on a tour of the FIAP’s neighborhood. Our tour guide named Frederick was friendly and very informative. It was nice to learn about the neighborhood. 



We had our court dancing master class with Beatrice Massin on Wednesday morning in Alfortville. I had so much fun in her class, especially since I had never experienced this style of dance before. During class, Beatrice explained the idea of space while dancing and also the importance of the relationship between music and dance. We had the afternoon off and ate lunch at the FIAP. We decided to go to the Champs Elysees for the second time this week. I bought some new comfy tennis shoes at Nike. We ate dinner at Le Deauville and enjoyed a macaroon at Laduree. On our way back we decided to make a quick stop at the Eiffel tower. We got there just in time to see the lights sparkling. It was magical and I can’t wait to visit again this weekend!

4 Days!