Rigorous, Peaceful, One-of-a-Kind Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The educational aspects of this program were unparalleled. To be able to study, see, and create post-modern dance in the context of the European arts scene, and its resources, for a month definitely influenced my work, my choice of major, and my choice of internship/jobs post-grad. The program was extremely rigorous, and the vast majority of time was spent on studying, watching, or making dance.

On-site administration of your program

The program itself was very small (about 20 students), so the administration was also small. They traveled with us and stayed with us throughout the program. They were very helpful when we needed them, and very organized.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The first week of the program, we traveled throughout Paris, and stayed in a hotel. The hotel we stayed in was fine - nothing special, but definitely comfortable and safe. The remainder of the month was spent in an artist residency home in Bourgogne, which was amazing. The house was big and beautiful, and featured a barn in the yard that the owners had converted into a dance studio, and another dance studio inside the house... a dream come true for any dancer/choreographer. This part of the program was a retreat where we could focus on the work we were creating.

The food was great. In Paris, since we were housed in a hotel, I ate out all of the time with fellow students. This was delicious but not the best for my wallet. In Bourgogne, the owners of the residency home cooked us meals and we ate together every evening. It was essentially a 20 student home stay experience. The only challenge I had was being a vegetarian, and the meals always included meat. The home owners were as accommodating as possible, but I don't think they had a lot of experience with vegetarian eating.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Since the weeks in Bourgogne were essentially an artist retreat, we really didn't interact with the local culture besides with our home stay family. We really only got to interact with the culture when we were in Paris, and it was only a week so I felt like a tourist. I wouldn't recommend this program for someone prioritizing cultural integration; this was essentially a artist retreat in a beautiful location.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no issues with health care on this program, and I didn't need to get any specific vaccines before traveling.

I felt extremely safe both in Paris and (especially) in Bourgogne. In Paris we made an effort not to travel alone, especially at night, but overall I felt pretty safe. In Bourgogne it was ridiculously safe.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Since we were only paying for our meals in Paris (one week out of the month), it was pretty easy to live on a student's budget. In Bourgogne, all meals were included. We went on a few day trips and had opportunities to spend money, but it was never necessary to spend large amounts of money after the first week had ended.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

It wasn't necessary to be fluent in (or to know any) French in order to be accepted into the program, since the focus was on dance. Our Bourgogne host family was ESL, but if they knew you spoke some French they would encourage you to speak to them in only French (a bit of a friendly challenge).

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Hotel

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• Americans
• Host Family
• Other

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• Americans
• Host Family

• The residency in Bourgogne
• The faculty
• Creative opportunities to perform (site-specific) throughout France

• More opportunities for local interaction/cultural immersion
• Longer program

The Academic or Linguist