Dawn BonkerThe world of dance grew a little bigger for Chapman University students during a 10-day summer travel course in Israel, where they immersed themselves in the nation’s vibrant modern dance culture.
The group was accompanied by the world-renowned Israeli dancer Ido Tadmor, who is a Presidential Fellow in Chapman’s College of Performing Arts. Tadmor teaches master classes, provides feedback to choreographers and develops original work for performances during his multiple visits to Chapman each year.
“Israel is a world leader when it comes to contemporary dance,” said Julianne O’Brien, Department of Dance chair, who led the travel course along with Associate Professor Liz Maxwell. “We wanted to give our students the opportunity to learn from these emerging companies and performers.”
After weeks of preparation that included in-depth reading on dance theory, the dancers traveled throughout Israel, taking in historic sites while also participating in daily classes and rehearsals with some of the top dance companies in the country, including Kibbutz Contemporary Dance, Batsheva and Vertigo Dance Company.
“It was the most incredible opportunity to dive into the exciting things happening in modern dance in Israel,” said Sophia Barr ’21, a student participant. “We challenged ourselves daily with intense repertoire and movement exploration.”
“Being in a place of such rich history and vibrance as Tel Aviv established a beautiful contrast,” said Maddie Miler ‘21. “It felt as if the city was encouraging the inner artist in me to grow and discover who I am as an individual.”
