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Grazie, Italy

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Well ,  just like that my time here in Italy has come to a close (for now at least). These past 7 weeks have been filled with many memories that I will never forget. My time here started out with me working at Chille de la Balanza as well as taking Italian language classes at the Florence University of the Arts. I made friends with my classmates and other students of FUA, including my roommates, and I also became part of the family at Chille de la Balanza during these first three weeks. The next month my schedule freed up quite a bit since there were no more school classes. With this extra time in my days, I was able to hang out with my roommates and explore Florence even more. Not soon after classes ended though, both of my roommates had left Italy. It was at this time that I started to leave Florence on the weekend for day trips to other places in Italy. By the end of my time in Italy, I was able to go to Venice, Naples, Milan, Rome, Siena, Bologna, San Gimignano, Pisa, and Lucca. Th
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The Amazon Fires and 8 Ways to Help

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The Earth's lungs are being destroyed. How did this happen and what is being done to stop it? The Amazon rainforest is at least 55 million years old. One half of all the planet's animal and plant species call the Amazon their home (that's about 10 million different species)- including certain groups of indigenous people. This rainforest is not only a home to others, but also helps in keeping the rest of the world healthy. Through scientific studies, links have been found between rainforest health and planet earth. How does the Amazon effect the health of the world? Let me tell you... The excessive amount of carbon dioxide that is polluting the atmosphere from fossil fuels, oil, natural gas, and coal is taken in by plants and replaced with carbon and oxygen through photosynthesis. Being the producer of more than 20% of the Earth's oxygen has earned this rainforest the title of "Lungs of our Planet". Lowering pollutant levels is not the only key role th
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Chille de la Balanza

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Hello , and happy Tuesday! Today I thought I would post about my typical work day at Chille de la Balanza. Although I switched from evening to morning shifts halfway into my time here in Italy, I still work 4 hours a day, Monday through Friday. I start walking to work at 9am so that I can get there for my 9.30am start time. Once arriving, if the coffee has not yet been made, I will make everyone in the theatre coffee (a skill and task that Matteo, my supervisor, says is the most important in not just the theatre but in all of Italy). Depending on whether or not there is an upcoming show or concert, my tasks throughout the day can differ. If there is a show, there might be morning rehearsals. On these days, I will observe the rehearsals as well as work on my own show that I am to put on this week. If there is a concert or outdoor event to set up for, I normally will just work on my personal show during this time as well. There have also been days where I help the actual building, or d
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Behind the Curtain

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I think that I can say that in a general sense, everyone that watches some form of show, whether that be on a screen or stage, acknowledges that aspects other than the actors themselves are important parts of the show...yet not everyone may put much deep thought into these aspects. Having grown up as a performer (as a dancer) I thought, prior to my internship here in Italy, that I had gained a pretty good amount of awareness towards the hard work and difficult decisions that went into forming all aspects of a show. I knew how different costumes and props could help transform a performer into a whole new character from a different place in time, and how lighting, sound, and effects added not just interest in the show but could also change the mood of a scene. Of course, I had gained this knowledge all just as an observing performer. However when I am not performing and have the chance to be a spectator, especially of non-dance shows, I tend to not think much, if at all, about what is go
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Performing Arts Abroad

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As  I said in my last blog post (which you can read by clicking here ) I have been in Florence for just about a month now for an internship that I am completing through Performing Arts Abroad. Now, you may be wondering, what exactly Performing Arts Abroad is. Let me do my best to explain. Performing Arts Abroad was founded by Reynolds Whalen in 2009. This organization that Reynolds built celebrates not just the arts, but also all cultures of the world, travels with intentions, and connections with other human beings. The world really is your stage with PAA, whether that be in music, dance, film, theatre, etc. PAA continues to help fight for keeping what arts programs there are in schools alive, and even adding to them. Program participants can teach classes in school programs, orphanages, and more so that those who may not have access to the arts are able to learn about them and make a human connection through them. PAA also aids those in the performing arts world in obtaining jobs.
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Ciao!

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Ciao  everyone! I am back online and writing my blog posts once again. Last time I posted, I was sitting in a New York City airport, waiting to board my flight to Rochester, to one of my best friends from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy.  Now, I have just a few things to let you know before going into sharing what I've been up to since last posting. First off, I want you to know that I will be posting the videos from last summer until the present time. I am currently working on finishing them up and then I will post them to my YouTube . Sorry it's taking so long! Secondly, I know I have said this before, but I really am going to try to be more active on here in the future. I will also be broadening the topics that I write about in the future, so stay tuned for that! For now though, I will be sharing about what I've been up to...and that pretty much has been traveling. To pick up from where I last left off, I did eventually make it to Rochester, New York. I spent two weeks at m
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