BA Dance '23

As a graduate from the 2022/23 class in the Bachelor Dance programme, I could not be more proud to be a Palucca Alumna. When I first visited the university in 2019, I knew immediately that Palucca was my next step as a pre-professional dancer. Already in those first weeks, I felt the creativity, kindness and hard work from every staff member and student. 

When I officially joined the Palucca University of Dance in August of 2019, I was immersed in the environment and was inspired beyond words. The variety of classes and training techniques within the Bachelor Program Dance allowed me to explore every aspect of our incredible art form, and helped me to mature and develop into the dancer I always dreamed to be. The faculty were so generous in sharing their knowledge and experience with every student and every member of staff cared so deeply about every student not only as healthy dancers but also as individuals. They helped us navigate the complex world we were in and prepared us for the next world that would come when we took that step into professional work. 

The openness of the university allowed my classmates and me to discuss with each other, learn from each other and grow together as not only a strong cohort of inspired dancers, but also as a sort of found family. I was lucky enough to have an incredible cohort around me, full of hard workers, talented dancers and truly good people. The focus on the core value that Gret Palucca created the school upon, to give every dancer the opportunity to find themselves within dance rather than re-create what another has done before you, is more alive than ever within the university. 

After graduating in 2023, I joined the Semperoper Ballet Dresden as an apprentice. Stepping into professional life only made me more grateful for the Palucca university. I found that I was not only prepared for the work required of me, but flourished in the environment. Under the direction of Marcelo Gomez, I was fortunate enough to have been given some incredible opportunities within my apprentice season such as performing as ‘The Canary Fairy’ in Marcelo’s reimagined version of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ among other roles. Thanks to my time at Palucca, I found I was prepared for the responsibility that comes along with those opportunities. 

I am now a Demi-Soloist with the Wroc?aw Opera Ballet in Poland and I am still just as appreciative and connected to the university as ever. I truly believe I would not be where I am today without Palucca. The Bachelor Dance programme allowed me to become a versatile, smart and committed dancer while never losing my joy for dance. I have become an artist, not just a technician, and my experiences at Palucca allowed me to venture deep within myself to find that true presence that is so integral to our art form. As I ready myself for my debut in the Principal role of Frida Kahlo from Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s ‘Frida’ in June, I feel as if I am still learning from and growing because of the lessons and experiences I had at university. 

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