Claudia Willimann on her first term in PPY 2019

Claudia Willimann joined Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year (PPY) in Feb 2019. Ten weeks into the program, she reflects on her experiences so far. Read her insights below:

It has been a very exciting first term in Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year. In just ten weeks, we have had the opportunity to work with multiple different artists who have an abundant amount of knowledge to share with us. I came into this course open-minded and looking forward to what it would have to offer. I truly couldn’t be happier with what I have been experiencing. It has introduced me to a new thought process in how I approach the way that I move. It has been challenging and rewarding and I look forward to what the rest of the year holds.

In the second week of term one we were given the opportunity to work with Alejandro Rolandi and Lee-Anne Litton who gave us a three hour workshop each afternoon. These workshops were to further our skills in contact improvisation. The way that Alejandro and Lee-Anne approached and encouraged us throughout the classes to give things a try no matter how they turned out was really motivating. It was nice to have the opportunity to learn how to perform these skills safely. It was inspiring to see how far we had all come within a week of contact improvisation classes.

Last week we had the chance to work with Pepa Ubera who is a UK based, Spanish artist. She has travelled to Australia to further her research and express her findings through performing short dance pieces in each location that she visits. It was really amazing to have the opportunity to work with her and learn about the research she has been developing throughout her travels. Pepa has created improvisational scores that have developed throughout her time traveling around Australia. It was a fascinating week to work on these scores as they developed even further throughout each day.

Find out more about Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year.