Moving away from New York City has been a prominent topic of discussion amongst the members of my class, so I took the time to speak with a couple of my classmates who have already signed contracts with dance companies and are committed to moving abroad. Leiland Charles will be dancing with Alberta Ballet in Canada and Evan Schwarz will be dancing with Bern Ballet in Switzerland. It was wonderful to hear what has been on their minds since they made their final decisions to move.
Leiland: I'm excited to be moving to a completely new place, with a new atmosphere and meet new people. I already love what I've seen of Canada previously. Plus, Chris Kaiser who graduated from Juilliard last year is also in Alberta Ballet so I already have someone there I know and get along with. Don't get me wrong, I adore New York City and I am going to miss it tremendously, but I'll definitely be back.
Evan: I think what I am most excited about at the moment is to begin my dancing career at a company that intrigues and inspires me so much! I look forward to learning all that I can from this experience and taking it with me throughout my career.
Michele: Are you nervous about anything in particular regarding your move, and if so, what?
Leiland: I'm more nervous about all the things I have to do before I even get there. I have to find a place to live without being able to go there and see it, get a bank account, and get a whole lot of the right winter attire. I've heard Alberta can get to negative 30 degrees Celsius with wind chill. I can't even imagine what that feels like. But of course I am nervous about joining a company for the first time. It makes me feel better though knowing that I'm actually going to be a professional dancer now. The 4 years at Juilliard finally paid off. Except not, because of all the loans. (HA!)
Evan: Oddly enough, I am not too nervous about much. Luckily for me, I will be dancing in a place that I have family so I will always be able to turn to them for help if need be. I am also extremely fortunate to already know the regional language, Swiss-German, and look forward to being immersed in my culture.
Leiland: I am going to miss all the amazing friends I've made in the last 4 years. These past years haven't been superficial to me at all. I don't plan to fall off the face of the earth once I leave the city. The people I've met mean so much to me and have helped shape who I am today. Also, I have a lot of family here. My grandmother, brother, two uncles and two aunts all live in NYC or Queens. They would see me perform at Juilliard every year. I'm going to miss performing for them since they won't be able to come see me in Calgary. Well, it's not very likely they'll be able to with how far it is from NYC and my hometown in Maryland. And most of all I'm going to miss all the dance I've seen here. I've seen some of my favorite dancers and companies perform while I've been here. Hence, why I know I'll be back eventually. There is no place like New York, not to me.
Evan: There is so much I am going to miss about the city! Most of all, I will miss my classmates whom I have bonded with immensely over the past few years. Although, saying goodbye now is inevitable and I look forward to crossing paths again in the future.
I am filled with joy for both Leiland and Evan and am excited for the rest of my classmates and I to decide where we will be next year. Until then, we will be soaking up the remainder of our time together in this incredible city!