Students Across the College of Fine Arts and Communications Have Accepted the Invitation to Experience Learning Outside the Classroom
Even as the summer was waning, the experiential learning of CFAC students was not! Students from the College of Fine Arts and Communications found learning across the world as they expanded their horizons through internships and study abroad experiences.
Italy Ballet | Department of Dance
This summer, BYU faculty members Shayla Bott and Ashley Parov and ballet students from BYU took to Italy to learn about the history of ballet there. The Italy Ballet study abroad was particularly interesting to many students as most of them had just finished taking BYU’s Teaching Methods of Ballet course in Winter semester (of the 2021-2022 school year), where they learned about the Cecchetti school of ballet training, so named after Maestro Enrico Cecchetti who developed his training protocols in Italy. The students had the chance to take pure Cecchetti classes from an instructor in Florence. “It was great to see that learning become experiential and come full circle,” said faculty member Shayla Bott. The students also were able to take some baroque dance classes from an instructor who gave the dancers a history of the steps that became ballet staples throughout the years and how they evolved. “It was fun to watch them doing their baroque dancing around the city in the heart of Florence,” added Bott. The students also visited the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Gallery, the Vatican Museums, the Piazza del Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, the Pantheon in Rome and the Rome Italy Temple.
Paris Professional Internship | School of Communications
Communications students with advanced French skills traveled to Paris, France, for internships set up through the Department of French and Italian. Students pursued experiences relating to their individual goals and chosen fields and lived in chosen accommodations or with host families in or near Paris, one of the world’s leading business and cultural centers, influencing politics, education, entertainment, fashion, science and the arts. Internship fields included computer science, design, drama/theater, finance and marketing. Those who wish to experience this internship themselves can learn more by contacting Daryl Lee for more information (801-422-9055 or dlee@byu.edu).
South Korea Global Mass Communications | School of Communications
Communications students took to South Korea to study abroad in Asia with BYU professor Kevin John to see how communications between the East and West changed their respective regions.
In Seoul and Busan, students attended several Korean shows (“Aida,” “Death Note: The Musical,” Blue Man Group, and others), many historical and modern cultural sites (Seodaemun Prison, the city of Paju, the Gangnam district of Seoul, Deoksugung Palace, Geunjeongjeon Hall of the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Seoul Korea Temple, etc.) and museums focused on modern technologies (the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, including the Meta-Horizons Virtual Reality exhibit; SeMA Seoul Museum of Art; the HYBE Insight exhibition; etc.). They also visited the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea (you can see their visit here), KBS Broadcast Studio (responsible for the show “Finding Dispersed Families,” where family members that had been split apart by the war could reach out and hope for a reunion), and attended the third Annual BTS Global Interdisciplinary Conference. All of these experiences were designed to expose students to environments where they might engage the central question of how media influences cultural exchange and discourse, and where they might find inspiration for their final projects. The students had a unique experience on the first communications study abroad program in Asia!
Light and Truth | Department of Design
Led by professors Paul Adams and Scott Esplin, the Light and Truth study abroad program took students across the British Isles and continental Europe. Participants followed the footsteps of early Apostles and missionaries. They studied stories of sacrifice in sites such as Preston, Herefordshire and Liverpool. Students examined the lands with a spiritual perspective and a camera lens to learn about where the gospel first took root internationally.
Take a look at some of the photos taken by participants below!
London Communications | School of Communications
Led by Steven Thomsen, students had the opportunity to intern in London, which has been described as the financial and cultural capital of the world. Students were able to build their resume, network, gain excellent experience and learn about the world. This program worked with the Intern Group, an award-winning company that helps place students in an internship in their field as well as coordinate housing, transportation, activities and more.
