Exchange student at de Theaterschool in 2007

My experience as a Purchase exchange student in Amsterdam has been my most fulfilling experience to date.  I had several doubts going into the program; nervous about living in a city and country that I was unfamiliar with, entering as a third year student into a group of dancers who had been working together for years, studying with completely new teachers, as well as some techniques completely foreign to me.  Every aspect that worried me turned out to fulfil me in ways that I couldn't even have imagined.  I can honestly say that studying for four months at De Theaterschool changed my outlooks on dance as a performing art while thoroughly nurturing me, as well as helping me clarify the direction of my goals in this field.

The classes that I took tended to be a bit less technique oriented than classes at Purchase.  Being able to take classes like improvisation, contact improvisation, and drama multiple times a week over the course of the semester really forced me to step outside of my comfort level.  I was purchased and challenged as an artist every single day.  My creativity expanded immensely and my comfort doing improvisation increased so much.  The environment was so supportive and the students in my MTD III class remain to be some of the kindest, most supportive, most incredible artists I've come across.  Nina and I were lucky enough to be part of a very small class that embraced our presence not as outsiders coming into their program but as friends, as people to teach to as well as learn from.  Once I got settled in, I never once felt like an outsider.  As I got to know the city I felt completely safe and very much at home.  The teachers at school gave us equal attention as exchange students and pushed us all the time.  Having Alexander technique and Gyrokenisis weekly, in addition to an overall healthy and safe approach to dancing was refreshing and strengthening, areas I often feel Purchase is lacking in.
 
Living in Amsterdam was a completely amazing experience in itself. I am actually now strongly considering moving there after graduation.  The city is quite small and manageable, especially with a bike.  I highly recommend getting a bike as it is the number one mode of transportation.  Public transportation is also convenient and fairly cheap but finding inexpensive bikes is really easy and I always preferred biking as it is also a GREAT way to see the city.  Make sure to get a really heavy duty lock (mine was almost 40 euro).  It is definitely worth the money to not have your bike get stolen.  There is a very interesting art community in Amsterdam which I loved.  There are tons and tons of shows and exhibits, some that I learned from through the school and others through the local papers or flyers on the street.  See them all!  There is such an array of easily accessible art happening all the time. 

Finding housing was really the most difficult part for us.  People had told us that it’s virtually impossible to find an apartment in Amsterdam, especially for less than a year.  Once we discovered Craig’s List Amsterdam if made things so much easier.  We ended up finding a great place on our second day in Amsterdam.  We paid 500 Euros a month/per person which was a little on the pricey side (most of our friends paid about 300) but we had a completely ideal location which, for us, was worth the money. Living in Amsterdam is not all the expensive (at least not compared to New York City) so really enough money for groceries and a bit of spending money is plenty,  There are lots of free fun things to do if you search for them.  Nina and I decided to do some travelling while we were there, spending one weekend in Paris and our fall break travelling through Italy.  Obviously for that we needed quite a bit of extra money but even then finding cheap flights and train tickets was not hard at all.   I would recommend going to Amsterdam at least a week before classes start in order to have time to find a place, learn the city a bit, and get settled in before school begins. 

I still talk about my time in Amsterdam as the best four months of my life.  With the technical training at Purchase and the creative approach of De Theaterschool I think this exchange program is a brilliant combination and I would recommend it to any artist looking to push their own boundaries!