My Time in London
April 30, 2024
Abigail Conrad
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Hello, I am Abigail Conrad, a senior in the Conservatory of Dance here at Purchase College. I studied abroad in the fall semester of my junior year in London where I had the opportunity to attend London Contemporary Dance School for the semester with 4 other dancers from Purchase. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I absolutely loved the variety of classes and the people I was able to meet there. I got to interact with other dancers from all over the world and share the space with them in class every day. Everyone was so welcoming and wanted to help you understand everything about their country and to further understand my own.
Being right in the heart of London was truly life changing for me. I would go exploring during any free time I had and got to see many beautiful areas. London became a home to me and is now my favorite city. I am so grateful that Purchase gave me the chance to go abroad and continue my dance training there. I got to be a part of design project performances, which were the 3rd year senior projects and collaborate with the most special artists. Each artist got to collaborate with a design major and to create the setting/props for their work. Additionally, I got to be a part of a street dance project, where the designer built a unique railing with poles for us to dance and stand on. I also was a part of a contemporary work, where our designer created a swirling “waterfall” with layering fabric. It was so neat and exciting to use the props to elevate the work and process. It was from one extreme to the other, and opened my eyes to so many new concepts. London Contemporary Dance School’s faculty were so sweet and did everything to make our experience the best it could be. We all got to participate in many workshops by incredible artists and do mock auditions with companies from all over. It gave me so much insight into how a dancer’s life in a company is and all that goes into it. Before going abroad, I did not know much about the dance scene in Europe. I had learned a lot about professional dance jobs in the United States, but it was very eye opening and encouraging to hear about new opportunities around the world.
I gained much independence going abroad and truly feel it forever changed me as a dancer and person. It opened my eyes to how much art there is all over the world, and how it connects us all. I think that everyone should experience either studying or living abroad at some point in their life. It is important to see the world from a new lens and to experience a new perspective on life; living in London was something I did not know I needed. I have always loved to travel and see new places, and spending three whole months in London while getting to fully immerse myself in the life there makes me want to go back every day. I know it can seem intimidating sometimes to go far away, but it is so worth it. It made coming back to Purchase even more special for the Spring semester. I got to bring new experiences and knowledge back to my training at Purchase. To this day, I still can feel the warmth, love, and light this time abroad brought me. If I was able to, I would relive it a million times over. I urge you to look into the programs Purchase offers and just go! It could be everything you need and open a part of your heart you did not know was there. I still talk to the beautiful people I met in London, and they have brought so much genuine joy to my life.
Abigail Conrad
2020 Cohort
