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Beyond the Arch

A group of dancers all post in an arabesque position during a dance class at STEPS on Broadway in New York City.

From Broad Street to Broadway

New Domestic Field Study program sends dance students to New York  

This past summer, a troupe of 11 University of Georgia dance students traveled from Broad Street to Broadway to immerse themselves in the mecca of professional dance, New York City.  Participants met with professionals and gained audition experience while touring the Big Apple.

A group of dance students all dressed in black leotards and tights stand in a group for a photo with two dance instructors at Broadway Dance Center in NYC.

The trip was the first Domestic Field Study program led by UGA’s Department of Dance. UGA’s Domestic Field Study programs allow students to “Study Away in the USA” with site-specific, experiential learning opportunities across the United States. 

Lisa Fusillo, UGA Foundation Professor of the Arts in the Department of Dance, was one of 11 faculty members who participated in the inaugural Domestic Field Study Fellows program, an opportunity for selected faculty to develop and launch a new course-based study away program within the United States. Fusillo created the course with the goal of having her students explore the rich history of dance in New York City, from lower to upper Manhattan. 

Dance instructor Lisa Fusillo poses in front of two ballet dancers who are blurred in the background. Fusillo, who is smiling, has long dark hair pulled back and wears a magenta blouse and string of pearls.

“New York is well known around the world as one of the greatest cities for dance and is almost like a magnet attracting dancers from all over to come to NYC to train and start a career. With the tremendous number of dance companies, both large and small, there a lot of opportunities”

Lisa Fusillo

Over three weeks, students explored world-renowned dance centers, such as STEPS on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, and Gibney Dance Center, and joined in more than 15 dance classes taught by professional instructors. Each student could choose the level of difficulty and dance technique for each class. 

“This was really an experience of a lifetime,” said Amelia Cassidy, a second-year student majoring in marketing and sports management and minoring in dance. “There’s nothing like this out there right now. We got to take classes with working professional dancers in New York, several of which we all grew up watching.” 

In a dance studio with a mirrored wall and barres pushed against the sides of the room, a dance instructor who is sitting cross legged on the floor, talks to a group of dance students who are also on the floor. The students are gathered in a half circle and listening intently.
Students learn from a professional dance instructor at Steps on Broadway during their Domestic Field Study program in NYC.

These classes connected students with some of the country’s most famous dancers, including Debbie Roche, who has been in Broadway productions and the film adaptation of “A Chorus Line,” and Heather Hawk, a STEPS on Broadway dance teacher who performed with the Pennsylvania Ballet and appeared in Balanchine’s “Nutcracker.” 

“I think that the students got a very good idea of what it takes to pursue a professional career in dance and how to network,” said Fusillo. 

Five young women, all wearing black pants and white sweatshirts that read UGA Department of Dance, post in front of a white wall with "Broadway Dance Center New York City" written in red.
UGA students at the Broadway Dance Center, where they had the opportunity to take professional dance classes.

On top of learning from the best, participants gained more insight into the dance industry and talked to other dancers living and working in New York. Students learned what it’s like to be a professional dancer and even gained audition experience through a mock audition. 

Outside of the dance classes, the troupe of students explored historic sites including the Apollo Theater in Harlem and Radio City Music Hall, and attended a New York City Ballet performance at Lincoln Center where they got the opportunity to explore and stand on the stage. 

The trip wasn’t all about dance all the time. Students also enjoyed three Broadway shows, a historical tour of Broadway theaters, a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a walk on the High Line, and a New York Harbor Cruise around Ellis Island. They learned that many dance styles originated from European immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island as well as from the Great Migration to Harlem, where jazz music and dance became popular. Students appreciated learning about the evolution of dance forms such as tap, jazz, hip-hop and musical theater. 

Four young women, all with long hair and big smiles, pose together in a selfie on the Brooklyn Bridge.
UGA dance students Charlotte, Bethany, Amelia, and Amelia Cassidy take a selfie on the Brooklyn Bridge.
A young woman dressed all in black holds one leg straight up in the air on a city street. One hand holds the instep of the lifted foot, and the other is stretched out behind her. The skyscrapers and video screens of Times Square in NYC are in the background.
Lillian Morris strikes a pose in Times Square.
A young woman wearing a short, black ballet skirt and a red leotard leaps into the air in an arabesque, hands raised, on a bridge in Central Park. Big green trees and the skyscrapers of NYC are in the background. A few other pedestrians are also on the bridge.
Amelia Firebird takes a leap in Central Park.

“It was just incredible to get a taste of life in the city,” Lily Morris, a second-year theatre and dance major, said. “And now, I’m just so excited for my future. The end goal for me is to be on Broadway, and going to New York was the best possible thing I could have ever done with my life.” 

Story by Isabelle Wilkins
Belle is a third-year Public Relations major at the University of Georgia
with minors in General Business and Communication Studies.