On April 4th, dance department teachers Zdeněk Hejzlar and Yuliia Tkachenko traveled to the Italian town of Parabita for a job-shadowing visit as part of the Erasmus+ program. The week flew by in a heartbeat in the “heel of Italy,” at the I.I.S.S. “Enrico Giannelli” school. We attended lessons in classical ballet, dance laboratories, and contemporary dance. We also explored Italian folklore and taught our Italian colleagues the basic steps of Czech folk dance.
We visited other departments at the school as well, such as visual arts, music, fashion design, and multimedia and film production. It was fascinating to compare the Italian education system, especially its private dance schools, with our own, and to observe a slightly different approach in state educational policy. Our vocabulary was enriched with melodic Italian words, our creativity was inspired by Italian music, and new choreographic ideas emerged.
Each day was filled with beautiful emotions, new insights, unforgettable experiences, and budding friendships. The week passed in the blink of an eye, thanks to the company of kind people, the sea breeze, the sunny coast, and boundless creativity. This inspirational experience will remain in our hearts forever. The international exchange of culture, experience, and creativity has sparked new ideas that our students will surely present at various school events and performances.
With warm and creative regards,
Yuliia Tkachenko & Zdeněk Hejzlar
