UMKC Conservatory dance faculty David Justin spent three weeks, summer, 2018, teaching at the National Choreographers Initiative residency in Irvine, California. The 3 week intensive culminated in a performance at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Justin notes, "I was also happy to be able to open this experience up to include one of our current BFA dancers, Erica Lohman. Erica spent the entire 3 weeks helping me as a rehearsal assistant and sounding board as the work developed. The trade off was that she was steeped in an environment of 16 professional dancers and three other choreographers from around the country. In addition to taking a leadership role in the studio, she learned from them, first hand accounts of how to survive and thrive in the highly competitive world of concert dance. The contacts and professional network Erica created at NCI will bring a lifetime of rewards."
What a great opportunity for our Conservatory dance student. Congratulations to you both!