Students, autumn semester 2015

  • Sophie Annen

    I am 18 years old, and come from Caslano, Ticino. I had my first ballet lessons when I was 14, from Alessandra Ashkenazy. Over the last two years, I also took lessons in contemporary dance with Manuela Bernasconi. I completed my upper secondary education at Liceo Cantonale in Lugano. My dream has always been to become a dancer. I am delighted to be able to take the contemporary dance degree programme at the ZHdK. I see this as an opportunity to learn a range of new dance styles, and I hope this will enable me to find my path as a dancer. Whatever the future holds, one thing is for sure: I want to be dancing!

  • Jay Ariës

    I am 17 years old, and I come from Holland. Why do I want to dance? Simply because I love it! It makes me happy, and now I can't imagine living without dancing. That’s why I want to get as much as I can out of the degree programme in contemporary dance. My dream is to be taken on by a contemporary dance company.

  • Sophie Bertschy

    If life is a path, my preference would be to dance my way along it! I took my first ballet and contemporary dance lesson in Valais canton, at Martigny Conservatorium. I completed my secondary education at St Michel in Fribourg, and decided to take the one-year intensive course at the AKKAR school of dance in Berne. This gave me the certainty that this is the path that I have to walk (or dance), which will enable me to flourish and express myself, and which can become the focus of all my energy. I am delighted that this path has brought me to the ZHdK in Zurich.  

  • Emmy Blein

    I am 18 years old, from Geneva. I graduated with an Arts Baccalaureate, with a CFC in Contemporary Dance at the University of the Arts (Fachhochschule der Künste). Studying in the Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Dance degree programme will give me the opportunity to further develop and improve my technique, and challenge me to achieve in academic subjects as well. I hope that this will enable me to improve as a performer. I am looking forward to all the different workshops, with all these exciting lecturers and choreographers.

  • Giorgia D’Amico

    I am 19 years old, and come from Italy. I started dancing in my home town of Catania, with lessons in ballet, contemporary dance and modern dance at the local school. My dream is – what else? – to become a professional dancer. I am certain that completing the Bachelor in Contemporary Dance degree programme at the ZHdK will equip me to achieve this goal.

  • Alice D’Angelo

    I am 19 years old, from Rome. I had my first ballet lessons at just four years of age. A few years later, I attended the dance academy in Siena, and then in Florence. I am really looking forward to the next few years of attending the Bachelor in Contemporary Dance degree programme, and hope to become a "real" dancer.

    Alice D’Angelo

  • Gina Andrea Maag

    I am 18 years old, and come from Switzerland. Dance gives me balance, and makes me “strong”. I am looking to explore my physical limits, improve my technique, and one day make my mark as a dancer. After these three years, I hope to be ready for life as a dancer.

  • Selene Martello

    I am 19 years old, and come from a small town near Turin. Ever since I was four years old, I have been taking dance lessons in a ballet school in my home town. I am delighted to have passed the addition for admission to the Bachelor in Contemporary Dance programme, and am really looking forward to the next three years. The opportunity to learn so many different styles of contemporary dance was the real drawcard for me.

  • Viktorija Semakaité

    I am 19 years, old, and I come from Vilnius, Lithuania. I graduated from the M.K. Curlionis School of the Arts, in the Contemporary and Modern Dance section. I am delighted to be able to further develop my knowledge, technique and understanding of dance at the ZHdK.

  • Antonio Spatuzzi

    I am 19 years old. I come from Naples in Italy, where I learned ballet and contemporary dance at a private dance school. This gave me the skills I needed to apply for a position in the Bachelor in Contemporary Dance programme at the ZHdK. I am sure that this degree programme will give me an excellent foundation for getting a start in the world of professional dance. I’m not scared of competition, and am confident I will find a place.

  • Dario Theiler

    I was born and raised in Chur, and started ballet lessons at six years of age. Then came lessons in hip-hop, jazz dance and contemporary dance. I completed my school education at the upper secondary school in Schiers. Dance was always my passion, I can express myself better with dance than with words. I want to become a professional dancer, and perform on the stage for as long as I can. I am interested in other arts disciplines in general, and have a real curiosity about all forms of dance and physical movement. I am really looking forward to the next three years in the Bachelor in Contemporary Dance degree programme.

Photos by Caroline Minjolle