Hi! My name is Ava Woods, and I am a sophomore Dance Major on a Pre PT-Track at the College of Charleston. This May, I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in France, Belgium, and Germany for dance! I chose this program because of my passion for the art form, and of course my love for travel. I have been dancing since the age of three, and was ecstatic to find out about this trip back in January. This program was a perfect fit for my interests, and I knew the experience would be something I will carry with me for a lifetime. I was super excited to begin this journey, and already miss the incredible experiences I had throughout my time in Europe.

A few goals I had for myself while abroad were to make new friends, see several shows and performances, try new things, and to learn more about each country and their culture. Although I was obviously super excited for all the fun I would be having during these two weeks, I was very nervous about finding a group to spend my time with since I was not sure of who would be attending. I am very happy to say that I came out of this trip with many new friends, and so many memories created with them that I can. now look back on for years to come.

Prior to visiting these countries, I had previous knowledge of prominent dance styles, venues, and theaters in the area, however there was so much unknown. I began this process by researching things to do during my trip, such as important historical areas to visit, as well as weather, food, and other fun things to do for entertainment! I had an amazing time visiting these countries and am happy to say every single one of my goals were met, and exceeded. I cannot wait to do another study abroad in the future to enrich myself even further with each new place I visit!

As a Dance Major, traveling abroad to Europe, especially for dance, is a dream come true. Throughout my two-week journey, I will had the opportunity to visit some amazing venues, theaters, museums, and performances all related to my passion. In these blogs, I will be writing about my experiences as I go along my trip, including pictures of many of the different places we visit.