“Throughout all aspects of the program, I gained lots of valuable insight and experience towards my goals of moving to Europe to pursue further education and career opportunities as an artist after I graduate from Columbia.”
Hello! My name is Lily Selthofner, majoring in Dance and Anthropology at Columbia. I was incredibly fortunate to study abroad on the Columbia Summer in Venice in Summer 2023. When I arrived in Venice, the program exceeded my expectations in every way possible. I took two courses — ‘Venice in Modernity: Venice in Film’ with Professor Elizabeth Leake and ‘Introduction to the Conservation of Venice’s Built Heritage’ with Professor Mieke Van Molle. Both classes were incredibly fulfilling and immersive — with lessons taught both in the newly renovated Casa Muraro and throughout Venice’s streets. As my final project for Professor Leake’s course, I created a film titled Venezia Scalzo, using Italian poetry I wrote throughout the program and collaborations with Cinematographer Anna Kasun (CC ‘24) and Composer/Pianist Rory Bricca (Yale ‘26), who was also part of the cohort.
Students performing during the live dance performance work called Acqua Alta. Photo Credit to Shannon Binns (CC ‘23).
Some of the most treasured moments during the program were the weekly group dinners with all of the faculty and students, as well as the many days and nights I spent at the beach on the Lido, one of Venice’s islands. When I returned back to my home in rural Wisconsin after the program, I wrote a collection of short stories titled Lido, about my time there. I was also very lucky that the Biennale Danza 2023 was occurring during the time of the program, with the dance studios and theaters only a 10-minute walk from my living accommodations. I was able to take three workshops with Oona Doherty, Acosta Danza, and Wayne McGregor, as well as see many performances. I got to talk to industry professionals and befriend dancers from around Europe who travelled for these workshops.
Throughout all aspects of the program, I gained lots of valuable insight and experience towards my goals of moving to Europe to pursue further education and career opportunities as an artist after I graduate from Columbia. Venice’s waters, art, and dance also inspired the topic of my written thesis for my dance major, which I completed this Fall, titled Water the Dancer — which delves into how we can understand and relate to water as a sentient being through its movement.
During the Fall semester in NYC, I also decided to create a live dance performance work called Acqua Alta as a part of my Student Artist in Residency at the Movement Lab at Barnard College. I incorporated the other works, Venezia Scalzo, via projection, and Lido, via live opera and narration. The piece also included ballet and contemporary dance, and live cello, with a cast of nine student performers and another piano composition by Rory Bricca. On campus, I was also enrolled in Art Humanities with Professor Sophia D’Addio, who has taught on the Venice program in the past. Her course was incredibly inspiring to me as I created Acqua Alta, especially as I researched works by Venetian artists throughout history to reference in the piece.
Students performing during the live dance performance work called Acqua Alta. Photo Credit to Shannon Binns (CC ‘23).
All this to say, I highly recommend attending the Summer in Venice program if you get the chance! The educational experience, the program’s sense of community, and the city of Venice itself were all deeply enriching, inspiring, and informative! I am beyond grateful for this experience and how profoundly it has catalyzed my artistic and academic pursuits.
