University of Surrey Placement Experience

This time last year we welcomed University of Surrey placement student Adina Dumitrascu to the Tavaziva office. Adina worked with Tavaziva for 8 months as Administrative and Studio Assistant, supporting our touring, production, marketing, administration and educational programmes. Adina tells us about her experience and what she’s learnt from her time with the company in a recent interview.

Tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Adina Dumitrascu and I am going into my final year of BA Dance at University of Surrey. Originally from Romania, I am a Ballroom and Latin dancer, I chose to come and study Contemporary in the UK to enrich my knowledge of dance and this industry. I am interested in performing and arts production, and enjoy choreographing and experimenting with different art forms.

What were you expecting from the Tavaziva placement experience?
I chose Tavaziva as my placement host because I was drawn to the rich and unique culture the company has built through their productions since its beginning. I expected my experience to be the same: to be able to get involved with a lot of projects and to taste the creativeness and art of the company, and especially that of Bawren Tavaziva.

What was your favourite experience during your placement?
My favourite times were always when I was able to be in the studio, and take part or simply observe Bawren’s ingenuity. It was always refreshing and overwhelming at the same time to see him move and choreograph. I also enjoyed it very much when I had the opportunity to join the Production Team for some R&D days early in the creative process for the upcoming work BOY’S KHAYA. It was amazing to see lighting, visual effects and choreography coming together on stage.

What did you find challenging?
Most of the times students don’t really know what to expect from a professional working environment and I was definitely one of them. The first few weeks I slightly felt like a fish out of water. There are lots of things going on behind the scenes in a touring company that I didn’t know of, and sometimes it was difficult to cope with the amount of work and keep a calm mind at the same time.

What have you learnt about yourself through the experience?
Sometimes I am letting myself be swept away by the work I am involved with and easily forget to actually enjoy what I am doing. I have learnt that it is important to find pleasure within your work and approach anything with a positive attitude.

What does the future hold for you?
At the moment I am co-producing Mesa, a week-long interactive, multi-arts festival that will go live from 19th-25th of October. This is as part of my journey with the Fi.ELD 2020 programme at East London Dance. The course nurtures future innovators of dance, equipping them with the skills, experience and networks to take their career ambitions from ideas to reality. I also have been selected to be one of the Artistic Directors for my university student-run dance company Actual Size this upcoming year. I am looking forward to sharing my creative vision through choreographing and putting into practice all I have learnt during my placement.

For any questions about our placements, apprenticeships and work experience opportunities email getintouch@tavazivadance.com