These next few weeks the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center will be a little more Russian as a group of exchange students immerse themselves in art classes at the University.

The School of Theatre and Dance is hosting a group of Russian students and faculty at the Creative Arts Center during Feb. 2-13, as part of a new exchange program with the Centre Internationale Lomonosov in Geneva, Switzerland.

The students from the Centre Internationale Lomonsov, which is closely associated with Moscow State University, will be attending WVU classes in acting, dance, movement, voice and puppetry while visiting the Creative Arts Center.

According to College of Creative Arts Dean Paul Kreider, the University already has a memorandum of understanding with the Centre Internationale Lomonosov, and the College of Creative Arts is now working on a partnership with the school that will take students and faculty from the WVU School of Theatre and Dance to Geneva to take part in similar residencies.

“The College of Creative Arts is so pleased to host several talented Russian actors from the Centre Internationale Lomonosov in Geneva, Switzerland,” Dean Kreider said. “The students of the CIL have received wonderful training in Stanislovski methods of acting training and our CCA students are looking forward to an educational exchange of ideas and concepts. We look forward to offering the Russian students work in voice for the stage training, jazz dance training, among others. This exchange is the first major step in establishing a partnership between the Centre and the College of Creative Arts.”

The Centre Internationale Lomonosov was established in 1997 as a Russian education, research and cultural center. It is located in the center of Geneva’s student quarter, next door to the University of Geneva.

It has 300 students from 10 countries and nearly 50 Russian municipalities, with 150 lecturers and 15 educational programs.

During their visit to the Creative Arts Center, the Russian group will be joining the School of Theatre and Dance Junior Bachelor of Fine Arts Acting Class, taught by Jessica Bishop, where they will take part in discussions of performance art, as well as participate in a joint composition movement piece.

They will also participate in Basic Clowning Techniques class with graduate acting students, which will focus on improv and comedic exploration. The class is taught by professor Lee Blair, who will also host the students in his Intermediate Acting Class, where they will study scenes from plays by Tennessee Williams.

Following this, they will attend a “Streetcar Named Desire” seminar, taught by Jay Malarcher, where they will take part in a discussion of Tennessee Williams’ classic play, as well as broader topics in American theater.

They will join a special discussion with the WVU Design/Tech faculty about the “American Model” of theater production and in the Senior Bachelor of Fine Arts Acting Voice Class they will study the Feldenkreis Method, a form of somatic education that uses gentle movement and directed attention to improve movement and enhance human functioning.

In a Scene Study class in the Studio Acting Program, they will view scenes from the works of Anton Chekhov presented by the Junior Bachelor of Fine Arts Acting Class.

Artist-in-Residence Jim Knipple will also lead a discussion of the play “Clybourne Park” when they visit his Contemporary Drama class.

One of the highlights of their residency will be a trip to Pittsburgh on Sunday, Feb. 8, to see a production of the musical “My Fair Lady” by Pittsburgh Public Theatre.

The students will also study puppetry with Joann Siegrist, who leads WVU’s Puppetry & Creative Dramatics Program — one of only four university puppetry programs in the country.

After viewing WVU’s annual dance concert, titled “Dance Now” on Feb. 5, the Russian students will take part in an Advanced Modern dance class as well as a Partnering Class with WVU Dance Director Yoav Kaddar later the week. They will also participate in an Introduction to Jazz Dance Class with dance professor General McArthur Hambrick.

The final event will be a Meisner Workshop with Theatre Professor Jerry McGonigle, director of the Graduate Acting Program. This is a morning and afternoon workshop on the acting techniques and method of Sanford Meisner.

-WVU-

cl/2/3/15

CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu

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