But, I'm not an intern at all!

My days in Sydney measure 89:17 done:left. How this ratio became so out-of-control unbalanced is beyond me, and I can't seem to pinpoint exactly what has happened to the last 3 months. That's the trouble with college; it goes by too fast for anyone to keep up.

Looking back over my previous posts and thinking about my travels and experiences, I realize I've left out a huge portion of my Australian life, my internship. I work at the Sydney Dance Company doing publishing, marketing, and anything else that comes my way, and I've failed to tell pretty much everyone a single thing about it. Oops. It's not because I don't enjoy reliving it, but rather because it has been such a huge part of my journey here that I assume people automatically know about it. Clearly, that's not the case, so I am here to rectify my error!

Sydney Dance Company is a contemporary dance company founded in Sydney in 1969 by Suzanne Musitz, a former dancer with the Australian Ballet. Following Musitz, Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon took over the company and ran it until 2007. After the duo's departure from the company, it was decided SDC needed to revamp its image and mission, so visionary choreographer Rafael Bonachela was named the new Artistic Director in 2009. Since Bonachela's appointment, the company has grown and changed drastically, but maintained its respected name and reputation. In January 2010, Anne Dunn took the position of Executive Director of SDC, and together Bonachela and Dunn are working to further advance SDC's functionality and innovative vision. Their primary goal is to remain artistically innovative and appealing while increasing accessibility to the public.

In a small office on the Harbour, Sydney Dance Company's dedicated team works long hours in Australia's stifling heat. The office overlooks one of the company's three studios and sits on top of the Sydney Dance Cafe; reverberating with the teachers' music around the clock. Students, company members, and employees dart in and out of the office throughout the day, always smiling and usually sweaty. It reminds me a lot of NEAD (my studio in New Canaan) on a considerably larger scale.

One thing I have to say about internships in Australia is that they're not really internships. I feel like my colleagues have high expectations of me and delegate me to complete much more substantial tasks than an intern in the States might encounter. It's a great feeling knowing comments I make or ideas I have are taken seriously by everyone in the office.

I work mainly in publishing and marketing, but occasionally I'll hop around the office and help others with student workshops or ticket sales. I was privileged to see this season's show, New Creations, three times, and each time I loved it more than the last! I have also been to various photo shoots/interviews, watched the filming So You Think You Can Dance (Australia) live with Rafael Bonachela, and I've met some amazing and well-known dancers. This week, I am interviewing each of the company members and then putting together short videos of each to post on the website. I will paste the link here when I complete the project.

All in all, working at Sydney Dance Company has been a fantastic experience. I've learned so much and become friends with such amazing, talented people. I've learned through this internship that despite my rotten hips and knees, I can be a part of the dance world for as long as I want to.

I've got eight days of work left at SDC, which will no doubt be busy and rich in opportunity, and then a few days before final exams to pack up my things and get ready to move on from Sydney. I will post stories as they come up for the remainder of my trip. Lots of love to family and friends in the US, and to friends wrapping up their time in Australia with me!