Rozina Szabó spent eventful and enriching days in Poland at the Opera Poznan company. The graduating classical ballet student of the Hungarian Dance University had the opportunity to gather some practical experience with the support of the Pannonia Scholarship Program, staying in the Polish city of Poznan om October to December 2024.
Photo by Adrienne Horváth
“In the first period, I really went to the theatre to ‘practice,’ and they also scheduled separate rehearsals for me. Additionally, there were days when the company was preparing for a performance, so I could watch the rehearsals both in the studio and on stage”, said Rozina Szabó. “However, in the last period, I was able to attend the rehearsals of the Snow Queen performance both in the morning and in the afternoon.”
Photo by Tamás Schild
Rozina admitted that she felt freer in Poznań, but this wasn’t necessarily good or bad; it was more of a different lifestyle compared to what she was used to at the Hungarian Dance University.
“I was completely on my own. I didn’t get as much feedback during a ballet class as I did at the University, so there was much more responsibility on me. We also followed a daily schedule here: warming-up exercises from 10 am, then rehearsals from 2 pm and again from 6 pm to 9 pm. Sometimes this freedom was really good because I could work in a personalized way and do what felt best for my body. However, there were days when I felt the workload was too light, and then I had to go in during the day to strengthen and practice.”
The freer company life could even be part of the training at the University, and in many cases, it actually is, because students participate in numerous performances at the institution. However, the practical opportunity for the graduating classical ballet student went beyond this.
“I was in such a fortunate position that I could spend two months with a foreign company during my studies, which is very special. I was treated as a full member, not just by the masters, but also by the dancers. I danced in two roles in ten performances, so I feel that with this opportunity added to my university years, I now have the right foundation to begin real company work.”
In Poznan, Agnieszka Wolna-Bartosik, Evgeniia Meissner, and Arkadiusz Gumny held the classes for Rozina, and she had the opportunity to work with guest masters as well. For example, Stéphane Dalle led the warm-up sessions for two weeks. The stage rehearsals took place under the direction of the director, Robert Bondara.
“It was a huge opportunity. For eight and a half years, I have been attending the same building every day, dancing and learning with the same people. However, now I had the chance to break away, get a glimpse into the daily life of a high-level company, meet new people, learn from new artists, and, not least, build connections, which is very important for finding a job. These two months showed me what awaits me in the future – a very exciting, adventure-filled new field. But for now, my job is to enjoy the upcoming months. I really enjoy attending the university. I owe a lot to the school and to the masters who worked with us here. It was at the Hungarian Dance University where I met the people I love, and some of them have been my friends for over 8 years. This is the fourth year we’ve been learning from master Katalin Volf, and it’s hard to imagine that next year it won’t be like this. I am grateful to her, both personally and professionally. I believe I can say this on behalf of the entire class: the master is the best thing that has happened to us during our school years. However, this practice has helped a lot in our progress because I think it will be easier to adapt when, after finishing the university, I move into a new environment.”
