East Meets West Thailand Dance Experience

Bangkok at night with the Grant Palace lit up.

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East Meets West Thailand Dance Experience

East Meets West creates opportunities for artistic collaboration while engaging in diverse educational experiences and building global citizens for the 21st century. Join this collaborative and artistic dance experience in Thailand.

Location

Bangkok, Hua Hin, Thailand

Term

Winter Break

Housing

Dormitory, Hotel

Program Highlights

Throughout this dance-focused program, you will collaborate with international partners in order to create new works of choreography while also attending performances in Bangkok and Hua Hin, Thailand. You will visit historical and cultural sites and be exposed to Thai culture, customs, language and the arts.

Please note students are required to audition for this program before applying.

Program Contact Information

Desiree Dube

Sr. Education Abroad Advisor

Email: ddube1@kent.edu

Office Phone: 330-672-7989

Important Dates & Billing

Program Dates: Dec. 26, 2024 - Jan. 10, 2025

Application Deadline: Aug. 2, 2024

Deposit Deadline: Aug. 2, 2024

This program requires a deposit to secure your space on the program.
The deposit amount is $350.
You can pay your deposit online here:
- Under "Categories" select "Student Travel Deposit: College of the Arts"
- Under "Items" select "East Meets West Thailand Dance Experience"
- From there, you can add the item to your cart and complete the payment.

Withdrawal Deadline: Sept. 1, 2024

Program Fee Deadline: The remainder of the program fee will be billed to your �鶹��Ƶ student account. The program fee deadline will be in accordance with the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center's Spring 2025 payment due dates. You should refer to the first Spring 2025 due date.

Application Process

You will need to complete a �鶹��Ƶ Education Abroad application. These quick steps will help walk you through the process.

1. Start an Education Abroad Application

When you click the "Apply Now" button (located towards the top and bottom of this page), you will be brought to the Education Abroad application system where you can view program costs and start an application. Be sure to submit your application before the deadline!

2. Guest Application (If applicable)

Are you a student at another university? To apply for a �鶹��Ƶ education abroad program, you will first need to apply for admission to �鶹��Ƶ as a “Guest Student”. Please apply as either an “Undergraduate Guest Student” or as a “Graduate Guest Student”, depending on your course level.

Once you have applied and been accepted as a �鶹��Ƶ student, you will receive an email with your FlashLine login credentials. Activate your account and then proceed to the next step, which is to apply to the Education Abroad program of your interest. You can return to this page and follow the “Apply Now” button to start that application.

You can also refer to the FAQs for Guest Students if you need further help.

3. Wait for Acceptance

Once you have submitted your study abroad program application, it will be reviewed by the faculty leader. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis. You should hear back from us within one month.

4. Commit to the Program

If you are accepted, you need to log back into your application by going to and clicking LOGIN. Once you see the name of your program, you need to click on it and commit (i.e., accept your offer of admission).

Academics

Course Information

Course Name and CRN: Thailand Dance Experience DAN 47095

Number of Credit Hours: 2

KSU Sponsoring College: College of the Arts

Program Language of Instruction: English

Course Description: Each student will be involved in a self-guided project related to the program and will also participate in group activities including: taking classes from both KSU and SSRU faculty and students, team teaching classes, creating new works of choreography, performing in concerts, and sharing their creative process at research symposiums and conferences. Individual projects may include: guided student teaching as an individual teacher or in collaboration with another KSU dancer; creation of a documentary film; design of Power Point presentation that documents the program; establishing and maintaining a program blog; collaborating with Kent and SSRU students in order to choreograph works using dancers from both Universities and countries; directing a fund raising campaign; acting as cultural liaison and ambassador representing �鶹��Ƶ; filling the role of social media correspondent; and creating various presentations for conferences that document research from the course/program.

Pre-Requisites: Introduction to Thai Culture (offered Fall 2024 as a 1 CR course taught by guest faculty Suwatana Rockland

Eligibility

Participation in the Thailand Dance Experience requires:

That you take the pre-requisite course of Introduction to Thai Culture (offered Fall 2024 as a 1 CR course taught by guest faculty Suwatana Rockland
An audition (at the Fall Faculty Dance Concert Audition) for dancers
Completion of the Student Application for the Thailand Dance Experience. You can receive this application by emailing Professor Jeffrey Rockland jrocklan@kent.edu.

Faculty Contact Information

Professor's Name: Jeffrey Marc Rockland

Title: Associate Professor of Dance

Email: jrocklan@kent.edu

Phone: 520-891-0763

Tentative Itinerary

This program is designed to take place over Winter Break

Below is a tentative itinerary; however, the exact sequence and sites are subject to changes in availability and cost.

Day 1:

Travel from Cleveland to Bangkok

Day 2:

Arrive in Bangkok
Arrive at SSRU Hotel
Trip to Emerald Buddha Palace
Tour SSRU
Welcome Dinner

Day 3:

Company class
Rehearsal
Afternoon off

Day 4:

Company class
Rehearsal
Afternoon off

Day 5:

Company class
Rehearsal
Afternoon off

Day 6:

Trip to Ayutthaya
Floating Market
Battle of Ayutthaya show
Talad Num Kwan Raim
Talad Dockmai (Thai flowers market)
Night market (Yaowarat)

Day 7:

Company class
Rehearsal
Rehearsal with Thai Students
Khosan Road or Night Market Radchada

Day 8:

Body Paints with Khru Peng
Warm up with KSU Student Teacher
Rehearse with Thai Students

Day 9:

Student Class with Student Demonstrator
Repertoire taught by Kent Student - solo
KSU and SSRU Dancers rehearse, finish collaborative piece
Rehearse with Thai Music Ensemble

Day 10:

Craft in the morning at SSRU
Rehearsal
Warm Up/Class
Preparing for the show
East Meets West Performance at SSRU

Day 11:

Go to Hua Hin
Day at Beach and Pool in Hua Hin
Evening Break the Ice Games with Hua Hin Students led by KSU Students

Day 12:

Jazz Dance Class with KSU Students
Thai Classical Dance Class with SSRU students
Rehearsals
Cicada Night Market

Day 13:

Pool ballet and stretch class
Nature or beach experience
Warm up class on stage
Concert
Nigh Market

Day 14:

Go to Bangkok
Free time in Bangkok

Day 15:

Check out of hotel
Return to Cleveland

Location & Transportation

Bangkok, Thailand

Known for its street life and cultural landmarks, the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, was just founded in 1972 when two surrounding provinces merged into one, and its current population is approximately 10.7 million people. The city is filled with stunning destinations, including The Grand Palace, the Train Night Market Ratchada, Sao Chingcha, multiple incredible shrines and temples, and a great variety of museums and parks.

Transportation

A group flight and transportation within Thailand is included in the program fee.

Airports

Suvarnabhumi Airport- BKK (Bangkok, Thailand)

Housing & Meals

Accommodations in Thailand are included in the program fee. Accommodations are in dorm-like hotel settings with shared rooms. Hotels are modest and dancers are expected to adapt their expectations accordingly.

Most meals in Thailand are included in the program fee. Meals are most often eaten as a group, but occasionally meals may be eaten in small groups and paid for individually by each student. “Street food” in Thailand can be quite delicious and inexpensive (less than $3 for lunch).

Do not drink tap water. Do drink plenty of bottled water. Do not get ice in your drinks unless otherwise advised.

Fruit that has a skin to peel is a better bet than that which needs to be washed.

Professor Rockland is very familiar with Thailand and will help you understand customs including those related to eating etiquette.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

It is possible to use your federal financial aid to go on �鶹��Ƶ-approved education abroad programs. You can learn more on the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center website.

It is also possible to use most �鶹��Ƶ scholarships for education abroad costs. You can find education abroad scholarships on ScholarshipUniverse.

If you have any questions about using your financial aid and scholarships for study abroad, you can contact the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center.

Health & Safety

Pre-Departure Orientation

Prior to your study abroad experience, you will participate in a mandatory pre-departure orientation hosted by the Office of Global Education. During this orientation, you will be provided with information including but not limited to:

international travel procedures;
in-country resources;
health and safety resources and information;
culture shock and resources to help prepare for living abroad.

All students are encouraged to register with the prior to departure.

You can also review a wide variety of resources we’ve pulled together for you on our “Before You Go” page.

Country Profile

You can learn more about your destination(s), including travel advisories, through the .

In addition, we encourage you to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel page for for traveling to your destination(s).

If vaccinations or medications are needed according to the CDC, you should make arrangements for appointments with your healthcare provider or the DeWeese Health Center as soon as possible. Appointment openings at the DeWeese Health Center are limited and vaccines may need to be ordered, which takes time. Please note that not all immunizations are available at the DeWeese Health Center.

Costs and Funding

Costs for the program will differ for every student. You can use our Cost Calculator to get an estimate of what you might expect for your program.

We also encourage you to meet with your Education Abroad Advisor and reach out to Financial Aid the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center to see how your aid may apply to an international program.

Your Journey is Just Beginning

Why Go Abroad

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