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Virginia Tech Student Experiences

Visiting artist Lakecia Benjamin, a jazz saxophonist, works with a Virginia Tech student during a master class hosted by the Center for the Arts.

We are committed to providing access to world-class arts experiences to all Virginia Tech students, enriching the campus experience for the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and creators, regardless of academic discipline. Experiences are provided at no cost, and students can also take advantage of free rush tickets for performances.

  • 914 Virginia Tech students received free rush tickets
  • 84 class visits by artists (35% increase)
  • 3,849 Virginia Tech students participated in engagement activities
  • 3,857 Virginia Tech student attendees at Center for the Arts performances

 

 

A Taste of Our 2024-2025 Season Engagements

Free Movement Workshops

Sophomore computer science major Sania Jain participates in a free African dance and drumming workshop with members of Cirque Kalabante
When the schedule’s packed and stress is running high, students look for ways to recharge. Sophomore computer science major Sania Jain's outlet is dancing. While it took some searching, she’s discovered the perfect place to move, breathe, and reset, as well as a powerful source of joy, balance, and community — all through dance in the Center for the Arts' free student workshops. By the end of the academic year, she had attended every dance-related workshop the center offered. Photo by Lev Birman

Dance for All

Members of U.K.-based inclusive dance company Candoco engages with Virginia Tech students in an Introduction to Dance class
Candoco Dance Company — a groundbreaking U.K.-based inclusive dance company renowned for integrating disabled and non-disabled dancers in its work — engaged with Virginia Tech students, faculty, and community members, visiting an Introduction to Dance class and leading an accessible dance workshop open to all. The company also visited Virginia Tech’s Embodied Brain Lab, where a Candoco dancer was outfitted with a helmet that measured her brain activity during movement. Photo by Lev Birman

"Working with the center to bring artists to the classroom has been an immensely wonderful gift for both me and the students! In the past school years, we have had such a wealth of experiential knowledge and insight about what it means to be a working artist across multiple disciplines. These craft talks and discussions have only deepened student engagement with their own creative processes over the semester. I'm truly indebted to the center for these priceless connections."

— Sophia Terazawa, visiting assistant professor, Department of English

Learning Laser and Lighting Design

Virginia Tech students in a School of Performing Arts Intermediate Lighting Technology class attended the Lightwire Theater school-day performance and discussed laser and lighting design with the artists afterwards.
Virginia Tech students in a School of Performing Arts Intermediate Lighting Technology class attended the Lightwire Theater school-day performance and discussed laser and lighting design with the artists afterwards. Photo by Lev Birman

Music Meets History

Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte examines the interplay between visual art, architecture, and music in Venice during the Baroque period with School of Visual Arts students in Lauren DiSalvo’s Survey of History of Western Art class.
Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte examines the interplay between visual art, architecture, and music in Venice during the Baroque period with School of Visual Arts students in Lauren DiSalvo’s Survey of History of Western Art class.

"Courses in political science are usually characterized by debates between different theoretical perspectives, juxtaposition of multiple political positions, review of historical events, and reports of current affairs. The enlightening impacts that Jaha Koo's visit and sharing have brought to my class are beyond my expectation ... Through the power of art, it has opened a new channel for the students to delve into East Asia's political changes."

— Chengqiu Wu, research assistant professor, Department of Political Science

Special Tours with the Curator

In conjunction with the fall 2024 exhibition "Never Spoken Again" — a traveling exhibition organized by the Independent Curators International — curator David Ayala-Alfonso was in residence for two weeks as a Creativity and Innovation District (CID) fellow, engaging in special tours and class visits with Virginia Tech students and residents of the CID.
In conjunction with the fall exhibition "Never Spoken Again," curator David Ayala-Alfonso was in residence for two weeks as a Creativity and Innovation District fellow, engaging in special tours and class visits with Virginia Tech students and CID residents. Photo by Pippi Miller

Live Interviews with Artists

Living-learning communities Studio 72 and Rhizome hosted a live interview and Q&A with charistmatic jazz saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, which focused on her artistic journey and personal resilience.
Living-learning communities Studio 72 and Rhizome hosted a live interview and Q&A session with charistmatic jazz saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, which focused on her artistic journey and personal resilience. Photo by Lev Birman

"The opportunity to hear firsthand from three experienced and reflective comedians about their own work and careers was an exceptional addition to the class. Though not a requirement of the course, quite a few students wrote about the visit, their experiences at the performance, and the ways the comedians encouraged them to reflect on their own assumptions about comedy, community, and the arts in the U.S."

— Sean Sidky, visiting assistant professor, Department of Religion and Culture

Industrial Systems Engineering students received access to center performances thanks to an individual donor who provides annual funding for student tickets. Said one third-year student, "I am deeply grateful I got to experience [this performance] and see how worldviews from different cultures, albeit different, could also resonate similarly."