Communicating with a language barrier can be hard, but when these students traveled to Italy, they found a common ground that transcends spoken word: the art of dance. “Whether the teacher could speak English or not, through dance, we were able to communicate and share the love of dance with each other,” Utah Tech University dance Adviser Jenny Mair said.

Mair set up the program in 2019 after enjoying similar benefits when she was a graduate dance student. She said the experience has been a gateway for dance students to engage in advanced techniques from Florence, Italy. Liliana Candotti, Mair’s counterpart in Italy, selected 16 women from audition tapes filmed at the dance building at Utah Tech University every fall.