Seychelles Dancer Studying In Australia

Seychelles dancer Emma Mothee has been awarded a Seychelles Government Scholarship to pursue her study of dancing in Australia. Emma is now at the Victorian College of the Arts undertaking a Bachelor of Dance degree. Following are some reflections from Emma after a month in the course.

International Student Profile, 2006

Emma Houareau Mothee, 23, Seychelles
Bachelor of Dance, VCA
Seychelles Government Scholarship Recipient.

Dancing began as a hobby for me. I just enjoyed the feeling of dancing and had fun doing it. It was not until I had the opportunity to participate in a one-year professional training programme in Toronto, Canada that I began to consider dancing as more than just a hobby. Once I found out about potential career prospects for a trained dancer, I decided I wanted to experience every aspect of dancing including the learning process.

I am the first ever recipient of a dance performance scholarship from the government of Seychelles. My scholarship covers tuition fees, airfares and a monthly stipend for other expenses like health cover and accommodation.
If not for the scholarship, I would not be able to pursue a formal education in dance as dance degrees are not offered in the Seychelles. In fact, I had to put in a lot of effort into getting my scholarship as dancing is considered a vocational course in the Seychelles and the government does not usually award scholarships in this field.

The Seychelles is a small country where the development of dance is still in its infancy and the scope for learning new perspectives is very limited. However, there is a promising environment for dance in the Seychelles. The people of Seychelles love to dance whether on the street or at the beach.

While most dancing groups focus on traditional and folk dancing, alternative dance forms have come into the limelight in recent times especially through youth culture. The dancing population and audience in the Seychelles are also continually expecting greater quality and diversity in the dance arena.

I am thoroughly enjoying my course at the VCA School of Dance. I love the staff, the teachers, my fellow students and the whole artistic environment.
I find the classes to be very good and although I have only been here a month, I am already seeing improvements in my technique. While I have been dancing for the past 15 years, I feel that I still lack knowledge of some basics and fundamentals in dance. However, the teachers here have been incredibly understanding, supportive and encouraging. They are truly committed to helping students achieve their goals, and having someone believing in you makes all the difference.

From what I have seen so far, I also think that Melbourne is a city with a high appreciation for the arts. I was impressed by the arts related activities held in conjunction with the recent 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. The people here are interested in the arts and are willing to help artists. I hope that my government will take this as an example and continue to help young dancers and artists in general.

When I return to the Seychelles, I plan to pass on what I have learnt during my time at the VCA to other youth who do not have the chance to pursue a formal dance degree overseas.

My advice to aspiring dancers is to never give up. Dancing is a commitment and it requires that you give the best of your ability everyday.

If you want to achieve something in life, you have to do whatever it takes to get there. You have to fight to achieve what you want.

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