"Studying Abroad? Go for it!”

She lives in the heart of Copenhagen. Maxime Kroot (28) completed her Master’s in Arts Education at ArtEZ in 2022 and decided to take the leap: studying abroad. She is currently enrolled in the Dance and Participation programme at The Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen, where she spends five days a week in the classroom. Her dream of studying abroad has been made possible in part by the VSBfonds Scholarship. “I want people to feel how wonderful it is to move, and to experience the connections we can create through it.”

During a workshop at a contact improvisation festival in Portugal, Maxime met a dance teacher. “I asked her where she had trained, because she taught in such a beautiful way. That was the first time I heard about The Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen.” She didn’t waste any time and immediately decided to take further steps. Maxime: “I applied for the auditions, travelled to Copenhagen, and tried to imagine what it would be like to live there. When I heard I had been accepted, I was so excited. Studying abroad had always appealed to me, and it felt like a natural continuation of my education at ArtEZ, where I had already been working extensively with contact improvisation.”

What is the power of dance?

As part of her studies, Maxime explores how to shift the audience’s perspective on a performance. Maxime: “Instead of sitting statically in a chair, I find it fascinating to explore how you can engage the visitor’s head and body, so that they continue to follow the performer. Perhaps through audio, or by placing someone among the performers. In other words: how do you give visitors a more active role, so that they are not only audience members but also participants?”

Once your whole body is engaged, you no longer experience a performance only with your mind, Maxime argues. “Perhaps the experience stays with you physically, because it reaches your core.”

Looking at the research she now conducts at the National School of Performing Arts, Maxime recognises much of what she learned at ArtEZ. “The Master’s in Arts Education provided a very solid foundation,” she explains. “From source research to answering questions such as why you do something and for whom – those are still in my head.”

In the first year of her studies she was given a lot of freedom to find her own path: discovering things, getting to know herself better, and creating from that. “I also saw doing a Master’s as a gift to myself,” says Maxime. “It feels like a luxury. You grant yourself the time and space to try out new things.”

At the moment, she works a lot with non-professional dancers. That began at ArtEZ, where Maxime brought together older and younger dancers in a dance encounter. “At such a moment it’s not about technique or about my craft as a dancer, but more about: who are you and what is your background? And: what is the power of dance and what does it do to someone?”

Starting in good time

And how does it feel to be back at school five days a week? “It takes some getting used to,” Maxime laughs. “During my Master’s at ArtEZ I only had one day of classes a week.” The Danish approach to teaching is also new to her. Maxime: “Of course you are guided by teachers, but you are also expected to rely on yourself. There’s no grading system – attending a course is enough to complete it successfully.”

That can sometimes feel a little uncertain, Maxime admits. “But it also gives you responsibility and the trust that it’s okay to follow your own path.”

She wasn’t afraid of moving to Denmark. “Of course there was some tension – you do wonder: what am I doing? But that’s normal. You know you’re embarking on a new adventure and leaving everything in the Netherlands behind for a while.”

Does she have any advice for students who, like her, want to study abroad? “Definitely,” says Maxime. “Start arranging things early. I applied for several scholarships, including the VSBfonds Scholarship, to be able to study in Denmark. Although the process isn’t difficult, it does take a while before you receive a response and everything is approved. But it’s absolutely worth it.”

Maxime will continue to live and study in Copenhagen for the next two years. What about her future after that? “That’s a difficult question,” she admits. “I don’t see myself tied to one place, but I do want to focus more on dance and participation. To let people feel how wonderful it is to move, and what connections we can make through it. Working with a wide variety of professional and non-professional dancers is incredibly inspiring.”

About the Master’s in Arts Education

The ArtEZ Master’s in Arts Education offers developers an inspiring place to grow, within an interdisciplinary community of students, (guest) lecturers, tutors and partners who are continuously in dialogue with one another. You will conduct field research while also taking part in seminars on cultural studies, critical pedagogy, arts-based research and (educational) philosophy. Once graduated, you will be even more empowered as a researcher. You will have the inspiration, knowledge and tools to deepen your professional practice and to shape your role as an artist educator.