Study Abroad
Programs
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
‘Canals, Culture and Contemporary Dance in Amsterdam’
Program leader: Jessica Teague Teaguej19@ecu.edu
Partner Organization: Henny Jurriëns Studio (HJS) www.hjs.amsterdam
Spend your summer exploring Amsterdam, the stunning Dutch city built on a network of canals and waterways sometimes called “Venice of the North.” One of the most lively and beloved European capital cities, rich with history and culture, Amsterdam has been a magnet for artists of all kinds since the 13th century. Today the city is home to some of the most innovative dance companies, arts festivals and museums in the world. Amsterdam’s reputation as a hub for cutting edge creatives makes it an ideal place to spend the summer exploring Europe’s contemporary dance scene.
Program curriculum
Students will participate in classes and workshops daily at Henny Jurriëns Studio in central Amsterdam. Students will train with a diverse group of internat
ional instructors in the morning and participate in choreography workshops with cutting edge choreographers and leaders in the contemporary dance world in the afternoon. Each week students will perform their work for the public in Amsterdam showings. Staying in a nearby hotel within walking distance from the studio in double occupancy rooms, students will have access to bicycles and a public transport card to explore the city via the extensive tram network.
Free Time
In our free time, we will discover the historical and cultural aspects of Amsterdam with visits to the the Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum and a canal boat tour. Students will also be able to attend performances around the city, seeing cutting edge dance companies and independent dance artists during the Julidans Festival, and the Vondelpark Open Air Theater.
Additionally, we will travel by train to the cities of Den Haag (The Hague) and Delft. In Den Haag we will visit the world’s leading contemporary dance company, The Netherlands Dance Theatre, Maurits Huis museum and the Dutch parliament. In Delft, students will explore the 15th century architecture, and the canal lined neighborhoods once home to the famous painter Johannes Vermeer.
*Program leader, Jessica Teague, lived and worked as a professional dancer and arts journalist in Amsterdam and the Benelux for over 20 years.
Nairobi, Kenya
‘Nairobi Dance Exchange – Culture and Community in East Africa’
Program Leader: Jessica Teague Teaguej19@ecu.edu
Partner organizations Dance Center Kenya Nairobi, Kenya lavington@dancecentre.co.ke
Artists for Africa (A4A) Nairobi, Kenya info@artistsforafricausa.org
Spend your summer exploring dance and culture in East Africa’s most vibrant city, Nairobi! In the capitol of Kenya, surrounded by beautiful and iconic nature reserves, students will study traditional and contemporary African dance and participate in workshops and Master classes in Hip Hop, Afropop, African dance hall, Contemporary, and ballet dance.
Our daily class sessions will be held at the modern studio locations of our partner organization, Dance Center Kenya. Here, students will have the chance to work with a variety of African instructors while studying multiple dance forms and learning choreography. In the afternoon students will work with arts education projects at Nairobi public schools and community centers, teaching dance to youth and developing choreographic work with local students and artists. Through this community work, students will gain knowledge and new perspectives on their own artistic practice as well as developing skills and first-hand experience in intercultural collaboration and leadership.
In our free time, we will explore Kenyan culture, history and cuisine through group activities and excursions. We will have the chance to learn about and view the exquisite wildlife of East Africa during visits the Sheldrick Elephant orphanage, Giraffe Conservation center and Nairobi National Park in the capitol. On the weekend we will travel to the world famous Masai Mara or Amboseli nature preserves where students will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to view African wildlife on a two-night safari.
Please submit your application here:
https://piratesabroad.ecu.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=11095
The deadline to apply December 15th 🦒
Please note this trip is different from other study abroad programs in that it is all inclusive.
*Included in the price of the program:
Round trip flight from Raleigh to Nairobi, Kenya
6 ECU credits
Accommodation at Artists for Africa Boarding House
Most meals
All transport in Kenya
2 weeks of classes with East African instructors at Dance Center Kenya
2 night safari with guides in the Maasai Mara Serengeti National Park
Entrance fees to all activities including – Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Conservation center, Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
Trip Dates: May 11 – 23, 2026
Seoul, Korea
Program leader: John Carlson carlsonjo@ecu.edu
About
Seoul is truly a representative global city. It integrates traditional culture with contemporary life, making it an ideal place for students who are interested in studying abroad.
The ECU Study Abroad program includes participation in several exciting events/excursions such as: Making kimchi and other Korean dishes; Tour Daehakro theater district; view Nanta – a high energy cross between Italian Comedia Dell’arte, percussion, non-verbal comedy, and cooking; and journey to the Gugak Center to view traditional South Korean folk performances. We’ll also travel to the famed Myeongdong area of Seoul for some delicious street food, shop in Insadong, as well as immerse ourselves in the most enthusiastic and energetic sporting event around – South Korean professional baseball – you’ve never experienced an athletic event like it before.
So, if you like K-Pop, Kimchi, or Kitties (we’ll be going to a kitty café too), you’ll love what Seoul has to offer.
Croatia
Program leader: Trent Blanton blantont23@ecu.edu
Partner Organizations: University of Osijek, International Young Theatre Festival
The School of Theatre & Dance offers a unique study-abroad opportunity for our students in Croatia in conjunction with our partner institutions, the Josip Juraj Strossmeyer University of Osijek and the International Young Theatre Festival. Students can study and collaborate in performance, design & technology, arts management, arts therapies, and other subjects with expert faculty and students from major arts institutions in Croatia and the Balkans and across Europe. In addition, students will produce and perform in a show for the International Young Theatre Festival in idyllic Bale, Croatia. This 10-day excursion is embedded into your fall semester study. It allows you to have an international experience during your school year so that you may pursue professional opportunities (or participate in ANOTHER study abroad) during your summer break. This highly focused experience is open to all students, no matter your study area.
London
Program leader: Dr. Banks banksw@ecu.edu & Dr. Kitta kittaa@ecu.edu
Inquiries: Dr. Jen-Scott Mobley mobleyj15@ecu.edu
Dear Theater Majors,
Dr. Kitta and I are excited to share information with you about our annual London summer study abroad program, which will run July 3 – 26, 2026! We have led this program every summer for over a decade and have a lot of local knowledge and experiences that we believe help us offer students a great experience while abroad. We chose the theme “Monsters and Magic” for our London trip as a way of thinking about how the stories we tell — from the nursery stories of our childhoods to the novels and plays we enjoy as adults — often help us find balance amidst the uncertain, the frightening, and the disruptive by providing images and experiences that also foster hope, excitement, and comfort. Through an exploration of the supernatural in London, children’s books from the British literary tradition, and an assortment of classic and contemporary plays, we challenge ourselves to think deeply about the monsters in our lives and the (often literary) magic we use to keep them at bay.
We’d love to welcome theatre majors on the trip next summer, and one of the courses we’re offering, ENGL 3340: Contemporary Drama, might be a perfect fit for an elective in your program of study. Other course options include ENGL 2570: The Supernatural and ENGL 4951: British Children’s Literature. Courses in the program include Humanities (HU) credit and Writing Intensive (WI) credit, so if you’re looking to fill some of those slots in your gen-ed requirements, the London trip may be just the thing!
For this program, you enroll in 2 of the 3 undergraduate courses we offer, and then during the London trip, we meet as a group each morning, Monday – Friday, usually from 9 – noon, to discuss course readings or to debrief our many adventures from the day before. Several evenings will be taken up with group excursions to plays and musicals that connect with course themes, and we also schedule a few daytime excursions that students in the past have always really enjoyed. But students have just as much free time to explore the city and chart their own paths as they have time in program events – and students always have their weekends free to explore locally or to take trips to other parts of the UK or Europe. To learn more about the program, the courses we offer, and what it’s like to study abroad in London, visit our program website: http://ecu2london.net.
For 2026, the program costs $3,980, which covers the 6 credits of tuition and fees (2 courses), housing for 3 weeks in furnished apartments in central London, unlimited travel around central London on buses/subways, entrance to 4 plays/musicals, at least 2 additional program excursions (e.g., ghost walks/tours, river tours) and a guided tour of either Oxford University or Cambridge University. It’s a phenomenal bargain when you consider that 2 summer courses in Greenville costs around $2,000 (in-state) or as much as $6,000 (out-of-state) – and that’s just tuition!
For students interested in exploring financial support, the program and its full cost (tuition, airfare, etc) are eligible for financial aid. Beyond that, the university offers a number of study abroad scholarships to assist with the cost of being abroad for 3 weeks.
We’re happy to answer more questions if you have them. We will also hold an interest meeting later this semester and will include you in our emails so you can attend and learn more there — just send us an email to let us know you’re interested, or even better, head over to the PiratesAbroad site and sign up so you don’t miss out! The program is limited to 12 students, however, so early commitments are ideal to secure your spot on this great trip.
