The goal of the Spanish School co-curriculum is to tap into the interests, the talents, and the passions of our broad range of students and faculty, and then to build bridges between those capacities and the rich culture of the Hispanic world. Toward that end, we offer an enormous variety of lectures by writers, academics, and film directors, as well as sports activities, theatrical events (both spectator and participant), concerts and other performances, cooking and dance classes, yoga, hiking, art, poetry...the list goes on, and continues to grow with further student-sponsored activities that evolve after our arrival. This array of activities promises to present you with scheduling dilemmas, but is one of the secrets to the success of the Middlebury approach. These activities allow you to take your classroom knowledge into the field, immediately and constantly. Your pledge to speak only Spanish draws you out of your room and into a society and a culture that shares your ambitions. Welcome to the active world of the Spanish School!
Special Events
During the summer of 2005, students and faculty participated in some exceptional events that brought the entire school together. Click here to learn more.
Carnaval 2005
Don Quijote Week
Argentine novelist Mempo Giardinelli visits the Spanish School
Invited Guests
The Spanish School invites some remarkable lecturers and performers to share their talents with us every summer.
John J. Allen and Patricia Finch gave a dynamic presentation on the profound influence Qujiote has had in the western world during the last 400 years. Based on their latest book, Don Quijote en el arte y pensamiento de Occidente, their talk portrayed this impact through images and quotations.
(From left to right) Prof. Salvador Velasco, Héctor Cruz Sandoval, Susan Carvalho
Héctor Cruz Sandoval, pictured here with Prof. Salvador Velasco and Spanish School Director Susan Carvalho, presented his exceptional documentary, KordaVision, about Cuban photographer Alberto Díaz "Korda" (1928-2001). This moving film recounts Korda's career as it presents the powerful and compelling images of Cuba he captured during the revolution, including the famous photograph of Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
During a conference entitled, ¿Por qué las mujeres españolas no tienen bebés?, anthropologist Carrie Douglass explained why the population of Spain, as well as many other European nations, is decreasing. She also explored the implications Spain's current birthrate could have on its society in the future.
Susan Larson's first conference at Middlebury, Transnationalist Tendencies in the Film Industries of Fascist Spain, Italy and Germany, formed part of the Language Schools Lecture Series in International Cultural Studies. Her second talk, given to the Spanish School, drew connections to contemporary film production while analyzing Fernando Trueba's popular 1998 film, La niña de tus ojos. Both lectures focused specifically on the political, social and cultural nature of Spanish, German and Italian film production during the late 1930s and the 1940s.
Artist-in-Residence Aquilino González Barrio returned to Middlebury in 2005 to direct the workshop, Taller Experimental Ñ…'400 delocura, a co-curricular activity that allowed students to use art to express themes and images associated with Don Quijote. For more information about this activity, please refer to Special Events (Don Quijote) and Co-Curricular Activities.
Extraordinary Performances
The Spanish School welcomed some talented performers to Middlebury.
Modern dancer Claudia MacPherson presented two original pieces. The first, called Amor a los cuerpos, was danced to texts written and interpreted by Spanish poet Fernando Operé. The second, Mi historia en…, explored movement, emotion and life as she performed to the music of three Venezuelan composers.
Pedro Salas, from Puno, Perú, performed two traditional Peruvian dances with some students from the Spanish School: Los sicuris and La diablada.
Venezuelan soprano and Spanish School faculty member Noemí Lugo, accompanied by Spanish pianist Paco Álvarez, presented Nuestra música, a concert that included songs from all of the countries represented by the Spanish School's faculty.
Spanish pianist and Spanish School faculty member Francisco Álvarez Díaz gave a charismatic performance in the Center For the Arts.
The Snake Trio, a talented Venezuelan jazz group from Berkeley, California, performed their original work and also some traditional Venezuelan pieces with soprano Noemí Lugo. They also provided live music during the Spanish School's Carnaval.
Spanish School Performances
The Spanish School also provides many opportunities for students and faculty members to perform together in Spanish.
At the end of the summer, students share their special talents in a fun-filled, annual event: the Cabaret.
The Annual Poetry and Music Recital. Each year this event is a truly inspired collaboration that brings poetry and music to life.
Each summer, students also have the opportunity to appear in two distinct plays. One is a Hispanic drama and the other is a zarzuela, which is a type of Spanish light opera. Above are pictures from Summer 2005's zarzuela, Los bohemios. To learn more about this production, see Special Events.
Co-Curricular Activities
Get involved! There are so many ways to participate outside of class! Below are just a few of the many activities that are open to students of all levels and give you additional opportunities to learn and use Spanish. Additional activities that aren't pictured below include: Radio, Photo-Conversation Club (for beginners), Phonetics Workshop, and Yoga.
Choir
The Choir performing at its annual concert, under the direction of Rafael Castillo..
This year, students who studied piano with Spanish pianist Francisco Álvarez Díaz, also performed during the Choir Concert.
In 2005 in a special act after the concert, the Spanish School, together with Middlebury College, recognized and celebrated Castillo's many achievements during his 30 years of service with the Spanish School.
Cooking Club
Students learned to make many different dishes from various Spanish-speaking countries. Here, they are enjoying tortilla de patata and gazpacho.
Dance Classes
Students have the opportunity to learn several traditional dances, including tango, sevillanas, jota aragonesa and baile latino. These photos, taken during student performances of these dances during the annual Cabaret, are of the jota aragonesa and the sevillanas.
Hiking (Club de Montaña)
Enjoy Vermont's breathtaking landscapes while making new friends.
Sports
Students can choose from a wide variety of sports, including basketball, soccer, tennis, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and wiffle ball.
Taller Experimental Ñ '400… delocura
Inspired by the 400th anniversary of Don Quijote de la Mancha, in this workshop students created pieces that were displayed in an exhibit at the end of the summer. For more information, please refer to the events of Don Quijote Week.
Additional Opportunities
Costume Party
The annual baile de disfraces is a Spanish School tradition. Don't forget to bring a costume!
Picnic at Lake Dunmore
Enjoying a beautiful day at Lake Dunmore with the Spanish School.
Sigma Delta Pi
You can join the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, Sigma Delta Pi, through Middlebury College. These pictures are from the induction ceremony in 2005.