My journey from Mexico to Leicester plus some top tips for student in the beginning of their journey.
By: Amira Ramírez Salgado, PhD in Dance
I am a contemporary dancer and researcher from Mexico, currently completing my PhD in Dance at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ. After finishing my master’s in dance in London in 2015, I went back to Mexico to gain some experience in my field, teaching dance as research and other related topics. In 2021, after some years working in a university in Lima, Perú, I decided to enroll in the PhD in Dance at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ. The dance department at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ has a long history in the field of practice as research in dance, which means that my practice as a dancer is part of my investigative approach. This means I can incorporate my practice (dancing, choreographing, and engaging with theory) as part of my research.
In 2018, during a dance festival in Cholula, Mexico, I met the person who would eventually become my PhD supervisor, though I didn’t know it at the time. She had travelled there to present a choreographic duet with another dance colleague, also a lecturer at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ, at the same festival where I was performing a solo choreographic piece. At the festival’s afterparty, we sat down to talk, and she introduced me to ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ’s PhD in Dance programme.
Photo credit- Javed Sultan 2025
I then moved from Mexico to Leicester to begin this journey. Now, after almost four years of research, life, and engagement in my journey, I can share a few tips for those who are just beginning.
First, find ways to feel at home wherever you live. This can mean making your space yours, even if it’s a room in student accommodation or a shared house, put up your photos, plants, objects, as they become extensions of your home and provide comfort and familiarity in the unknown. For me, feeling at home was the first step to gaining emotional resilience while living in Leicester. Second, find a hobby outside of university. Leicester offers many outdoor activities, its parks are great to spend time in, there are swimming pools, hiking options, meditation centres, etc. For me, the acknowledgement that there are other realities in the city, other spaces to be in, was fundamental to my well-being. Lastly, find people to be with, a community is essential. Although it is not always easy, for me, having friends on the same PhD journey is what I will take as the most valuable experience of being here. And enjoy it, it’s just a phase of our lives.
All the best,
Amira