Spring 2026 Lecture Series
Free Admission to All Events
You are invited to join us for intriguing events and engaging discussions.
Masters of Dance
You are invited to attend and participate in our exciting free series of lectures and master classes. See the Dance Department website or call 310-434-3467 for more information. Seating is strictly on a first-arrival basis.
Naomi Hutchinson
Dancing Well: Embodying Wellness Through Movement and Mindfulness
Naomi Hutchinson will lead an immersive wellness masterclass designed to help dancers
explore the intersection of physical, emotional, and mental well-being through the
lens of their artistry. Participants are invited to experience dance as a healing
art that not only refines technique, but also nourishes the whole self. Through a
blend of somatic and yoga-inspired movement, guided breathwork, meditation, and reflective
discussion, dancers will learn how to connect their life experiences to their creative
expression, build body awareness, and develop sustainable practices for balance and
longevity in their craft. Hutchinson is the founder of Healthy+Well, where she creates
inclusive wellness experiences that bridge movement, mindfulness, and community, and
center on healing and wholeness for all. As a dancer, holistic healer, and yoga instructor,
Hutchinson has more than two decades of technical dance training, and has facilitated
workshops for Nike, UCLA, CSU Northridge, and The National Coalition of Black Women.
Thursday, February 26 | 12:30 p.m. | Free | Core Performance Center 304
Rosanna Tavarez
Countertechnique
Rosanna Tavarez will lead a class in Countertechnique, a method that prepares the
body for rehearsal and performance, enabling dancers to move more expansively, more
fluidly, and more spatially, while becoming stronger and more flexible. Participants
will be introduced to a selection of tools from the Countertechnique Toolbox, which
contains information about anatomy, the body in space, mental/physical awareness,
and the perspectives of directing and counterdirecting. Tavarez is the BFA Program
Director at the CalArts Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance. As a performer/entertainer,
she has worked with Marina Ambramovic, Ryan Heffington, Travis Payne, Tony Michaels,
and Rosanna Gamson/Worldwide. Tavarez has also hosted shows as a television personality
for FOX, E!, TVGuide Network, and Telemundo/NBC.
Wednesday, March 18 | 10:15 a.m. | Free | Core Performance Center 304
Sienna Lyons
Heels
Sienna Lyons will lead a Heels Choreography Class, presenting a mixture of perfecting
the technique behind dancing in heels, musicality, and performance, to improve movement
in heels, make movement look more effortless, and to find the balance of feeling sensual,
empowered, and confident. Lyons is currently the head choreographer of the Kidz Bop
brand. She has danced for artists such as JLo, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Britney
Spears, Pharrell, Janell Monae, and Jennifer Hudson, and has performed on the TV shows
Palm Royale, America’s Got Talent, Glee, Billboard Music Awards, Grammy Awards, and
Real Husbands of Hollywood. Lyons has choreographed for Olivia Rodrigo, Gwen Stefani,
Selena Gomez, Amelia Moore, and Sebastian Yatra. She was assistant choreographer for
Janet Jackson’s Las Vegas residency, also choreographed for TV shows that include
the 2025 Kidz Choice Awards American Song Contest, The Masked Singer, and The Jimmy
Kimmel Show.
Wednesday, April 22 | 1 p.m. | Free | Core Performance Center, 310
Sponsored by the SMC Associates and SMC Dance Department.
Special Events
rafa esparza
Brown the Experiment
Mexican-American multidisciplinary performance artist rafa esparza will talk about
the themes of heritage, identity, and other influences that drive his work in a variety
of mediums, including installation art, sculpture, drawing, painting, and performance.
The internationally renowned artist’s work has been presented at private and public
locations ranging from parks and nightclubs to galleries and museums, including solo
and group exhibitions at Americas Society, New York; Commonwealth and Council, Mexico
City; Commonwealth and Council, Los Angeles; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York;
and Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. esparza’s awards include the Pérez Prize; Latinx Arts
Fellowship, Mellon Foundation; Lucas Artist Fellowship, and California Community Foundation
Fellowship for Visual Artists. Sponsored by the SMC Associates. Co-sponsored by the Latino Center’s Adelante Program
and the Art Club.
Wednesday, March 11 | 11:10 a.m. | Free | Art 214
Masanga Marimba
A Musical Journey from Africa to Latin America
Masanga Marimba — led by SMC and CSU Northridge ethnomusicologist Dr. Ric Alviso —
is the only marimba ensemble in Southern California that combines Latin and African
traditions through music played on traditional instruments such as the marimba, mbira,
and marimbol. With seven giant marimbas, drums, percussion, trombone, trumpet, and
other instruments, Masanga Marimba will perform music from Zimbabwe, South Africa,
and Cameroon, and Afro-Latin music from Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico. The concert
explores the journey of the marimba, from its use in the 1960s as an instrument for
teaching music in schools in Zimbabwe, to becoming an essential part of dance music
in Latin America and the national instrument of Guatemala. Masanga Marimba has performed
at the Hollywood Bowl, Grand Performances, Getty Center, Skirball Cultural Center,
Ford Amphitheatre, and many other high-profile music venues. The ensemble has also
opened for Neil Young, Stephen Stills, John Mayer, Nora Jones, Father John Misty,
Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley, Pink Martini, and many others. Sponsored by the SMC Associates.
Tuesday, April 21 | 11:15 a.m. | Free | SMC Quad
All programs are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
