SMC Opens Fall 2022 Masters of Dance Series October 5

SMC Opens Fall 2022 Masters of Dance Series October 5

Free Master Classes and Talks with Renowned Dance Professionals

SANTA MONICA, CA — The Santa Monica College (SMC) Dance Department opens its Fall 2022 Masters of Dance series with a line-up of master classes and learning workshops led by dance professionals. The series starts October 5 with Even Swenson leading a workshop on Ballet jumps and turns.

The Masters of Dance workshops are free, and the public is invited to attend as participants or as observers. Seating for on-campus workshops is limited and on a first-arrival basis.

The October 5 and October 28 workshops will be held in the SMC Core Performance Center (CPC) on the main SMC campus (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica).

The November 7 workshop will be presented as a hybrid both in the CPC and online using the Zoom platform.  

The series is sponsored by the SMC Associates (smc.edu/associates) — a private organization that funds speakers and special programs on the Santa Monica College campus — and the SMC Dance Department.

The Fall 2022 Masters of Dance line-up is:

• October 5 at 10:15 a.m.: Even Swenson: "Ballet: Jumps and Turns" — CPC 304/308 (main SMC campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica). In a master class that focuses on developing the strength, power, flexibility, and technique necessary for more advanced leaps, jumps, and pirouettes, emphasis will be placed on proper body alignment, spotting, and turnout. Participants will be taught combinations that will enhance their dance repertoire for multiple dance styles. Evan Swenson has danced with many companies across the US, including Josie Walsh's BalletRED, Houston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, New York Theater Ballet, and freelanced in Los Angeles, New York, Europe, and China. Sponsored by the SMC Associates and SMC Dance Department.
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  October 28 at 12:30 p.m.: Gracie Whyte & Laura Berg: "Ground Grooves" — CPC 304/308 (main SMC campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica). Ground Grooves is a contemporary floorwork technique emphasizing continuous and fluid movement from a methodical and safe approach. Working both with and without momentum, dancers move through a variety of rolls, slides, inversions, shoulder rolls, and movements that lead them in and out of the floor. Classes emphasize a lush, spongy movement quality by absorbing impact with clarity and ease. Gracie Whyte and Laura Berg are the founders of WHYTEBERG, a Los Angeles-based contemporary dance theatre duo. Sponsored by the SMC Associates and SMC Dance Department.
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  November 7 at 1 p.m.: Robbie Shaw: "Match Cutting in Screen Dance" — Hybrid: CPC 304/308 (main SMC campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica) and online (link at smc.edu/dance). 'Match Cutting' is a broad term used in both continuity and montage film-editing approaches. Matching and contrasting action, shape, idea, and sound make it possible to create filmic sequences that are visceral and abstract, while rich in symbolism. Robbie Shaw has created dozens of choreographic works for both the stage and screen, presenting in venues that include Dance Camera West, Utah Dance Film Festival, Dance Films Association, and more. Sponsored by the SMC Associates and SMC Dance Department.

More information is available at smc.edu/dance or by calling 310-434-4100 or 310-434-3467. All presentations are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Santa Monica College is a California Community College accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

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