SMC Opens Spring 2026 Masters of Dance Series Feb. 26

SMC Opens Spring 2026 Masters of Dance Series Feb. 26

Free Master Classes and Talks with Renowned Dance Professionals

SANTA MONICA, CA — The Santa Monica College (SMC) Dance Department presents its Spring 2026 Masters of Dance series, offering a line-up of master classes and learning workshops led by dance professionals. The series starts Feb. 26 with an immersive wellness class led by Healthy+Well founder Naomi Hutchinson, continues on March18 with a class in Countertechnique presented by Rosanna Tavarez, and concludes April 22 with a class on how to dance in heels led by Sienna Lyons, head choreographer of the Kidz Bop brand.

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

The workshops will be held in the SMC Core Performance Center (CPC) on the SMC Main Campus (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica).

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 Spring 2026 Masters of Dance line-up is:

• Feb. 26, 12:30 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.: Naomi Hutchinson: “Dancing Well: Embodying Wellness Through Movement and Mindfulness” — Core Performance Center (CPC 304), on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. 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. Free. Sponsored by the SMC Associates and SMC Dance Department.

• March 18, 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Rosanna Tavarez: “Countertechnique” — Core Performance Center (CPC 304), on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Rosanna Tavarez will lead a workshop 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. Free. Sponsored by the SMC Associates and SMC Dance Department.

• April 22, 1 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.: Sienna Lyons: “Heels” — Core Performance Center (CPC 304), on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. 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. Free. Sponsored by the SMC Associates and SMC Dance Department.

More information is available at smc.edu/dance or by calling 310-434-4100 or 310-434-8763. All presentations 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).

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