This May, Santa Barbara High School will host its annual Spring Dance Concert — an inspiring culmination of SBHS Dance Director Beth Goldman and her students’ hard work within the dance program, showcasing the power of dance to bring together a diverse group of young minds while simultaneously exhibiting blossoming individual talents.
Taking place May 18 at 7 p.m. in the SBHS Theatre, the show will feature Goldman’s own pieces and work from five student choreographers, as well as an appearance from the SBHS Folklorico Club, which will perform traditional dances from Mexico’s different regions and states in what is sure to be a colorful and moving show. The concert’s original pieces from two SBHS graduating seniors will include Anya McCue’s “Experience” and Keelyn Ferguson’s “Writing on the Wall.”
Goldman nostalgically describes what she turned to when creating her own choreography for the concert, stating, “The main source of inspiration for two of my choreographies are from 1960s music — the type of music I heard my parents play when I was growing up. Music was such a big part of our household. It made our home more joyful and brought unforgettable memories.”
While the diverse array of pieces and choreographers working behind the Spring Dance Concert has already set it apart as unique, SBHS is also the only school within the Santa Barbara Unified School District to offer a dance program, making this concert even more compelling. Goldman, who started SBHS’s dance program in 2003, comments on this lack of dance representation: “I believe SBHS is the only school that has a dance program because of lack of funding in our district. I am hoping this will change because I am an advocate of dance arts as a tool for healing: It provides great benefits to students’ health and well-being; it helps instill valuable life lessons and inspire them to be their best selves, and better equipped to face life’s challenges.”
Make sure to purchase tickets for the concert here for what is sure to be an inspiring performance, for, as Goldman states, “Dance is healing and a gateway to well being in many ways. It helps inspire students to explore, move more with intention, build confidence, feel safe to take a chance to discover and express themselves, and celebrate who they are.”
