Dance Students Chosen to Perform at CSULB
The Cypress College Dance Department participated in an annual conference put on by the American College Dance Association March 4-7. The ACDA’s Baja Conference took place at California State University Long Beach, and was open to faculty, staff, students, and musicians.
The conference was capped off with a gala performance at CSULB’s Carpenter Center. The adjudicators picked 11 pieces to be featured in the Gala Performance, one of which was Cypress College’s “This Is Who We Are,” a piece choreographed by the students. The Student Equity and Achievement Committee provided funding to attend.
“Thank you Student Equity and Achievement Committee for giving our students the opportunity to experience a conference, master classes, performances, and to share the stage with so many academic programs in dance,” Maha Afra, chair of the Cypress College Dance Department, said. “Our students and faculty represented all of you Chargers. The faculty taught classes and students performed.”
Cypress College presented another piece called “Sui-T-able,” choreographed by faculty member Francesca Lee, with costumes by Marci Alberto and Francesca Lee. “This Is Who We Are” featured costumes by Becky Ogden.
“The three adjudicators’ feedback was an endless stream of accolades for both pieces,” Afra said.
The conference portion of the event featured four days of classes, workshops, adjudication and informal concerts, feedback sessions, scholarly presentations, and faculty-only classes.
The students who attended were Astrid Ardon, Anthony Capulong, Kylie Christensen, Nickolas Currenton, Xavier Contreras, Briyanda Fresquez, Gabriella McQuoid, Michael Moseray, Brittany Post, Briana Sanchez, Isaiah Singleton, and Rochelle Villaroel.
CSULB student Production Assistants worked to design and produce Baja at the Beach, the sixth ACDA conference held on the CSULB campus, according to the university.