By Stephanie Kraus

Dancing in a small isolated apartment in Isla Vista, the neighborhood next to UC Santa Barbara, was not how I anticipated my first dance class in college to go. But COVID-19 had hit. With a small digital box as my only form of communication with my peers and instructors, I found myself wondering, with every class, whether I would ever be able to dance again in a real studio.

The pandemic ripped away at my motivation. By the end of my freshmen year I began to reevaluate my path. I was in a constant internal battle, fearing the wedge that was being driven between myself and my love for dance.

It brought me to the question: Do I stay a dance major?

Like so many students over the world, the pandemic took away an experience that I had worked so hard for. Despite my love of dance, I switched to sociology. But one of my instructors, Nancy Colahan, assured me the Dance Department would always be my home away from home.

Little did I know, UCSB’s dance department offers several opportunities to non-dance majors since the majority of dance productions are open to those outside the department.

With sociology as my new major, I have explored the field of Human Resources and have gained a new perspective on the business world. I understand how to problem-solve under pressure. During the winter of my sophomore year, I developed new passions and formed new friendships. 

I enjoyed my classes — but found I missed dance. I missed expressing myself without words, with only movement. The resistance I had felt towards dance softened, and my attraction grew toward wanting to groove. I felt purpose in my academic and personal life, a piece of the puzzle was missing.

Dance.

One of my friends who had remained a dance major mentioned that I should audition for the spring Kinetic Lab. I immediately felt a pull towards wanting to audition. The Kinetic Lab is the closing performance of the year for the dance department featuring creative works choreographed by third-year BFA dancers. 

Another opportunity for non-dance majors is the Fall Dance Concert, which highlights pieces choreographed by fourth-year UCSB BFA dancers. It is the department’s first performance of the season and is open to all undergraduate students at the university.

I had been unaware that so many dance productions are open to students not majoring in dance. Not only does UCSB Dance offer open auditions to all undergraduate students, it promotes professional performances outside of the university. 

Every January, artistic director Brandon Whited puts on the Santa Barbara Dance Theater that showcases the Santa Barbara Dance Theater Company and a handful of undergraduate dancers. This performance gives undergraduate students the opportunity to work with experienced dancers and be a part of a professional show.

Dancers Madelyn Minami, Ashira Bloom, Riley Marie, Sofia Higgins and Stephanie Kraus performing Dalya Modlin’s piece in the Kinetic Lab of Spring 2022 in UCSB’s Dance Department.

The Dance Department at UCSB offers a variety of shows that dance students can audition for. Additionally, there are fall, winter, and spring events that anyone in the Santa Barbara community can attend. Nearly three years after that first dance class in my Isla Vista apartment, I am grateful for the chance to continue my dance journey at UCSB.

Stephanie Kraus is a third-year student at UC Santa Barbara, majoring in Sociology with a certificate in Human Resource Management. She wrote this article for her Writing Program course Digital Journalism.