Chris CastruitaIn a dimly lit studio filled with mirrors, a semicircle of students sitting cross-legged surrounds a calm and poised tattooed Korean woman. She spoke with the students at their level, addressing their midterm dance projects. They expressed their ideas candidly and without fear. Sometimes she helped guide their scattered ideas into a more cohesive expression using proper dance jargon.
Vivian Kim is one of two new full-time faculty members joining the Santa Ana College Dance Program this fall. She comes to us by way of Purdue, where she lectured for two years for their dance minor. She came to SAC after looking for a program where she could take the lessons out of the classroom and into the dance studio.
“I was really on the lookout for a full-time position, whether that was tenure track or not, and I found the call for Santa Ana’s dance department,” Kim said.
Oscar Gonzalez is the second full-time faculty member in the dance program. Gonzalez keeps his hair combed neat even when sporting his athletic attire. He stands tall with perfect posture, resembling a prince from a Disney theater production.
Professor Oscar Gonzalez is a SAC Alumnus. He brings his hometown connections and professional experience to trailblaze a path to success for the next generation of dancers to follow and find success. Gonzalez retraces his steps, returning to SAC after teaching at his high school alma mater, Anaheim High School. He was a highly successful choreographer for high school programs and performer in regional musical theater; he is an archetypal professional dancer.
With all his experience, Gonzalez felt that much of his success was found by chance, achieved with hard work. He felt like he had to figure it out the hard way. That spawned Gonzalez’s goal to pave the way for someone to have a successful career in dance. The opportunity is right here in his backyard; for the people who come from where he comes from, there is a path to dance. That’s why Gonzalez always envisioned coming back home and teaching at the college or university level. He has been using his connections with the local high schools to advise students of the opportunities available to them.
Gonzalez’s professional experience is in ballet, and Kim’s background is in hip-hop, to put it simply. They are both well-rounded and are trained in pretty much everything. The two plan to find new ways to approach dance using collaborative efforts to develop something new. Gonzalez and Kim both agree there are many areas for collaboration.
Even though they practice different dance styles, their approach to teaching is similar. Their combined philosophy of teaching students does not just involve learning the technical aspects of dance. They aim to embrace authenticity, connection and expression of self while providing a safe space where a student can have a voice and community.
Kim describes providing a space safe from judgement where students can freely express themselves. Where they can make connections through primal movements, escaping the anxieties of society.
“It’s something that we’re so disconnected from because of technology and social stigma and expectations,” said Kim.
As a result of the emergence of the internet, the accessibility of smartphones, and the predominance of social media, social stigma and technology addiction have made people self-conscious and anxious. Overcome by fear, we are unable to safely express ourselves or feel vulnerable. It’s easier to assimilate and not bring attention to our uniqueness. Dance is a rebellion against that fear. Authenticity is a rebellion against assimilation.
Gonzalez added the importance of students feeling heard and safe to communicate through movement with confidence. With a solid foundation and feeling safe and confident, collaboration becomes possible.
“You get to communicate and work with somebody else and build those bridges, make those connections,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez expressed how, in more traditional training early in his life, a dancer had no voice. A dancer could not complain or comment or ask questions. A dancer had to just listen and execute. They had to figure it out. He had to figure it out. As he grew and traveled and learned and his circle got bigger, he learned about community and feeling safe enough to have a voice and express yourself. That is what allowed him to dance and dance well. The freedom to embrace yourself unapologetically and express yourself through your body movements.
The collaboration aspect of their philosophy intrigued me as well. In their reminiscing, the professors talked about how fierce competition is. For funding, for grants, for competitions, or spots on a roster, auditions were competitive. Sometimes best friends are competing for the only spot. Sometimes these environments can get pretty toxic. That’s why communication and feeling safe are important. When we can understand our own needs, communication and collaboration become possible.
When I asked the question of what they plan for the future of the dance department, Kim’s answer was to show that the quality of this department was on par with that of a university program. She expressed how good the teaching staff is and, with her as an example, recounted her path to where we are now.
Before lecturing for two years at Purdue, Professor Kim spent time in Boulder, Colorado, where she received her master’s, then freelanced until about 2024; that’s when she started at Purdue. Further back, Kim laid dance roots in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she finished her undergrad program.
Focusing on personal growth and embracing the radicality of being authentic, the two hope to put SAC Dance on the map. Kim’s focus is training dancers that can transfer to a four-year university or enter the industry directly. Gonzalez is blazing the path from local high schools to SAC and beyond.
“Everyone should take a dance class because it’s good for your brain,” Gonzalez said. “You don’t have to know how to dance already. That’s literally what class is for.”
