The spring semester is a particularly exciting time for our senior LINES BFA Program dancers. Not only is it their final semester together, but it also offers a multitude of opportunities to both perform on a renowned stage as well as showcase their own choreographic works. This weekend begins the excitement with LINES Ballet BFA Senior Project I at Angelico Concert Hall on Dominican University of California’s campus.
Check out all of their events this spring!
We asked six seniors what was the most important lesson that they learned here in the LINES BFA Program. Read on to see what they had to say…
Joel Walsham
“Throughout my time in the LINES BFA one of the most fundamental lessons I have learned is how to be fully present. Bring your whole self, whether it is in the studio or on the street, because that is when growth occurs. Moments of comfortability are fleeting and often illusory; waiting for certain times to be invested in what you are doing is wasting opportunity. So instead be present, show up completely and consistently, because that is when work can begin.”
Nicole Clarke
“Since transferring into the program last year I’ve learned to trust myself and to know that I am enough. I am now able to relish within my vulnerabilities to spark endless possibilities of movement and self.”
photo by Jason Lam
Alessandra Ramnarine
“Reflecting on the person I was when I first entered the BFA program, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of personal evolution and awareness. While my classmates have shown me the everlasting importance of camaraderie and love, dance has revealed to me the necessity of building oneself without the need for others to build you first. Time has allowed me to grow and shape my opinions and dancing has only made them all the more worldly and passionate. I am thankful for my path and look forward to further develop my personal story.”
Sam Beard
“I came to the BFA seeking expression through unwavering dedication, discipline, and artistic play. The universe had lead me to the next plot on my life’s map, ultimately guiding me to my true destiny in this world.
Like any human, I experienced the ups and downs four years had to offer me. I struggled, grappling with past versions of myself while trying to obtain clarity through the orders of sound, space, time, and movement. I was seeking refuge in the form of detachment from my mind’s unworldliness healing and spiritual wealth. “There is a crack in everything. That is how the light gets in” (Leonard Cohens).
I’ve become more sophisticated and mature from the knowledge and skill set I’ve attained while in this program. Well, at least according to myself. I have newfound gumption towards life and a heart full of luck. “Lay me down over the ocean where the good life still exists” (Beth Hart).”
Maxine Patronik
“One of the most valuable things I’ve learned from my time here is how to take up space. I’ve been constantly encouraged to be a more expansive, unapologetic version of myself, and to be completely aware of how my body is moving in space. Despite fear or anxiety, I’ve learned to persevere to find moments of abandonment within my movement, because that’s the only way to let those superficial things go. I’m not sorry for who I am, for who I am enriches my experience as a dancer.”
Photo by Rob Kunkle/Good Lux Photography
Marissa Head
Photo credit: Jason Lam
Senior Project I & II
Senior Project I:
Friday, February 17, 2017 at 7pm
Saturday, February 18, 2017 at 3pm
Senior Project II:
Friday, February 24, 2017 at 7pm
Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 3pm
at Angelico Concert Hall, Dominican University of California
General Admission: $10.00
Free with Dominican ID
Student choreography created by the Class of 2017. Tickets available at the door (cash only).
cover photo by Steve Disenhof
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