San Jacinto College dance student Ray Denson had never attended a dance convention or choreographed a work for other dancers. So when her duet “Back When I Was Older” was selected for the gala concert at this year’s American College Dance Association South Central Regional Conference, she wasn’t sure what that meant.
She quickly learned.
“To not only take the dance to ACDA but to be chosen for the gala was a huge honor I didn’t know I could ever achieve,” Denson said. “Watching it in the gala concert, I was able to enjoy what the three of us have worked so hard on.”
Ray Denson (courtesy of Jamie Williams)
The recognition places San Jac among a small group of two-year institutions whose work was chosen for the prestigious showcase this spring. Of about 50 works adjudicated at the conference, 10 were selected for the gala, and Denson’s was the only student work from a two-year college to make the cut.
“For Ray’s work to be selected in terms of the craftsmanship of the work and for the dancers to have the opportunity to perform it again at the gala concert was a really huge thing,” said Jamie Williams, dance professor.
Where performance meets critique
The annual ACDA conference, formerly known as the American College Dance Festival, brings together two- and four-year institutions from Texas to Missouri.
A panel of three judges selected by the host institution evaluates the concert pieces. Adjudicators are not told which schools are attending, who is dancing, or whether a work was choreographed by a faculty member or a student. They receive only the work’s title, year of creation, and music credits.
“It’s not really a competition in the sense of competitive dance,” Williams said. “It’s much more academic. It’s about feedback, and we’re stacking our students up against notable faculty and guest artists.”
A personal story brought to the stage
Dance students Hannah Holguin and Emily Rodriguez (courtesy of Jamie Williams)
Denson, who started at San Jac in fall 2024 after transferring from a four-year university, said the work grew from a deeply personal place.
The piece was inspired by Sara Bareilles’ “Once Upon Another Time,” a song that reminded Denson of her childhood home. The concept became an exploration of meeting her former self, who felt free to play and dream.
“Facing her now was very overwhelming for me,” Denson said, “I found solace in taking that journey through dancing with her at home.”
Denson cast classmates Emily Rodriguez, who graduated this May, and Hannah Holguin, who was in her first semester in the program, to bring the duet to life. Over a semester of rehearsals, with mentorship from faculty, the work underwent a significant transformation.
One of the adjudicators remarked that the choreographer appeared to have spent considerable time with the work — an observation Denson described as affirming.
For Holguin, who had never met her castmates until rehearsals, the experience was both exciting and challenging.
“After being selected to perform at ACDA, I was so excited. Of course, there was added pressure performing a duet at such a big festival, but I was quickly met with so much gratitude while performing the piece on the ACDA stage,” she said.
More than a concert
Williams said the conference serves purposes beyond performance. Faculty and program directors from universities across the region attend, making it an informal but valuable networking opportunity for students considering transfer.
“It’s not really an audition, but it is a way for the dancers to be seen in their best element,” Williams said. “An audition doesn’t always tell the whole story.”
Denson’s experience in the program has shaped both her artistic growth and sense of community.
“I love the San Jac dance program. It gave me so many opportunities to make friends and learn new skills and dance genres,” she said. “I have been able to experience being in a dance company and technique classes I haven’t been able to take since I was a teenager.”
Denson, who is pursuing a dance instructor certificate, plans to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts and open her own studio.
“I would love to come back to this work one day, to see how more life experiences would change how I perceive the concept,” Denson said. “But for now I have other projects I’d like to explore. I feel like it has achieved what it will at this point in my life.”
Learn more about San Jac’s dance programs.
By Melissa Trevizo
