{"id":37,"date":"2026-05-13T18:51:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T18:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanjac.mycareerfocus.org\/summer-2026-volume-7-issue-2\/dance-students-earn-rare-gala-spot-at-conference\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T12:18:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T12:18:54","slug":"dance-students-earn-rare-gala-spot-at-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanjac.mycareerfocus.org\/summer-2026-volume-7-issue-2\/dance-students-earn-rare-gala-spot-at-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Dance students earn rare gala spot at conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Jacinto College dance student Ray Denson had never attended a dance convention or choreographed a work for other dancers. So when her duet \u201cBack When I Was Older\u201d was selected for the gala concert at this year\u2019s American College Dance Association South Central Regional Conference, she wasn\u2019t sure what that meant.<\/span><\/p>\n

She quickly learned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo not only take the dance to ACDA but to be chosen for the gala was a huge honor I didn\u2019t know I could ever achieve,\u201d Denson said. \u201cWatching it in the gala concert, I was able to enjoy what the three of us have worked so hard on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dance

Ray Denson (courtesy of Jamie Williams)<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2019s was the only student work from a two-year college to make the cut.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor Ray\u2019s 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,\u201d said Jamie Williams, dance professor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where performance meets critique<\/span><\/h3>\n

The annual ACDA conference, formerly known as the American College Dance Festival, brings together two- and four-year institutions from Texas to Missouri.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s title, year of creation, and music credits.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not really a competition in the sense of competitive dance,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIt\u2019s much more academic. It\u2019s about feedback, and we\u2019re stacking our students up against notable faculty and guest artists.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A personal story brought to the stage<\/span><\/h3>\n
\"Dance

Dance students Hannah Holguin and Emily Rodriguez (courtesy of Jamie Williams)<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

The piece was inspired by Sara Bareilles\u2019 \u201cOnce Upon Another Time,\u201d 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFacing her now was very overwhelming for me,\u201d Denson said, \u201cI found solace in taking that journey through dancing with her at home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the adjudicators remarked that the choreographer appeared to have spent considerable time with the work \u2014 an observation Denson described as affirming.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Holguin, who had never met her castmates until rehearsals, the experience was both exciting and challenging.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter 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,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than a concert<\/span><\/h3>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not really an audition, but it is a way for the dancers to be seen in their best element,\u201d Williams said. \u201cAn audition doesn\u2019t always tell the whole story.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Denson\u2019s experience in the program has shaped both her artistic growth and sense of community.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love the San Jac dance program. It gave me so many opportunities to make friends and learn new skills and dance genres,\u201d she said. \u201cI have been able to experience being in a dance company and technique classes I haven\u2019t been able to take since I was a teenager.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Denson, who is pursuing a dance instructor certificate, plans to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts and open her own studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would love to come back to this work one day, to see how more life experiences would change how I perceive the concept,\u201d Denson said. \u201cBut for now I have other projects I\u2019d like to explore. I feel like it has achieved what it will at this point in my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about San Jac\u2019s dance programs<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

By Melissa Trevizo<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

San Jacinto College dance student Ray Denson had never attended a dance convention or choreographed a work for other dancers. So when her duet \u201cBack When I Was Older\u201d was selected for the gala concert at this year\u2019s American College Dance Association South Central Regional Conference, she wasn\u2019t sure what that meant. She quickly learned…. read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":67,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,1],"tags":[],"article_type":[],"class_list":["post-37","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dance","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nDance students earn rare gala spot at conference - Summer 2026, Volume 7 \u2013 Issue 2<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sanjac.mycareerfocus.org\/summer-2026-volume-7-issue-2\/dance-students-earn-rare-gala-spot-at-conference\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dance students earn rare gala spot at conference\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"San Jacinto College dance student Ray Denson had never attended a dance convention or choreographed a work for other dancers. So when her duet \u201cBack When I Was Older\u201d was selected for the gala concert at this year\u2019s American College Dance Association South Central Regional Conference, she wasn\u2019t sure what that meant. 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