For Aliza Paulino, dance is an outlet not just for creativity but for stress relief.
“Dance is definitely a great outlet to with all like the stress or all the busyness of life. I feel like that’s one of the main reasons why I made sure dance was part of my schedule,” said Paulino.
For Kayla Bornea, it’s a place to engage her creativity.
“It has made me feel like there’s actual color, and being able to use my creative outlet, create things I’ve never [sic] created before and just being able to help people find the dancer in themselves is why dance has really been an important part of my life,” said Bornea.
Both Paulino and Bornea are members of the Stockton Delta Dance Company (SDDC). The Delta College-based dance club allows dance majors and non-dance majors alike to explore dance as an outlet for creative expression.
“Stockton Delta Dance Company’s primary aim is to celebrate the art of dance in its various forms. SDDC explores this medium with attention to communicating, exposing and advancing the appreciation of dance within our campus and outside communities. SDDC also provides and artistic and creative outlet to develop and foster our dancer’s skills and talent in the arena of performing arts,” notes the club’s description on Delta’s website.
Kayla Bornea, who serves as SDDC club president, joined the club’s board almost by accident. She was attending an audition for Delta’s dance department when she was offered the position. A month earlier, she had switched her major from health sciences to dance and was happy for the opportunity to be more involved in dance on campus.
Bornea previously used her dance skills to choreograph for her high school dance club, her church, cotillions and debuts. She aspires to become a dance teacher, and her time in Delta’s dance department and choreographing for SDDC moves her closer to that goal.
“I want to be a teacher, actually a dance teacher, so having all this experience is helping me find what people have in themselves; they’re all potential to grow as dancers,” said Bornea.
Some of SDDC’s members are non-dance majors, many of them are studying psychology at Delta. While dance and the arts have always been a part of their lives, SDDC is their first introduction to a dance organization and performances.
“At parties and stuff, of course, I’ll dance, but this is the first time I’ve ever actually learned an actual choreography and danced with a group of people,” said SDDC member German Isaac Estrella.
Other members had experience with dance clubs and extracurricular groups in middle school and high school and are continuing their dance experiences with SDDC.
“I took an interest in dance since middle school when I got first introduced to K-pop. So, since then, I’ve been in like extracurricular dance clubs after school. I’ve been taking dance classes here at Delta,” said member Shao-Long Louie. “It wasn’t until like last year when I had the choreography where I met Kayla, and she introduced herself as the president of the dance club. I’ve always wanted to see a dance club here, so I (took) the opportunity to join.”
Paulino, who serves as a club treasurer, said she used to perform at family gatherings with her cousins, singing and dancing. The experience with SDDC has formalized her practice.
“… It’s just something that I felt like was a natural part of my life,” said Paulino. But now I feel, like now it is definitely more working on technique now, especially with the production. Like this is my first dance production in my life.”
SDDC has also led to many of its members establishing lasting friendships and community support.
“I feel like making connections, not just in dance, but in whatever you get involved in is really important, and I really feel that community definitely makes the experience not easier, but a lot more fun, a little more looking forward to, because you have those friendships and those connections and bonds built,” said Paulino.
SDDC is preparing for a dance festival to be hosted at Delta on May 4. The festival will bring together dance clubs and organizations from the San Joaquin County region to celebrate the art of dance through styles such as hip-hop, ballroom and jazz. Local vendors, small businesses and non-profit information booths will also be present, selling goods, food and drinks.
In preparation, the club has been busy using community connections to grow the event, and practicing every Tuesday and Thursday for their upcoming performance. The members also practice individually whenever possible.
“I’ve just been listening to the song over and over again, and thinking of what I need to do in my head, and then also, if I’m alone, then I’ll also actually practice,” said Isaac Estrella.
The students involved in SDDC hope the festival will inspire others to embrace their creativity through movement and dance.
“Dance is still alive in our community. I hope it just inspires others to learn to dance,” said Louie.
Though balancing academics and SDDC can be time-consuming, members said volunteering their time in SDDC is worth it.
“You definitely feel the pressure, but for me, it’s always been a challenge that I’ve always been willing to rise up to,” said Louie.
Members said they feel a sense of pride in the stories they are able to tell through dance and hope to convey that on May 4.
“I just genuinely hope that you all can make it to the festival, come out and support the dance department. This is going be our first dance festival ever, so it was a lot of pressure, but we’re putting in a lot [of] work behind the scenes to make sure that everyone’s going to have a blast,” said Bornea.
