GM World Dance this weekend at SM Performance Arts Center

The Santa Monica College Global Motion World Dance Company will present an exciting spring program showcasing dance styles from a variety of cultures around the world.

Performances are Friday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 22 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in The Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center (Santa Monica Boulevard and 11th Street, Santa Monica).

The program will feature performances of traditional and contemporary World Dance styles, including West African, Asian, French Neoclassical, Mexican Folklórico, Salsa, and more.

Global Motion, founded by SMC Dance Department chair Judith Douglas, is under the artistic direction of Raquel Ramirez and Sri Susilowati.

Faculty choreographers are Seda Aybay-Owens, Laura Canellias, Keali’i Ceballos, Angela Jordan, Raquel Ramirez, and Laura Smyth.

Guest choreographers are I-Wen Chang and Peter de Guzman.

Student choreographers are Natalie Brown, Katie McCulla, Emily Queliz, and Daniel Salgado.

Global Motion is a World Dance performance company that expresses the concept of humanity in the form of global citizenship. The company is composed of SMC students who learn, rehearse, and perform World Dance styles. Global Motion provides a platform for SMC students to experience and learn about other cultures through dance while working with professional choreographers who are experts in the field of World Dance.

Global Motion has toured extensively and performed at schools, festivals, and special events throughout California and Mexico for more than 30 years. The company recently returned from performances in China and Italy.

Raquel Ramirez is co-director of Global Motion and a dance professor at SMC. She is also the founder and director of a folklórico performance group, and is dedicated to supporting the traditions and cultures of Mexico.

Sri Susilowati, originally from Indonesia, is co-director of Global Motion and a member of the SMC dance faculty. She is a dancer, choreographer, and storyteller, creating and performing traditional and contemporary works that focus on community, gender, and ethnicity.

Laura Smyth has a BA in Sociology from the University of Calgary, a Journalism Certificate from Mount Royal University, and an MFA in Dance from UC Irvine. She has choreographed for Santa Monica College, Long Beach City College, and Loyola Marymount University, where she also serves as an adjunct professor. Smyth has presented at the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference, The World Dance Alliance Conference, and the National Dance Education Organization Conference.

I-Wen Chang received her PhD in Culture and Performance with a concentration in Dance at UCLA. She is faculty at AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Her innovative reviews on contemporary Taiwanese dance have been awarded from the National Culture and Arts Foundation – Taiwan and Taishin Foundation for Arts and Culture – Taiwan.

Daniel Salgado Erazo is a student at SMC. He started out as a street dancer, and has now trained in several styles, including Hip Hop, House, West African, and Salsa. His most recent accomplishments are competing at Hip Hop International San Diego, Battleground 360, and World of Dance Las Vegas with Blvcklisted, a team based in North Hollywood.

Tickets, which sell out quickly, are $20. Parking is free.

For tickets, go to www.smc.edu/eventsinfo or call 310-434-3005. For more information, please see www.smc.edu/dance or call 310-434-3467.