Moorpark College Student Dance Association members are returning to the dance studio to offer six drop-in choreography classes from Oct. 4 to Oct. 25.

The classes are free for all Moorpark College students. Participants will be taught a short routine by LA-based industry professionals and student choreographers. These hour-long workshops will be open to any registered student at Moorpark College, and prior affiliation with the dance program is not required.

President of the Moorpark College Student Dance Association, Seleyna Figueroa, organized the event and believes that every student has a place in the dance club.

“Our drop-in classes are a safe place for people to come together and dance no matter what color, race, ethnicity or sexuality you are,” Figueroa said. “Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced, everybody is welcome to join.”

Figueroa taught the first student-led class of the semester on Oct. 4 at the Moorpark College dance studio. Her 17 years of dance experience allowed her to plan an energetic hip-hop class with students’ comfort levels in mind.

“I love teaching beginner hip-hop choreography because it lets everyone feel included; sometimes when it’s too hard, everyone just moves to the back and hides,” Figueroa explained. “I just want everyone to be able to let go and have fun.”

At Figueroa’s hip-hop workshop, students learned a 20-second routine, complete with a group performance towards the end of the class. Figueroa also provided footage of the finished piece for dancers to post on their individual social media accounts.

Isabel Mendoza Aldana, a first-year biology major, attended this event with the hopes of applying her skills to her other dance classes.

“It is fun to see how every choreographer has their own style and see how you can really grow from that as a dancer,” Mendoza Aldana said.

Upcoming classes are set to continue as early as this week, and extend until the end of October. Professional dancer and choreographer Presley Hawk is set to host a heels class on Oct. 25. Hawk described how drop-in classes encouraged her to pursue dance professionally.

“Industry classes have helped me learn more about myself and how to navigate the dance world on my own,” Hawk stated. “ I have learned how to network, the financial side of dance and the behind-the-scenes realism that dance is.”

Hawk’s heels class is created for the beginner to intermediate level and can be pre-registered for in advance.

“My heels class will consist of an introduction of who I am as a dancer and creator, a warm-up and learning a heels combo,” Hawk said. “I will also be teaching the students about certain movement quality and dynamics while finding their own voice in the movement.”

Click here to connect with the Moorpark College Student Dance Association’s Instagram. To pre-register for an industry class, click here.