This season boasts a diverse selection of eight events as the university hosts renowned guest speakers and performances.

Attendees can reserve tickets online via the Arts & Lectures website now.

Movement Mystics: Alchemy, Resilience and Transformation

Sept. 18, 7 p.m., Arts Building 111

This captivating dance performance celebrates the richness of Brazilian culture through timeless feminine stories and symbols. Inspired by Brazil's many dance traditions, it explores themes of strength, transformation and the wisdom carried within the body.

Drawing from world mythology, Yoruba beliefs, Jungian psychology, Clarissa Pinkola Estés' “Wild Woman” archetype and the vibrant rhythms of Brazil, the performance uses movement to honor the past, express the present and connect with something deeper.

More than a celebration of culture, this work is a personal journey. It explores how dance can help us navigate life's biggest challenges and reconnect with our inner strength.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

CHABSS Networking Night: Transformative Leadership and Social Change

Oct. 7, 5 p.m., USU Ballroom

Join CSUSM students, alumni, artists and community leaders for an evening of ideas, creativity and connection. The event will highlight how leadership emerges through the arts, media, public service and civic engagement.

Enjoy appetizers, drinks, live music and an inspiring panel of alumni and community leaders sharing how their work creates meaningful social impact. The evening will conclude with structured networking designed to foster meaningful conversations, explore career paths and build lasting connections.

Whether you’re seeking mentorship, expanding your professional network or discovering new opportunities, this event offers an engaging space to learn, connect and be inspired by those shaping the future of our communities.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: Free

Community: Free

‘The Canary Code’: Designing Workplaces Where Different Minds Thrive

Oct. 12, 6 p.m., USU Ballroom

Our ability to thrive in the workplace is highly dependent on how we relate to one another. Ludmila Praslova, author of “The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity and Intersectional Belonging at Work,” shares insights on how we can prioritize neuroinclusivity in the workplace to foster connection and a sense of belonging.

Praslova draws from her perspective as a first-generation academic and a neurodivergent woman. She is a professor of industrial-organizational psychology at Vanguard University in Orange County and a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Psychology Today and Forbes.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

‘You’re No Indian’

Oct. 26, 6 p.m., USU Ballroom

Come attend a screening of “You’re No Indian,” which is not just a film – it’s a call to action. At the heart of this 2025 documentary lies a battle for identity and justice, where militias storm casinos, graves are pillaged for DNA evidence and even proven lineage cannot save individuals from disenrollment.

More than 10,000 people have been disenrolled from their tribes in recent years, eviscerated from their communities and families. Research confirms disenrollment’s relationship to tribal gaming and even the corruption of tribal politicians. Not only does it result in financial ruin for the disenrolled, but immeasurable psychological harm when they are now told “you’re no Indian.”

This film exposes the dark intersection of power, greed and cultural erasure. It’s a powerful stand for those whose voices have been silenced, urging viewers to join a growing movement for truth and accountability.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

The Power of Transformation: From Gang Life to Community Leadership

Nov. 3, 6 p.m., USU Ballroom

Luis J. Rodriguez – an award-winning poet, acclaimed author and community activist – draws from his own life and shares how he overcame gang involvement to become a leading voice for hope, healing and social justice. His inspiring story reminds us that people can change, communities can heal and everyone deserves the chance to build a better future.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

Pasifika in Entertainment: Navigating Culture, Language and Performing Arts in Disney’s Live-Action ‘Moana’

Nov. 16, 6 p.m., USU Ballroom

The release of Disney’s live-action “Moana” film this summer involved local expertise and talent from CSUSM and the surrounding area. Attendees will learn about the making of the film through the perspectives of the Oceanic Cultural Trust, a group created by the film company to serve as cultural consultants on Oceanic language and performing arts. 

CSUSM professor Grant Muāgututi'a served as the lead cultural consultant for the film. His work focuses on the need for Oceanic language conservation efforts through mainstream popular media, independent documentary film, community partnership programming and higher education institutions both locally and abroad. He and others involved in the film will reflect on their roles in making the live-action film. 

Members of the Oceanic Cultural Trust and actors from the film will engage the audience with behind-the-scenes stories and live musical and dance performances to inspire everyone to reimagine how grassroots cultural arts education can shape more inclusive experiences of higher education and impact popular media representations.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

Capturing Complexity: Theater as a Means of Self-Exploration and Reconciliation

Nov. 17, 6 p.m., Arts 111

Join us for a staged-reading presentation of “Pride: Mortal BEINGS part 1,” a one-person play written and performed by Terrell Donnell Sledge, a San Diego actor, writer, director, advocate, empowerment coach and CSUSM theatre arts lecturer. The story is an alternative telling of the fall of Lucifer – from Lucifer's perspective – hinging on the questions of free will, love, loyalty, suffering, suicide, forgiveness and redemption.

After the performance, Sledge will be joined by Stephanie Sledge – an artist, associate clinical social worker and CSUSM alumna – for a conversation about narrative representation and creative expression for self-exploration and healing. Stephanie will interview Terrell about the process of writing the play as a form of self-preservation when he was navigating academic environments prone to stereotyping and erasure of Black male identity. Guests will depart with the building blocks for harnessing their own creativity as a therapeutic tool.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

Serenades, Fantasies and Songs: Camarada With Aaron Humble, Tenor

Nov. 19, noon, Arts 111

Camarada, a resident ensemble at The Conrad in La Jolla, will present a unique concert spotlighting the remarkable tenor of CSUSM professor Aaron Humble. This diverse and engaging program takes audiences on a journey through the history of music, spanning from the Baroque era to the 20th century.

The instrumental portion includes works by Baroque master Telemann, Romantic composer Robert Fuchs and contemporary composer Ian Clarke. Vocal selections will highlight lyrical and expressive works by Benjamin Britten, Italian opera composers Gaetano Donizetti and Ruggero Leoncavallo, and an exquisite French masterpiece by Georges Hüe. Performers include Beth Ross Buckley, flute; David Buckley, violin; Travis Maril, viola; and Dana Burnett, piano.

Join us for an inspiring midday concert as we explore the world of vocal chamber music and more.

CSUSM students: Free

Faculty/staff/alumni: $5

Community: $10

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

But the team had never reached the summit – until last weekend.

The Cougars won a national title at the United Spirit Association (USA) Collegiate Championships in Anaheim on Sunday. They finished first in the “4 Year College Pom Div. II/III” finals, totaling 91.83 points out of 100 to edge second-place Chico State with 86.17.

They also finished second in the “4 Year College Jazz Div. II/III” finals, with their score of 88.67 points placing just behind Chapman University (92.17).

The pom title marked the first championship in program history. The best previous finish had been third place in both pom and jazz.

Adia Larsen is in her first year as president of the club, which features a record-high 23 dancers this season. The fourth-year student, who’s a nursing major (with a minor in dance studies) on track to graduate from CSUSM in May 2027, said she has been dancing since age 4.

“This achievement means so much more to our team than just a title,” Larsen said. “It represents the hard work, dedication and sacrifices we have all made to build this program and create something truly special. As a newly reestablished program of just five years, we have experienced tremendous growth in a short amount of time. During that span, we have worked to make a name for ourselves and represent our school with pride and integrity.”

Joining Larsen as club officers are Sophia Olvera, vice president; and Caryssa Cavanias, treasurer. The team’s coach is Nguyen Bui, who has led the club’s revival since 2021. Bui’s assistants are Casey Bui (fourth year) and Olivia Bradford, who’s in her first year after graduating from CSUSM last May. Bradford was a four-year member of the team and a two-year president.

The USA championships last weekend served doubled as good preparation for the team’s biggest competition of the season: the National Dance Alliance College Nationals from April 8-11 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Members of the campus community can support and send off the dance team when it hosts a nationals showcase in the Sports Center on April 4 at 12:30 p.m.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Fyall will host a stepping dance workshop and artist Q&A from 6-7:30 p.m. on Feb. 24 in the Black Student Center. He’ll be returning to campus on March 3 for an Afro-contemporary dance workshop in ARTS 101 from 1:30-2:45 p.m.

Dance Studies is hosting additional workshops and guest artists throughout the spring, including:

• An artist meet and greet with Safos Dance Theatre from noon-1:30 p.m. on March 10 in the Cross-Cultural Center.
• Safos Dance Theatre with an artist talk from 2:30-3:45 p.m. on March 11 in ARTS 111.
• "Stories From Home" performance by Safos Dance Theatre at 7 p.m., March 13 in ARTS 111.
• K.J. Holmes for a body-mind centering improvisation from 10 a.m.-noon on March 16 in ARTS 101.
• A Dance Studies youth reception at 5:30 p.m., April 29 in ARTS 111.
• The annual spring dance concert at 7:30 p.m. on April 30 and May 1 in ARTS 111.

For more information or to RSVP, visit the Dance Studies Guest Artists webpage.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Alexus was in and out of the foster care system from the time she was 2 years old. She has lived in countless states and attended 17 different schools. However, with the help of Cal State San Marcos’ ACE Scholars Services program, she is graduating this winter with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a minor in dance.

“ACE has had a really big impact on me,” Alexus said, “and for that I'm very grateful.”

Alexus always knew she wanted to pursue higher education because she believed it would help her avoid the challenges that her mother faced.

Pregnant at 15 years old, Alexus’ mother struggled to raise a child. After her mom was kicked out of Alexus’ grandmother’s house, Alexus was sent to New York to live with her great-grandfather. Her mother booked a return flight to California, and Alexus’ childhood was on a new course.

Growing up, Alexus experienced the hardships of persistent custody battles and court-mandated counseling therapy. She was constantly moving among different households and family members.

Alexus is 29 years old and the oldest of six siblings (the youngest is 15). She was 16 when her siblings entered the foster care system for the first time. She hoped to shield them from the reality of foster care.

But Alexus and her siblings were apart for almost a year, which was one of the hardest times of her life. Alexus and her siblings have always had a strong bond, celebrating every holiday together at their grandparents’ house as children.

“I love my siblings, and I just want to be the best big sister they could have. If they ever need anything, they can call me,” Alexus said.

As complicated as Alexus’ life was, additional struggles began to arise when she became an adult. After she moved out of her mom’s house at 19, trying to complete her degree while managing two jobs to afford her rent became a strenuous task.

Alexus was attending Riverside Community College when she learned about ACE Scholars Services. It’s a program that would soon change her life for the better.

ACE Scholars Services helps former foster youth pursue higher education by providing services and support systems. ACE knows that helping foster youth earn a degree provides them with the tools and self-determination they need to succeed in life. That has been the case for Alexus.

Alexus worked the overnight shift at the Ontario airport, ending her shift at 7 a.m., then driving from Rancho Cucamonga for her hour-plus commute to campus. When she hadn’t slept all night, ACE provided her a space to get rest during the day. When she didn’t have enough money to afford food or school supplies, ACE was there. When her car broke down, ACE was there.  

In October 2024, Alexus lost her job and was evicted, marking the start of a difficult time. But ACE was once again there to help.

“The support that I get from ACE, everything that I've been able to get through in my life is because ACE has always helped me, especially Leigh,” Alexus said.

Leigh Quijada has been the director of ACE Scholars Services for the last two years after previously working with the program for 13 years as a counselor. She has played a huge role in Alexus’ life by not only guiding her but helping her get through every obstacle she has faced. “Persistent” and “resilient” are the two words Quijada uses to describe Alexus.

“I think Alexus might be the only student I’ve had who has been through it all and overcome everything," Quijada said.

Quijada has been there for Alexus since the start of her journey at CSUSM and has watched her grow. When Alexus was put on academic probation last year because she had to prioritize going to work to pay her bills over attending class, Quijada did everything in her power to help Alexus get re-enrolled.

“She is probably one of the biggest people in my life,” Alexus said. “I wouldn’t be getting my bachelor's without Leigh; she’s definitely my rock.”

After the difficult years Alexus endured as a foster child, she is graduating this winter and moving to Texas to begin a master’s program in kinesiology. She has played sports since she was young and hopes to continue her love for that field as an athletic trainer for professional athletes.

“People don't know what I've been through to get to this point,” Alexus said. “It's going to be a very big accomplishment.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

She grew up in Vista in a household where music was the background noise of life. Her father’s side of the family is populated with music teachers and choir directors, and during the holidays especially, the whole clan would congregate to play instruments or sing hymns.

Davis attended an elementary school where music education was strongly emphasized, and she began to come out of her shell through musical theater.

“Music is something that brings my family together and gives me joy,” Davis said. “It’s something I’ve been surrounded with my whole life.”

When Davis enrolled as a student at Cal State San Marcos in 2018, however, she did so with the intention of pursuing a major in literature and writing studies. She wanted to become a teacher like those who had inspired her as a child, but English struck her as a far more plausible discipline than music, or the arts in general. Such jobs, she reasoned, don’t exactly grow on trees.

In California, though, suddenly they might. In November 2022, the state’s voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 28, which will provide about $1 billion in funding each year to support arts education in public schools. Schools must spend 80% of that money on teachers and aides, which means that California has an overnight need for about 15,000 teachers in the arts, and San Diego County for about 500 such teachers.

This marks a sea change in the field of arts education, and CSUSM now is well-positioned to be a leader in the space. The university has received grants of $308,260 from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and $50,000 from the Clarence E. Heller Foundation to launch a program that will streamline the process for CSUSM students to become arts teachers.

Under the new CSUSM Art Credential Pathway, the university will be the first in the CSU system to create a pathway specifically for undergraduate arts majors who aspire to teach. Center ARTES, an organization dedicated to arts education and integration in K-12 schools that was founded by CSUSM music professor Merryl Goldberg in 2003, will partner with the university’s School of Arts and School of Education to develop and implement the pathway to prepare CSUSM arts students to reimagine high-quality arts education for the San Diego region and serve as a model for the state.

The future arts teachers will be recruited from CSUSM’s undergraduate arts and liberal studies students, as well as teaching artists and existing teachers in the San Diego community.

“We’re setting the course on this,” Goldberg said. “We’re not the only CSU that’s doing any work in this area, but we’re way ahead of the curve in terms of the partnering of the School of Arts and School of Education. That makes us a standout.”

To be able to teach in the arts, students typically need to earn a single-subject teaching credential in the arts, which CSUSM does not yet offer. What the new pathway will do is allow undergraduate arts and liberal studies students to complete a one-year multiple-subject credential program as long as they have accumulated 20 credits of arts classes, which could be dance, music, theater or visual arts.

“In the past, we haven’t really looked at that as a viable option for our students because there haven’t been jobs in the arts,” Goldberg said. “But now that there are probably 500 jobs alone in San Diego, this is such a no-brainer way to get our students into this career path.”

Working with Goldberg to institute the program is a team of faculty that includes education professor Christiane Wood, dance professor Cherie Hill, theater professor Judy Bauerlein and media arts professors Lucy HG Solomon, Kristin Moss and Julie Goldstein.

“This program is a game-changer for students looking to impact children’s lives through the arts,” Hill said. “I am excited that this pathway will cultivate future dance and arts educators.”

“Our on-the-ground efforts should translate to increasing the arts in schools and helping CSUSM students and area artists get jobs in the arts,” Solomon said. “In the not-so-distant future, we will be admitting new undergraduate students who have had classes in the arts throughout their education in the public schools. And it is likely that CSUSM alumni will have taught them. That’s exciting!”

“This initiative provides an opportunity to transform the arts education landscape by nurturing talent, igniting creativity and equipping future educators with the skills and knowledge to inspire the next generation of artists, serving as a blueprint for the state of California in support of Prop 28,” Wood said.

Planning and development of the pathway program started this semester and will continue in the spring. CSUSM also will seek to solidify connections with local arts organizations and teaching artists that will serve as partners in the program, including the Museum of Making Music, New Village Arts, The Old Globe, A Step Beyond and the Oceanside Museum of Art.

The first cohort of students pursuing a credential to teach the arts will launch next fall. Goldberg says the goal is to recruit 24 students for the yearlong program. The foundation funding will last for three years, meaning that there will be at least two cohorts.

Many of those two dozen future teachers were on campus Saturday, Nov. 4 when CSUSM hosted a workshop in the Arts Building that drew more than 75 people. The event introduced attendees to the road to becoming an elementary arts teacher in the areas of dance, theater, music, visual and media art. It featured activities, a panel with current arts teachers and an information session about the different ways to pursue a career in arts education.

“There was definitely a buzz of excitement there; it was just a really bright energy,” said Davis, one of the attendees. “A lot of the people on hand had no intention of being art teachers before Prop 28 passed. They just wanted to teach elementary education or maybe high school history or something. But now you can do both in the same program. I think that that's so wonderful, opening up these opportunities for people who might have never considered arts education.”

While she studied literature at CSUSM, Davis decided to take a couple of music classes just for fun, and she enjoyed them so much that she added music as a second major in 2020. She will graduate as a double major this month (though she’s walking in the spring) and take three pre-credential program classes next semester before joining the first arts pathway cohort in fall 2024.

When she’s not taking classes, Davis gives private voice lessons (she has sung at several CSUSM commencement ceremonies over the years) and teaches in after-school music theater programs at a couple of elementary schools in Escondido. Her goal is to teach both music and English at a school in San Diego County, preferably one where arts resources aren’t as bountiful and her skills are more needed.

“I've always been a huge advocate for arts teaching, especially in primary education,” she said. “I think it's so important to introduce kids to art at a young age. It inspires you to be a better person and motivates you; it's a great way to express yourself and to have a voice in the classroom. So I was really excited to hear that the state was pushing arts education a little bit more heavily.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Her parents worked a lot. Often, that not only meant making sacrifices, but also less time for her family to spend together.

But as an elementary school student, Rodriguez didn’t know of her family’s financial struggles. She had a normal and happy existence that eventually led her to Cal State San Marcos, where she’s now a senior on the cusp of graduating with an economics degree.

That healthy existence came in part thanks to a strong support system that included a nonprofit community program that helped families like hers stay engaged together. That program included nutrition classes, weekend activities where parents could garden with their children and planning family field trips.

Giving back to her community has been on the top of Rodriguez’s list for more years than she can remember.

She’s doing that and so much more with A Step Beyond, a local group serving over 200 San Marcos and Escondido low-income youth. The organization provides underserved youth with opportunities that greatly expand their expectations and ambitions through dance education, academic support and family services.

“It's important because a lot of the time dance really is just a place where the students get to explore what their movements are and express themselves to that,” Rodriguez said. “I think it's also really important that not just dance, but the arts in general are more accessible to all communities. Oftentimes the reason why people don't get into dance or into the arts is because sometimes it gets really expensive. Dance classes are not affordable for a lot of families. So sometimes families don't even have that as an option.”

Rodriguez began as an intern with the nonprofit group and was recently hired in a paid capacity thanks to the affect she has had in a small period of time along with some generous funding.

Although A Step Beyond is always popular in the community, Jennifer Oliver, the organization’s artistic director, recognized a particular need last summer in light of so much face-to-face time missed due to the pandemic.

Thanks to starting Rodriguez as an intern before the summer began, A Step Beyond was able to quickly reconnect with families.

“Lesly assisted us in extending our staff resources so that we were able to provide a greater service to our community and access to an array of exciting summer programs for youth,” Oliver said. “As many of our youth had spent the last year learning online and feeling an overall lack of motivation for learning, access to quality summer enrichment programs assisted in both their physical and mental well-being. Because of Lesly's support, over 64 students participated in summer learning camps with 348 total hours in summer learning experiences outside of A Step Beyond programming.”

Dance professor Karen Schaffman provided oversight of Rodriguez’s internship from the CSUSM side. Nhu Nguyen and Oliver provided A Step Beyond staff oversight, and with the help of CSUSM music professor Merryl Goldberg and The San Diego Foundation, Rodriguez was provided with a stipend for her efforts.

Rodriguez also assisted in the A Step Beyond Dance Intensive and Dancing in Nature programs, which allowed the staff to make more meaningful connections with individual youth.

“Initially, I think because I was someone new coming into their space, I still had to work to gain their trust and to make connections with them,” said Rodriguez, who had previous experience working with kids with autism. “And I think that just comes from a sudden new person coming into the space that they're not familiar with. But I started to get to know them. And I really enjoyed seeing the students whenever I went over there, especially when I helped out with Dancing in Nature. It was a little more intimate, so it was me and the director, a nature specialist, and then five or six students. We spent the whole week together and I got to know their worries as well because some of them had worries about going to college.”

Rodriguez not only assisted teaching artists during summer dance intensive classes, she also led dance classes. She also planned the curriculum while co-facilitating for the Dancing in Nature program.

“Lesly has a very calm and thoughtful presence,” Oliver said. “As she led check-ins and added her reflections to the learning circles, she would invite students to slow down and think more deeply about their experience. Lesly was genuinely proud of our youth's accomplishment and was generous in her support and validation of their work. As a youth leader she modeled a kind and reflective learning presence that the students appreciated and admired.”

Rodriguez didn’t learn formal dance in the traditional way.

Growing up in a Mexican family, dancing was seemingly part of every gathering. When she got to nearby Mission Hills High School, she took a dance class but learned more while participating on the color guard team.

Upon her arrival at CSUSM, she took an introduction to dance class as part of her general education requirement. She found herself surrounded by trained dancers, but that didn’t discourage her.

She eventually took another dance class in the summer and will finish her undergraduate work this spring with a minor in dance.

Rodriguez plans to use her economics degree to figure out ways to continue to fund community programs like A Step Beyond. And she may even teach a dance class or two.

“During the internship, Lesly was drawn to serving her community and providing families and youth access to opportunities that may feel out of their reach,” Oliver said. “She was proud of the work she did and felt inspired by A Step Beyond's mission. I truly hope that she pursues a career in service as she would be such a great asset to her community and would find great success in nonprofit leadership. We appreciated Lesly so much that we were able to hire her to continue working with youth and families thanks to a small grant and some funds we had set aside.

“We cannot be happier with her dedication, her thoughtfulness, her professionalism and her positive presence. Our community loves having her around and we are so thankful CSUSM promotes and advocates for students to have experiences serving their local community.”

Whatever the future holds for Rodriguez, she will serve her community in some capacity.

“Without that program me and my family wouldn't be in the spot that we are now,” Rodriguez said of the nonprofit community program her family was involved in when she was younger. “Now we're doing so much better. My parents were able to get better jobs, or they don't have to work as much anymore. So overall it doesn't only help the students, but it really helps the families. I know at A Step Beyond they’re also really family oriented. So they really make sure that the parents are involved, that there's a space not only for the students, but for the families as well.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

“That was the beginning of knowing that I loved dancing in a community setting,” said Schaffman, who has been teaching dance at Cal State San Marcos since 2001.

These days, Schaffman is doing more than dancing in a community setting. Her Performance Lab, which partners with the CSUSM Community Engaged Scholarship and Service Learning programs, is being hailed for projects ranging from presentations at the George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers in both Chula Vista and Encinitas and for its budding collaboration with the Escondido-based A Step Beyond, which employs contemporary dance as a tool to empower youth and guide them as they mature. Schaffman instigated and founded the campus partnership with A Step Beyond in 2015.

Schaffman’s efforts are drawing attention throughout the region and beyond.

“We’re giving our students an opportunity to impact the community,” Schaffman said.

Nowhere is that more evident than at the Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers, where nearly a year of research and rehearsals led to a Veterans Day performance before an audience whose memories are being slowly erased by the ravages of dementia.

The project evolved when Veronica Anover, then interim faculty director of Service Learning, reached out to Schaffman about the idea and the two visited the Glenner facility in Chula Vista. For nearly a year, several hundreds of hours were spent laying the groundwork for the performance via emails, phone calls, meetings on and off site, recruiting students, and more. Lecturers Thomas Chu and Anya Cloud were brought in to teach various dance styles and choreography.

Ten students, all with minors in dance, signed up. Lesly Rodriguez was among them.

“You start from nothing, build from there by working with your peers, and the end product is something that benefits the community,” said Rodriguez, who noted that students were tasked with researching Alzheimer’s disease and memory care, the music of the 1950s and popular clothing at the time, even bringing in an expert on the style of post-World War II dress from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles.

The Veterans Day choreography covered swing, hip-hop and improvisation, and it was followed by seniors joining students as they cut the rug on the dance floor.

“Based on the reactions we got, it was something they enjoyed tremendously and an experience they don’t get very often,” Rodriguez said. “It was the culmination of an ongoing process that was all about collaboration.”

Schaffman agreed.

“The important thing is discovering how we can radically transform our world through collaboration,” Schaffman said. “Dance teaches collaboration, something that is desperately needed in these times.”

Schaffman’s body of work is steeped in partnership. Her varied projects include co-founding the avant-garde collective Lower Left, housed for several years in San Diego at SUSHI Performance & Visual Art; participating in the European dance collective Veronika Blumstein; and dancing with LIVE – a regional, weekly, improvisation-based practice group. Schaffman earned her doctorate in dance history and theory (now called critical dance studies) from UC Riverside with a dissertation titled “From the Margins to the Mainstream: Contact Improvisation and the Commodification of Touch.” She built and leads the CSUSM Dance Studies program.

Schaffman has played a critical role in bringing more than 150 events to the North County community. Dance Studies recently launched the Experimental Dance Project, which invites professional artists concerned with matters of social justice to work with students through politically driven dance residencies.

“My teacher, Deborah Hay, said, ‘To dance is a political act,’ and I follow and live that credo,” Schaffman said. “We learn about one another through dancing together. We learn about ancestries, culture, diverse identities, and appreciate our differing anatomies. Through dance, we share space, place, stories, experiences and sensations. We inspire and respect one another. We sweat. And we keep going.

“Dance is the experience with which we know the world.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314