SLU-Madrid’s dance program has expanded with more than 100 students performing last spring, according to Professor María Jesús Peces-Barba. But dancers still rely on off-campus studios and are calling for a dedicated space on campus.
Peces-Barba and Professor Yolanda Granado teach seven classes across four dance courses each semester.
Basic classes attract as many as 26 students, while advanced groups average around 12. For the final show, each class performs two of its own dances plus one combined piece with all students.
Coordinating that many dancers is challenging without a permanent home base, several dance students say. They say they feel left behind after new facilities were opened for music and visual arts.
The program rents space at Colegio Elías Ahuja for end-of-semester shows.
The university has been searching for a new, permanent dance space for years, though nothing has been confirmed, Peces-Barba said.
Some students say the current arrangement is unfair compared to other arts programs. “You know, in my accounting class, I’ve learned that buying space would be an asset, and right now we rent, which is a liability, so get your finances together, SLU,” said Tyler Tuttle, a sophomore minoring in dance.
“I would like to know if, and when, there are plans to give the dance instructors a designated spot on campus, and that you can quote me on.”
For SLU dance students, the lack of rehearsal time on stage is a challenge. Classes practice separately in the rented studio.
“We only get to practice the choreography together on the stage the day of the performance,” Tuttle said. “They don’t know how big the stage is, and transferring from one small classroom to a giant stage changes everything.”
According to Peces-Barba, who has taught dance at SLU-Madrid for 27 years, not having a permanent space has been a struggle for several years. She said the program has relocated several times, and this is their third rental studio.
“So, it was thought that we would have a class in San Ignacio that was made for dance, but it wasn’t made well, and the students couldn’t utilize it,” Peces-Barba said.
Noise complaints during rehearsals forced the move from SIH to the new rented space.
Although the rental studio works for daily practice, Peces-Barba said it does have limitations. “The problem is that students can’t practice stage entrances or exits together; they only get to join everyone else for the first time on the day of the show,” Peces-Barba said.
While facing challenges, many students say they appreicate the program’s strength: its professors. “The dance program is great because of María and Yolanda,” said Noella Conner, a senior minoring in performing arts. “The teachers pour their whole hearts into teaching us, a lot of us who have never had experience with the dance styles before. It is super clear how much the professors love their students.”
