Once Upon a Studio

“I think of dance as a constant transformation of life itself."

– Merce Cunningham*

Blog contribution by Becky Bearse

When I was three years old, my mother placed me in my first dance class in my hometown of Concord. Surrounded by music, leotards and tights, and the ability to move about the room with so much emotion, and yet no words, dance became everything to me. From ballet to tap to jazz to hip-hop to contemporary to house to Latin to West African to breakdancing, I was completely enamored with every aspect of this art form. As I moved across the country, I continued to study, teach and perform, taking in every new experience like a sponge filling up with water. With such a diverse background, I found it challenging to work with traditional choreographers, as my body naturally wanted to move from one medium to the next. Insatiably curious, I began to dedicate weekly studio time to exploring the seamless combination of multiple dance mediums, an art form I denoted to be fusion dance. This exploration came to life in 2012 with the debut of The Pack in San Francisco. Thirteen years and nine professional pieces later, I continue to devote weekly time to exploring this multi-medium dance form.

As Cunningham’s quote reveals, dance is truly a “constant transformation of life itself.” It is continually evolving, yet consistently ephemeral, which in many ways reflects the ever-changing human experience. Every time I step into the studio to create something new, I am fascinated both with the creative and artistic process involved in exploring fusion dance and this art form’s unique ability to emote and tell a story through movement. Whether these creations are traditional pieces on stage, on video or in the form of new class curriculum, I am always looking to grow and fuel my creative practice and process with new knowledge, experiences and people to accurately reflect the full spectrum of the human experience.

I continue to take classes and to spend weekly time in the studio to fuel and inspire my own creative evolution. I take these new movement creations into the studio to inform my work and the ever-evolving curriculum for all of my classes. As an artist and a Concord native, I feel fortunate to have found a home at The Umbrella Arts Center, where I have been given the freedom to create new, culturally relevant curriculum that is inspired by both the diversity in my artistic background as well as the world in which we currently live. So, come join me in celebration of the transformative power of dance in one of my unique classes, which honor “…dance as a constant transformation of life itself.”

*Source: https://www.uplifterinc.com/dance-quotes

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Becky Bearse (M.A., M. Ed.) is Founder of beBE dance, under which she offers a wide range of teaching and choreography services, and has been selected to be part of the 2024 cohort of The Dance Complex’s aMaSSiT Choreography Lab. Becky is also proud to be Dance Faculty at The Umbrella Arts Center, where she currently teaches on Tuesdays, Latin Rhythms, and Thursdays, Club Rhythms, from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM. First class is FREE, so come check out one or both in an inclusive and welcoming environment in which all are encouraged to release their inner dancers!