Happy May!
Swipe to see what’s happening this month in the Motion Pacific Community 💃🏻✨🏳️🌈
Schedule of classes for A Gay Day in May will be announced soon!
Links are live in our bio to purchase tickets for Spring Recital and to sign up for Intro to Drag 😍
♥️ Announcement: Our New Mission Statement ♥️
As we enter the first weeks of Trump’s presidency, many people are feeling unsafe and unwell. Motion Pacific has always worked to provide accessible dance education, but the last few years have shown us that we’ve grown beyond this …
We are more than a dance studio. We are a movement.
Motion Pacific is a community organization and dance studio for Every. Body.
We queer the arts to build the world in which we want to live—joyful, liberated, and just. Through public events, Queer programming, and classes for all levels, we build community and collaborate to create spaces of belonging.
Swipe to see our upcoming events in support of this mission. Save the date for our first Motion Pacific Mixer at The Neighbor’s Pub, which will become a monthly gathering on the last Friday of every month at 7:30pm.
You belong here. We have each other. We have us.
Motion Pacific is going to truly miss the amazing Dani Valadez-Powell. Dani, who instructs across our youth and adult programs, is stepping away from her role as hip-hop dance teacher. She shared that it has been an honor to teach at Motion Pacific and take part in our inspiring and supportive dance community. She remains grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented students and dedicated staff.
❣️ Dani will be teaching ONE MORE Adult Intermediate Hip Hop Class. Please join us for her last class at Motion Pacific, this Thursday May 21st from 7pm-8pm @londonnelsoncenter ❣️
She thanks everyone for being part of this dance journey!
Stay tuned for more information about what’s next in the realm of Hip Hop at Motion!
Ever dreamed of doing drag but had no idea where to start? ✨
Introducing our INTRO TO DRAG WORKSHOP — a 4 week series designed to help you discover your sparkliest self and unleash your inner superstar. Whether you’re curious, terrified, excited, or all three, this space is for YOU.
Over 4 weeks, you’ll learn:
👑 Drag character & name creation
💄 Makeup + costuming skills
🎤 Stage presence & performance
🔥 How to build a drag act that throws DOWN
The series culminates in a fabulous student showcase on June 27th! 🕺🏽
Led by legendary drag kings Faggy Mercury & Tenacious Beef Supreme (plus some amazing guest instructors 👀).
Bring:
🖊 Notebook + pen
🎧 Headphones/music device
👕 Clothes you can move in
✨ Optional: something that inspires your drag persona
No experience necessary — just curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to play 💖
‼️ The series starts NEXT FRIDAY, May 22nd, so hurry to the link in our bio for more info and to register!
Motion Pacific’s Annual Spring Recital is THIS SATURDAY! 💐
Get your tickets at the link in our bio and join us @santacruzcivic ♥️ Doors open at 1:45pm and the performance begins promptly at 2pm!
Enjoy these beautiful photos of last years recital, courtesy of @cesar.pics
💚 SAVE THE DATE! 💚
Pride Majesty: Daytime Edition is SOOOOO back! 😍🌈
This epic version of Majesty will be hosted by @kiantis on SUNDAY, JUNE 7TH at NOON … right as the Santa Cruz Pride Parade goes by in @downtownsantacruz 🏳️🌈
Stay tuned for the lineup and more details ✨
We are so excited for our Annual Spring Recital next Saturday, May 16th!
PLEASE NOTE that many classes will be ❣️CLOSED❣️ to the general public this week and next, so that those performing in the recital can rehearse their pieces! Before attending a class, be sure to check MindBody to make sure that the class is still open to all. Classes that are closed will have “CLOSED FOR REHEARSAL” in the title.
Thank you so much for your understanding! We can’t wait to dance with you again soon, and don’t forget to purchase tickets for recital at the link in our bio! 🤗💐🕺🏽
Taking a look back to our in incredible morning shoot on the West Side at Lighthouse Field State Beach, featuring the lovely dancers of @motionpacificdance
This event was curated by Frans Lanting | @franslanting in partnership with @scdanceweek and @rippleartsfestsantacruz
A group of local photographers woke up extra early to capture shots of the dancers at dusk - instructed by @franslanting
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As we reflect on this event, we also wanted to extend a warm thank you to all of the sponsors behind Santa Cruz Dance Week and Dancing in Unusual Places. It takes a special kind of community to bring these experiences to frution, and we are so thrilled to have seen another fantastic year of dance in our county.
Thank you,
Motion Pacific | @motionpacificdance
Downtown Santa Cruz | @downtownsantacruz
City of Santa Cruz | @officialcityofsantacruz
Mad Yolks | @mad_yolks
Verve Coffee Roasters | @vervecoffee
Maverick Mailing |
Lookout Santa Cruz | @lookoutsantacruz
The Goodtimes | @goodtimessc
Arts Council Santa Cruz | @artscouncilsc
Ripple Effect Arts Festival | @rippleartsfestsantacruz
West Coast Community Bank | @westcoastcommunitybank
Bookshop Santa Cruz | @bookshopsc
MyToque | @toque_blanche_store
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Huge thank you to the incredible 📸 @shotbyrose831 for capturing this moment!
So proud of these dancers and all the work they’ve put in over the last four weeks. 💛 Watching confidence, style, and performance grow week after week is one of my favorite parts of teaching. They absolutely crushed this combo and brought so much energy and personality to it. 👏👞
Want to dance with us?
My Beginner/Intermediate Tap class meets Tuesdays at 6:15 PM at the London Nelson Community Center. Link in bio for class info + registration ✨#TapDance #AdultTap #TapClass #SantaCruz #LearnToTap
✨A GAY DAY IN MAY✨ is this Saturday! Here’s the schedule:
🏳️🌈 12PM: Event Begins!
Grab some food and start shopping the marketplace.
🏳️🌈 12:30pm-1:30pm
Mo Katzman and Kris Kifer — Queer Line Dancing
Come reclaim country dancing through a Queer lens with us! Let’s stomp boots and heehaw till the cows come home. Beginner friendly!
@mokatzman
🏳️🌈 1:35pm-1:55pm
Saz Russell — Banjo Set
Dropping thumbs and lifting spirits with old time banjo tunes
@sazquatchriverbanjo
🏳️🌈 2pm-3pm
Reyna Hernández-Roque — House Dance class
Enjoy house music? Want to learn house dance? Come and join us for an energetic and beginner-friendly class where you’ll learn the steps, dance with others, and have fun together!
Make sure to bring water and stay hydrated!
@heyitsreynah
🏳️🌈 3:30pm-4pm
Mo Katzman and Elliot Richardson bring you — How to Raw Dog the Dance Floor: A mini class on how to feel confident dancing in a gay bar!
Do you want to go dance at a gay bar but feel intimidated? Do you feel like you don’t know where to look, how to move, or put your hands? Do you feel uncomfortable dancing in general and don’t know where to start? This class is for you! In this workshop, we want to get you to feel confident in your body so that you can dance your way through the rest of pride month, and maybe even woo some crushes on the dance floor 👀
@mokatzman@faggy_mercury
🏳️🌈 4pm-6pm
DJ Dance Party with @djnolacruz
