SMC Opens Fall 2026 Masters of Dance Series Sept. 24

SMC Opens Fall 2026 Masters of Dance Series Sept. 24

Free Master Classes and Talks with Renowned Dance Professionals

SANTA MONICA, CA—The Santa Monica College (SMC) Dance Department presents its Fall 2026 Masters of Dance series, offering a line-up of master classes and learning workshops led by dance professionals. The series starts Sept. 24 with a talk by orthopedic clinical specialist and former professional dancer Annette Karim on methods to screen dancers for movement patterns to improve coordination, continues on Oct. 7 with a class in Contemporary Ballet presented by Josie Walsh, and concludes Nov. 18 with a class on the art and culture of Belly Dance led by Ariel Kasha.

The Masters of Dance workshops are free, and the public is invited to attend as participants or as observers. Seating is limited and on a first-arrival basis. The workshops will be held in the SMC Core Performance Center (CPC) on the SMC Main Campus (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica).

The series is sponsored by the SMC Associates (smc.edu/associates) — a private organization that funds speakers and special programs on the Santa Monica College campus — and the SMC Dance Department.

The Fall 2026 Masters of Dance line-up is:

• Sept. 24, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Annette Karim: “Dancer Screening and Sensorimotor Integration” — Core Performance Center (CPC 304), on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Annette Karim, Professor and Chair of Physical Therapy at Azusa Pacific University, will lead a workshop on dancer-specific screening techniques using standardized and innovative assessments to examine movement patterns and improve coordination through breathing, posture, and developmental movement strategies. Dr. Karim is a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and former professional dancer whose research focuses on dancer movement screening, motor control, injury prevention, and performance. Since 2006, she has conducted dancer screenings with professional dance companies and Dance/USA in Los Angeles. Free. Sponsored by the SMC Associates and SMC Dance Department.
• Oct. 7, 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Josie Walsh: “Contemporary Ballet” — Core Performance Center (CPC 304), on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Josie Walsh will lead a session for dancers to explore contemporary ballet through an approach that emphasizes alignment, groundedness, fluidity, and contemporary movement pathways, while integrating floorwork and artistic expression with traditional technique. An internationally recognized choreographer renowned for her choreographic work bridging classical and contemporary ballet, Walsh is Artistic Director and Choreographer of BalletRED Contemporary Ballet and Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet School’s West Coast Summer Programs, and a former dancer with The Joffrey Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and Zurich Ballet. Free. Sponsored by the SMC Associates and SMC Dance Department.
• Nov. 18, 12:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.: Ariel Kasha: “Sacred Movement: An Introduction to the Art and Culture of Belly Dance” — Core Performance Center (CPC 310), on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Ariel Kasha will lead a workshop that explores the foundations of belly dance through Egyptian, Greek, Lebanese, and American fusion traditions, while developing fundamental movement skills, rhythmic awareness, and an understanding of the cultural and historical contexts that have shaped this dance form. Kasha, a dancer and educator with more than 20 years of experience in traditional Raqs Sharqi and fusion belly dance, has trained and performed throughout the Middle East, studying the dance traditions of Egypt, Morocco, Greece, Türkiye, and Lebanon. Free. Sponsored by the SMC Associates and SMC Dance Department.

More information is available at smc.edu/dance or by calling 310-434-4100 or 310-434-8763. All presentations subject to change or cancellation without notice. Santa Monica College is a California Community College accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).

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