For the choreographers of the Santa Rosa Junior College Dance Production class, dance is more than a form of exercise or a P.E. credit. It allows them to express the complexities of emotion in a physical and visual way.

The students of the SRJC Dance Production Class put on their annual dance performance the weekend of May 11-May 13. Lara Branen and Susan Matties instruct the class.

Jessica O’Neill is a choreographer for the SRJC’s dance performance, “Inside Out.” Her dance, a lyrical jazz piece titled “Goodbye My Love,” incorporates the use of Frisbees to express the ups and downs of a relationship.

“When people work together, they can accomplish wonderful things. My dancers trust each other to throw the Frisbees in the right place and be where they need to be,” O’Neill said. “It’s just like in a relationship. You have to trust each other to do the right things, but you also have to accept that occasionally one or both people might drop the Frisbee.”

Joanna Goodrich’s dance, “Letting Go,” takes a more spiritual route. “It’s a prayer in motion. It’s about surrendering to a greater power. I live my life very fast — speeding tickets up the yin yang—and for me, prophetic worship (dancing for God) is a way to slow down,” Goodrich said. The dancers use large scarves to enhance the fluidity of their movements. The product is a feeling of inspiration and peace.

A sharp contrast to Goodrich’s dance is “Black” Mike Harris’s hip-hop piece. You can sense the lightheartedness of the dancers as they call out constructive criticism to each other at rehearsals. “You look like you’ve gotta poop!” said one helpful student to another. Harris’s dance, like Goodrich’s, acts as an escape from the real world. The dancers mimic robots or little wound up toys, with angular and halting movements. Harris said that he just wanted to dance and have a little fun.

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