Santa Barbara Dance Arts Makes a Difference Through Dance

Now in a new space, the veteran studio has expanded its community outreach programs.

By Indy Staff January 5, 2017

3 min read

Santa Barbara Dance Arts Makes a Difference Through Dance — <strong>THE POWER OF DANCE:</strong> "It's a training ground for the next generation for artists and, inside of that, a place where women can feel good about themselves, empowered, and smart,” said SBDA director Alana Tillim.

A building ground for budding dancers, a buzzing hub for visiting world-renowned choreographers and Santa Barbara artists, a place to let loose, a home away from home — Santa Barbara Dance Arts (SBDA) is all of these and continues to be more. Since moving into its new space in January 2014 after skyrocketing rents forced them out of the Funk Zone, the dance studio has flourished with expanded programs and youth-mentorship opportunities, serving as a community center for all things choreographed, improvised, or en pointe.

Now in its 20th year, SBDA’s is a “tale of how the arts can survive in S.B.,” director Alana Tillim says. Calling their neighborhood migration “a success story out of the Gentrification Exodus” wherein rising property costs forced many creative souls out of their Funk Zone abodes, the dance studio has managed to expand in its new space on Cota by offering affordable spaces to rent for visiting artists, Fiesta dancers, and area theater companies, on top of its wide array of master classes, adult programs, and workshops. In light of the recent Oakland Ghost Ship fire, Tillim says, the need for affordable creative spaces has never been more evident, with rising rents, permitting protocols, and parking modifications all strangling creative construction.

Most remarkable, though, is SBDA’s partnership with the Arts Mentorship Program (AMP), a separate nonprofit cofounded by SBDA founder Steven Lovelace and Tillim. Providing dance and creative arts opportunities for children in Santa Barbara who otherwise could not afford them, AMP’s one-to-one mentorship program has expanded “exponentially” thanks to a sub-tenancy at the new Cota space, wherein SBDA donates up to $85,000 per year in in-kind services, staff time, supplies, and studio and office space. Working with CASA Santa Barbara, Transition House, CALM, and creative partner Teen Star Santa Barbara, among many others, the AMP gives scholarships to children in homeless shelters, foster care, or abusive family situations. “Dance is one of the only things that sustains these kids. It brings them joy,” Tillim said. Last year’s Teen Dance Star event helped raise $3,000 for AMP youth dance scholarships, and SBDA’s own student company raised another $8,000.