Kern Dance Alliance & CSUB host National Dance Day on Saturday
Bakersfield, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — For Arlene Carrillo, cheering and dance have been her passions since she was a little girl.
“It’s always just been something that I’ve enjoyed. I like putting a smile on people’s faces and kind of expressing myself,” she said.
That’s why when the Kern Dance Alliance partnered with CSUB to host National Dance Day on Saturday, Carrillo jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it.
“There was a young girl here today and she was like, ‘can you help me hold pom poms? I don’t know how to hold pom poms’, and I was like, ‘oh my God. Absolutely’. So those little moments just bring me so much joy and help me feel so full,” Carrillo said.
That sense of fulfillment is also shared by many of the instructors teaching Saturday’s classes too.
They say it’s important to be able to pass on their skills generation to generation.
“It’s so important that generations understand the importance of dance and movement. Teach the next generation and allow that to continue,” Andrea Hansen, the president of the Kern Dance Alliance, said,
Because for Hansen, dancing is one of our most basic forms of expression.
“Dance is one of the most human experiences. We danced before we ever had vocabulary. We danced, our ancestors danced to communicate with each other. And dancing is an experience that keeps us grounded as human beings,” she said.
And as far as Castillo is concerned, she doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.
“I do see myself continuing in cheer and dance. It’s definitely a passion of mine. And, I really wish to continue this.”
