A mass migration: new competing dance studio has won over nearly all clients
Sarah Carr practicing extensions on barre (Sofia Fonseca/The Puma Prensa)
Written By: Sophia Nagra and Lauren Chavez, Staff Writers
In a polarized world of white and blue-collar jobs, we fail to recognize the niche careers that are often overshadowed by self-doubt and ignorance. For dancers of the Santa Rosa Ballet company, passion and community are the driving forces of their talent’s success. Despite struggles with new management at the Santa Rosa Dance Theater, these local ballerinas have made it through a hurricane of chaos. Now, they are thriving more than ever.
The new studio, located above beloved Snoopy’s Home Ice, is uniquely situated to have a perfect view of the rink, tying vivid nostalgia into uncharted territory. Up-and-coming business owner of SRB, Stephanie Barclay, a former teacher at SRDT, has attracted nearly all her previous students, including Sofia Fonseca, a level 5 student, who frequently voices her appreciation for having “another dance studio in Santa Rosa that is specifically for classical ballet.”
Unlike the common Marley dance floors, SRB’s glossy wood finish provides extra durability, resistance, comfortability, and versatility—all components each dancer finds within one another.
For many, an adjustment of this size would be challenging, especially after growing accustomed to specific classes, teachers, and rooms. However, the community has helped this group of dancers to settle into their new studio. Fonseca, who recently transferred from SRDT to SRB, said that because “we all migrated together, it was much easier to adjust, having peers we’ve known for years.” Fonseca added that this “includes teachers,” as Barclay had previously taught classes at SRDT for years to both Fonseca and her peers.
Fonseca, an aspiring profesional ballerina (Sofia Fonseca/The Puma Prensa)
While it may seem as though the passion these dancers hold never falters, ballet is incredibly demanding, and this, among other factors, leads these young artists to make a difficult decision regarding continuing their sport. As student Sarah Carr puts it, improvement in ballet “comes in phases. You improve rapidly, then plateau.” Because of the rapid improvement rate, many dancers are bound to develop a stagnant feeling, as though they aren’t receiving anything worthwhile from ballet anymore, causing many to quit in their early years. Additionally, Fonseca claims that the environment heavily influences a dancer’s motivation to continue, admitting that she “wanted to give up so many times because of [their] poor surroundings.”
Ultimately, regardless of the challenges faced along the way, being a part of a naturally rewarding sport has motivated these high-achieving dancers to continue. When asked what the most rewarding part of dancing is, Fonseca quickly announced it was “being on stage.” She notes that the final bow is the pivot point from stress and focus to immediate relief and reward “because you’re not dancing, so you can let everything go.” For both Fonseca and Carr, the engaged and excited audience is another satisfying aspect of their skill. While Fonseca declares that “you dance for yourself first,” she admits, “it’s nice to know that other people are watching you.” Given an opportunity to share their passion with the world is undoubtedly special and one-of-a-kind. For Carr, her motivation is deeply rooted in the pride she carries from her younger self. As Carr explains, her dream “was becoming, at least, a good dancer.” Holding more confidence in her talent now, she admits she is “achieving that right now.” Fonseca knows they are “good dancers, and sure, it’s hard, but [they are] going to be able to get through it.”