Santa Monica College's student dancers are trading classrooms for the spotlight this weekend, bringing West African rhythms, Mexican folklórico, contemporary ballet and salsa to the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage. The Global Motion World Dance Company performs Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., continuing a tradition that has carried SMC students onto stages across California, Mexico and beyond.
According to the Santa Monica College dance department, Global Motion is made up of SMC students who learn, rehearse and perform world dance styles, and the company performs at the Broad Stage every fall and spring semester. For this fall's run, Santa Monica College Global Motion World Dance Company will present its fall 2026 world-dance performance at the venue, with shows each starting at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, as reported by Santa Monica Daily Press. The performances take place at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage inside the SMC Performing Arts Center, located at 1310 11th St. at Santa Monica Boulevard.
A Program Spanning Continents and Styles
Santa Monica Daily Press reports that SMC students will perform traditional and contemporary world dance styles across the two-night run, with the lineup including West African dance, Asian dance, contemporary ballet, Mexican folklórico and salsa. A separate 2026 event listing from LA Dance Chronicle similarly describes the show as featuring West African, Mexican folklórico, contemporary ballet and salsa styles. The program draws on work from guest artists, faculty and student choreographers, according to the Daily Press account.
Faculty choreographers named in that report include Seda Aybay for contemporary ballet, Laura Canellias for salsa, Jennifer Jesswein for belly dance, Angela Jordan for West African dance, Raquel Ramirez for Mexican folklórico from Jalisco, and Sri Susilowati for Indonesian Saman. Guest choreographers Jackie Riedel and Alondra Ramirez also contribute to the program, the Daily Press notes. Raquel Ramirez and Sri Susilowati serve as artistic directors of the company; Ramirez is also an SMC dance professor who founded and directs a folklórico performance group, while Susilowati, originally from Indonesia, creates works focused on community, gender and ethnicity, per the same account.
Guest Artists Bring Street Dance and Film Credentials
LA Dance Chronicle reports that guest artists Christopher Martinez and Liam Gifkins contribute choreography to this fall's show. Per the Daily Press, Martinez — known as Mayhem — is a Latino multidisciplinary street dance artist and educator from Boyle Heights who trained with Versa-Style Street Dance Company and the Renovate House Dance Program. He has represented the United States as a delegate of the arts at international events in Europe and is in his third season as co-director of Future Shock Los Angeles, a youth dance company under Culture Shock Los Angeles, according to the report.
Gifkins, an SMC dance department alum, now works as a professional choreographer, dancer and filmmaker specializing in whacking, vogue and hip-hop, the Daily Press account states. His filmmaking has received international recognition, including an award at the London International Film Festival, per the same report. Costumer Patricia Oliva, who the Daily Press describes as a professional costumer, hand-makes the company's costumes each season.
A Company With Deep Roots
Global Motion traces back more than 50 years, founded by Judith Douglas, according to the Daily Press report. SMC describes the company as having toured throughout California and Mexico for more than 40 years, with additional tours to China, Italy and Chile. The department's own website lists stops in Beijing, Bracciano, Italy, Santiago, Chile, Lloret de Mar, Spain, and Paris as part of that international touring history.
The company's rehearsal process was on display earlier this year: the student newspaper The Corsair covered a Global Motion dress rehearsal at the Broad Stage in May, where students ran through numbers including the West African dance Manjani (Mendiani), choreographed by Angela Jordan; a Cuban mambo number titled A Night at The Paladium, choreographed by Laura Canellias; and Cuadro de Jalisco, a Mexican folklórico piece choreographed by Raquel Ramirez.
Tickets, Parking and Access
Advance general admission tickets cost $20 plus a modest service charge and are available at smc.edu/tickets or by calling 310-434-3005, a line that operates Monday through Friday during limited hours, according to the Daily Press report. Tickets on performance day cost $23 plus a modest service charge and are available at the Broad Stage box office. A separate 2026 listing from LA Dance Chronicle gives slightly different figures, noting $20 in advance and $25 at the door for the same run.
Seating is first-come, first-served, and the venue provides free parking, per the Daily Press account. Additional information is available at smc.edu/dance or by calling 310-434-8763. As with any live performance, organizers note the shows may be subject to change or cancellation without notice.
