Viking midfielder Sky Demelo scored the first of LBCC’s six first half goals which helped propel themselves to a dominant 7-0 victory over Citrus College in the second round of the South Coast Regionals tournament on Saturday.
The Vikings scored on two set pieces early in the first half, which set the tone for what would be a half dominated by LBCC both in possession and score.
“Today showed a group that is hungry. A group that wants to fight and improve themselves,” head coach Tino Nunez said.
The Vikings finished a majority of their scoring chances in the match, something that they have been improving at throughout the season.
“When you have that kind of hunger in front of the goal, you’re going to get rewarded and I think they did a great job of that today,” Nunez said.
After a victory in the SCC tournament, LBCC came into this tournament with a bye, which can present its own set of problems.
“After having a bye, we were kind of unsure on how this game would turn out, but definitely a big ego boost to get this big of a win,” Viking defender Kamren Velazquez said.
A win of this size is more than just a result for the team, but also a huge confidence boost.
“I think it just asserts our dominance, and it just puts a little fear into the hearts of the teams we play next,” LBCC defender Charlotte Grace said.
With the competition only growing in talent as the Vikings progress in the tournament, it is important they stay at the top of their game for each and every opponent.
“I think we just need to come into the games with confidence, because it’s obvious we have the talent, and we need to keep capitalizing on our opportunities,” Grace said.
LBCC played their next tournament match at home against Mt. San Antonio on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in which they tied the game on regular time and took the match on penalty kicks 3-0 against Mt. San Antonio.
The newest showing at LBCC’s art gallery, “Satellites”, featuring adjunct art professors’ work, open through Dec. 10, features unique pieces of work such as giant stone sculptures, black and white graphite paintings and abstract decomposed photographs. Some of the artists were featured in a panel to talk about their work and their status as adjuncts on Nov. 15.
Panelists included adjunct art professors Dietra Charles, ZZ Krebs and Christian Salcedo Ward, who talked with the curator of the gallery, Karla Aguiniga, answering questions from students, most of whom were in painting classes just before the event started.
The artists explained why they decided to submit their pieces to be featured in the exhibit, revealing that some have existed for many years before being shown off to the public.
Adjunct professor Dieta Charles featured her graphite art piece titled “My Brother,” originally conceived in 2018 as a way to honor her beloved brother and also relate to race-based tensions.
“I wanted people to see the kindness and gentleness that he represents and that I grew up with. … I wanted to break down the stereotypes of black men and show him as approachable,” Charles said.
Artists submitted at least three works from their portfolios to Aguiniga, the curator, for consideration to be included alongside the meaning and what the work means to them.
ZZ Krebs, the artist behind the sculpture “Momentum,” an abstract work made of stone and glass crystals, discussed how the piece doesn’t have one set meaning and how the art and creative process mean to her.
“I kind of think of them [art pieces] as like stories within themselves, when I have a show I think about how the work connects to each other, … The viewer can create their own interpretation to the work, which is really important to me rather than being straightforward,” Krebs said.
Artists’ work went from the extremely “out there” concepts, such as a giant obelisk made of beeswax covered in political slogans to the more mundane, such as adjunct professor Christian Ward’s work, which featured printed abstract interpretations of photos taken on his morning walks.
When asked about his creative process for the pieces, he credited simplicity and the mundane.
“Just like unimportant things in the street kind of have influence over me, it’s kind of powerful. It’s kind of what these pieces are about, just looking and finding values in simple things.”
Throughout the event, the adjunct professors brought up their adjunct status and compared the pros and cons of being part of it.
One of the major cons mentioned was the fact that they had to work in multiple colleges and come from a long way, one professor featured in the exhibit being from Oceanside in San Diego County and others having to teach in community colleges as far away as Palm Springs.
This has caused a lack of time to work on their own art.
The term “Satellites” for the art gallery was chosen due to the metaphorical “satellite-like” nature of the adjunct-artists.
“Like satellites, these artists travel their own arcs across the city–crossing freeways, weaving through neighborhoods, and carrying the weather of their studios with them–before converging in Long Beach to share their work,” according to the LBCC website.
“Satellites” is set to run for three and a half more weeks, with the last chance to see the exhibit on Dec. 10.
When artist Mark Steven Greenfield first presented his idea about creating a series of artworks using 19th-century photos of white men in blackface to his mother, she was appalled.
“She wanted these things to stay buried, but I come from a spiritual background that teaches if you bury something, it comes back in a way you can’t control,” Greenfield said. “I believe that the people who were doing this (blackface) were actually appropriating African American culture. By doing this series, I am reappropriating the appropriator.”
The series, called “Blackatcha” and some of Greenfield’s other works inspired by Black history, were presented as part of a guest lecture series hosted by Long Beach City College’s art department on Nov. 13.
Attendees view a piece Mark Steven Greenfield’s series “Blackatcha” during a presentation held inside the K Building at the Liberal Arts Campus in Long Beach, California on Nov. 13. Greenfield said his goal with creating a series of art centered around white men in blackface was to “reappropriate the appropriator. ” (Ryenne Jolliff)
Greenfield grew up in Los Angeles and is the son of a Tuskegee Airman, one of the first Black pilots to serve in the U.S. military during World War II.
This personal connection to African American history remains the core of Greenfield’s work.
“I look at these stories as sources of empowerment,” Greenfield said.
Greenfield’s interest in art first began at the age of 13, and was the result of a science experiment gone wrong.
“I had a chemistry kit, and one night I mixed the wrong chemicals together, which started a small fire in my bedroom. My mother gave me a whooping that lasted for the better part of two weeks, and during that time I started making drawings for her as a peace offering,” said Greenfield.
Greenfield said that art, and the encouragement from one of his teachers, helped him escape difficult times in his teenage years.
“This particular teacher said to me, ‘You have the ability to become a great artist, if you live long enough to become one.’ I ran with a crazy crowd at the time. All of the people I ran with back in the day are either dead or in prison,” Greenfield said.
Throughout his life, Greenfield worked as a park director, an artist for the Los Angeles Police Department, and a designer for department store window displays, but never stopped pursuing his love of art.
“It’s taken me the better part of 50 years to understand that what we do are passions, but this country doesn’t always support passions. You need to find a way to support yourself,” said Greenfield.
Alongside his “Blackatcha” series, Greenfield presented works that blend his spiritual beliefs with racist views of African Americans.
Two pieces featured racist cartoon characters from the 1930’s and 1940’s surrounded by meditation symbols, while others symbolized the major role the cotton industry played during the era of slavery.
Greenfield’s current series, HALO, highlights Black historical figures whose stories are relatively unknown.
“Everyone already knows about Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. I wanted to focus on the obscure characters that nobody knows about,” Greenfield said.
Some of the figures featured in this series include Xica da Silva, a former slave who became one of the wealthiest people in the 17th century; Saartjie Baartman, known as “The Black Venus,” who was touted as a freak show attraction; and Joe Travis, the only male survivor of the Battle of the Alamo.
Greenfield intends to expand this series to include members of the LGBTQ+ community like William Dorsey Swann, America’s first drag queen.
“In doing research for this project, what I’ve found is that there are people who have been fighting these battles for over 200 years. In bringing these characters to the forefront, I hope that can give people the strength to continue fighting,” said Greenfield.
LBCC student Terry Bohler, who attended the lecture, said that she was blown away by Greenfield’s dedication to research.
“I almost want to know if he’s writing a book or something,” Bohler said. “He immerses you in the history and in his thought process.”
Bohler also admired the way Greenfield represented the subject matter in his HALO series.
“He put a name to the face. He almost made them saints by telling their stories, and he’s unapologetic about the way he did it,” said Bohler.
Bella Orio, another LBCC student, also noted the significance of Black history in Greenfield’s work.
“It’s important to preserve the history he’s talking about. There’s this idea that the Internet is here and that everything’s gonna be preserved, but some things still need to be archived,” said Orio.
After being in the Los Angeles art scene for over 50 years, Greenfield has no plans of stopping soon.
“The thing that you do has the ability to affect the quality of life. I’m grateful to be able to share so much history, especially history that’s so little known, with so many people,” Greenfield said.
Emergency funds were dispersed to LBCC students registered for SNAP benefits on Monday, and are set to receive $150 by Wednesday.
Any student who had SNAP benefits according to their 2025-2026 FAFSA application will receive the disbursement, appearing like any other financial aid payment through BankMobile or directly to the student’s linked bank account.
The disbursement comes after the now-ended government shutdown that paused SNAP benefits for the month of November.
Dr. Nohel Corral, LBCC’s executive vice president of student affairs, shared that the emergency aid went out to a little over 3,000 students, amounting to over $400,000 disbursed.
“We understand our students have been negatively impacted by the shutdown, … We’re having challenges (quickly turning around meal cards), we did have some emergency funds through financial aid that we were able to disperse to students,” Corral said.
The one-time disbursement was a way to be able to send money sooner to students who were impacted by the SNAP cut.
Looking forward to December, Corral said that additional support in the Viking Vault will be implemented this month, and carry over to December in anticipation of student needs.
“We should see additional support in our food pantries in addition to increases in certain purchase orders that we have with vendors, like Everytable,” Corral said.
Eligible students can still request extra free food gift cards through the form sent out by Basic Needs in the disbursement announcement email.
On Oct. 25, photo artist Star Montana returned to LBCC for the closing celebration of her gallery to host a panel and discuss her art and answer questions that attendees had.
The “By The River, I May Destroy You” exhibit ran from September 25th to October 25th, and was a collection of Star Montana’s photographs recounting parts of her experiences reconnecting with her culture and heritage.
The panel started with Montana giving some more background information on both the locations she chose for her art and why she made certain decisions in her creative process.
Many of the photos focus on scenes set by the Los Angeles and Rio Grande rivers, with Montana noting that “Almost all of the maternal side of my family have always subconsciously lived by the river.”
A section of Star Montana’s artwork is displayed at the LBCC Art Gallery during the opening reception for the exhibition on Sept. 25. (Tien Nguyen)
Montana went in-depth on part of her past, revealing that “They made us fear the river,” saying that they (her family) deliberately hid the true nature of the death of one of her cousins, who drowned in the LA River.
Later in life, she learned that her cousin’s death was due to drug usage, and that while unconscious, she simply rolled face-first into the river.
This revelation that the river wasn’t nearly as dangerous as her family had made it out to be, and was merely a part of nature, was part of what fueled her to reconnect with her past and make peace, aiming for her to live life “able to be free, and not fear the water.”
Karla Aguiniga, curator of the exhibit, added on to this idea that the river needs reclamation, saying, “It’s literally on the side of the 710, and we don’t even think about it, like it’s really been taken from us.”
Both Montana and Aguiniga interacted with those in attendance, taking questions and providing further context to curious students and staff.
Following the panel, Montana stuck around to answer more questions in a more personal manner, walking around the exhibit and interacting directly with anyone who sought to speak with her.
The venue quietly played music, and attendees socialized, discussing the art pieces and indulging in the provided coffee and snacks.
“It’s so interesting just hearing the whys, the hows, or even the wheres; It’s just so fascinating learning and trying to understand,” Issac Acosta, a student working for the gallery as part of the work study program, said.
Hunter Rodriguez, an LBCC student who’s an art major, voiced his opinion on the recurring water motif throughout the gallery.
“I think that a lot of people really have a very individualistic perspective, like with her having that family history, her opinions on the river might be a way to help ground her,” Rodriguez said.
Another art major in attendance, Marco Garcia, spends much of his time trying to use his art in similar ways as Montana, wishing to highlight both the injustices of this world and its beauty, saying, “It’s important that we as artists speak up about these problems.”
One of the issues that Montana advocates for in her art is being against forced relocation.
Montana made it clear that this project is still unfinished, and she chose to showcase this midpoint of work because she “thought it was time.” She told the audience to
expect more from her on this in the future.
The next art exhibit at the LBCC Art Gallery is currently open, and is titled “Satellites: Adjunct Art Exhibition,” which showcases a variety of artwork made by adjunct faculty in the art department at LBCC. There’s a range of different mediums including sculptures, jewelry, videos, paintings and mixed-medias.
The Satellites exhibit will be open until December 10th, and the LBCC Art Gallery is located in K-100 at LAC. To read more about the new art exhibit and to see the art galleries’ hours, click the embedded links.
A “rogue art installation” made of PVC tubes resembling a man with a cat on its shoulder sits on a boulder behind the Liberal Arts Campus’ M Building, overseeing a bed of rocks that serves as a reclaimed water site.
Public Art Advisory Group Chair and Art Gallery Manager Karla Aguiniga spoke with Viking News regarding public art pieces and how the PVC sculpture has never been officially recognized as belonging to anyone.
“Sometimes there’s assignments from classes that get installed somewhere unofficially until it gets some attention, you know like, ‘should this be moved? Is this someone’s art?’ And if it is someone’s art, let’s officially recognize it if we have this art. There’s a few pieces like that, and that piece is kind of a rogue art installation,” Aguiniga said.
Aguiniga first noticed the piece in September when checking in on an emergency box that was being painted in the area and speculated that the piece could’ve been made and placed by anyone, from an art student, nearby neighbor or an entirely random person.
“There’s a few professors that invite the students to put their sculpture around the real world, sort of have it live a different life outside the studio… I think that one is kind of like that, but it’s interesting because we were asking facilities if we could use (the bed of rocks) to put some art because it’s a really open space and it would be nice to put something there, and we were told we can’t really use that area because it’s a water reclaiming site… But someone saw an opportunity and did it, which is cool,” Aguiniga said.
A neighbor who lives across from the M Building claims to have noticed the PVC sculpture appear “about a year ago.”
The PVC sculpture’s only signs of age is the mouthpiece that has fallen between its legs, leaving behind a blue adhesive, and spiderwebs that bridge the limbs of the piece.
“We thought it was from the art department, you know how they put up random stuff around the college,” the neighbor said.
Club d’Art President Miya De Vera was asked if anyone in the club had mentioned the rogue installation, and said that she hadn’t seen the installation before.
“Most of us do ceramics and painting. Some of us are even art majors like myself, but I came last fall semester… But so far, I don’t know (anything regarding the installation). I see a lot of sculptures come and go throughout the semester, but I have not heard of this one,” De Vera said.
De Vera pointed Viking News to the art department’s Instructional Associate, Matthew Segotta, who said that the last time anyone mentioned PVC pipes in an installation was almost two years ago.
“It doesn’t look like a piece that was made on site here, never even seen it before. Very interesting to see art in an open space,” Segotta said.
After being shown a picture of the sculpture and given a rundown on the mystery of its creation, Segotta quoted British-Irish painter Francis Bacon, saying “the job of the artist is to always deepen the mystery.”
Aguiniga also explained that other rogue installations exist at LAC, such as the three at the southeast entrance of the K Building, two made of white clay and a wooden one that has lost its form over the years, and two metallic sculptures at the west side of the F Building she believes came from a welding class.
“We do have a full procedure on how to install public art on campus, but I think that there’s things that existed before then, that kind of show again the flaws in that. But (the PVC sculpture) also is kind of fun because there’s so many public sites on campus that whoever did that, knew that maybe, it wouldn’t be found,” Aguiniga said.
For now, the PVC man remains behind the M Building, with another boulder next to the piece for anyone who makes the rocky trek to sit alongside him.
The PVC sculpture looks over the bed of rocks behind the Liberal Arts Campus’ M Building on Oct. 7. A boulder next to the rogue sculpture provides a seat for anyone who wants to join the rock watching. (Rafael Gomez)
Long Beach City College held a Sip N’ Science event hosted by Nicholas Rajen, a natural resources specialist and member of the Navajo nation and Kinyaa’áanii Diné/East Indian, who discussed his experience in soils and demonstration of soil food web microscopy on Nov. 19.
Rajen is in the field of agriculture, combined energy and logistical systems.
He is also an advocate for Indigenous science, engineering scholars and researchers.
These workshops were designed to have students engaged with the subject of science with a fun undertone to not only entertain, but also educate.
Sip N’ Science had an abundance of snacks and coffee to help guests feel comfortable while speaker Rajen discussed the subject of Indigenous crops.
Once students, professors, and more audience members filled the room Lizeth Perez, who teaches Physical Science, began introducing the first activity of the event.
This workshop began with trivia, asking members of the audience to answer questions regarding the subjects of Indigenous crops.
If students and audience members answered the presented questions correctly they were given a prize of a sticker at the front of the lecture.
The event was organized by Perez, Amy Lee, MESA director and Erika Calle-Poppe.
“We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and the forced removal of territory. Long Beach City College honors this,” Lee said, referring to the painful history of Indigenous people as this workshop.
This highlights not just science but specifically Indigenous Scholars.
Professor Calle-Poppe thanked the audience for attending the last Sip N’ Science of the semester.
Calle-Poppe also acknowledged the importance of this event, “We’ve done this event for about three years. We’ve grown quite a bit. The point of this event is to highlight science from a bi lens. From people who are professors. It’s to show that science is for everybody.”
The main speaker of this event is Nicolas Rajen being present to talk about himself and his career and passion for the subject of science.
When the topic of Rajen’s fascination with his career Rajen said, “It gets to be really, really amazing. It’s just the things that people don’t consider, like what we, the people, where we come from.”
Rajen also discussed the web between organisms and their ability to uplift one another, “So plants rely on sunshine. They rely on water, and air.”
Rajen also proceeded to use a microscope bringing three participants to test and view a variety of soils from different settings to analyze the living organisms many may not consider are a part of the soil.
Rajen demonstrated how to correctly label each aspect from the soil.
Discussing the living organisms along with the minerals and how they help in nurturing specific plant species.
Ending the presentation Rajen welcomed members of the audience on stage to closely observe the samples in the microscope.
This was the final Sip N’ Science of the semester, but organizers will be continuing future workshops in the spring semester with dates to come.
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, many students are taking a moment to reflect on the people and resources that have supported them throughout the semester.
For many, the holiday season serves as an opportunity to reconnect with family traditions, rest from academic stress, and acknowledge the small moments that have carried them forward.
Gratitude has taken many forms across campus, from personal growth, supportive campus resources, to family and friends.
Pre-med student and embedded tutor at DESTINO, Lucia Cortez, shared that her gratitude this year comes from the available supportive academic spaces for students.
“I’m thankful for certain spaces here at this community college like Destino, which is a science research center for all students that need to go through courses that are somewhat difficult. (They can) find community there and people in positions who find resources for or help you with anything academic related to help you succeed in…majors like nursing, or pre-med, physics, etc,” Cortez said.
Student Christie Brooks expressed similar gratitude for the support she’s felt this semester.
“I’m thankful for the entire community here at LBCC, the friends that I’ve made, the classes I’ve been taking and all of the resources that they offer us. It makes me feel supported, encouraged,” said Brooks.
Student Jaden Jones said he’s grateful for the sense of community he’s found through the friendships he’s made.
“One thing I’m thankful for is friends, honestly, because I think community is really important, especially in the era where everybody wants to be so independent. I think it’s really important to have people around you that you know you can trust and you can always turn to in a time of need.” Jones said.
Along with academic support and friendships, students expressed appreciation for family members who push them to keep going. One student highlights that his daughter is at the heart of everything that he does.
“I’m thankful for my daughter because without her, I wouldn’t move one day at a time. Everything I do in life is for her,” said James Richardson.
During a season that often highlights service for others, student Drew Alaniz said he is grateful for those who dedicate their lives to helping others. Alaniz shared his appreciation specifically for first responders.
“I’m thankful for the first responders. I’m hoping to give back one day by becoming a first responder, firefighter, paramedic,” said Alaniz.
Student Arteries Nicholson shared that this year, she is grateful for her own transformation.
“I’m thankful for how much growth I’ve experienced in this last year. I’ve gone through so much that I thought I [wouldn’t] be able to reach. I’ve grown a lot, and I’m pretty established as a person and I’m happy,” Nicholson said.
Their reflections highlight resilience, gratitude and community spirit that thrive throughout LBCC, reminding us that even throughout the busy semester, there are always ways to find gratitude in the small things.
At LBCC, gratitude isn’t just a theme for the season; it’s a reminder for connections and support systems that carry students throughout the year.
A man was killed Saturday evening in a three car collision near Long Beach Boulevard and East San Antonio Drive, outside of Trader Joe’s, the others involved were left with minor injuries.
The crash occurred around 7 p.m. on Saturday night when a dark gray Nissan Altima was driving at a high speed with its lights off and rear ended a white Jeep carrying a couple as they were turning into the Trader Joe’s parking lot.
The impact pushed the Jeep over a curb and into the lot, where it clipped a black Chevrolet Suburban driven by Joselin Vargas, who was leaving the store with her son.
Vargas and her child were not seriously injured.
Witnesses said the male driver of the Altima appeared unconscious and was bleeding from his head when bystanders reached him.
About three people pulled him from his car to check if he was alive, but he was later pronounced dead at the scene.
His name has not been released to the public and authorities have not confirmed any additional details about him.
By the time The Viking News arrived, the man had been placed on the ground and covered with a sheet.
Vanessa Herrera, the passenger of the Jeep that was rear ended, said she felt the impact of the crash before she had time to react.
Couple Daniel Herrera and Vanessa Herrera explain to police the scene of a fatal car crash they were part of, outside the Trader Joe’s on Long Beach Boulevard around 7 p.m. Saturday. Witnesses told Viking News that a speeding Nissan Altima with no headlights on rear ended a Jeep, which Daniel and Vanessa were in, and that sent their car into a third vehicle. The driver of the Altima died at the scene. (Isaiah Ryan)
“I didn’t see anything. I just heard and felt everything. … My whole seat is warped. My leg up to my jaw hurts. We’re ok, but it’s messed up, I just got the car fixed and paid off,” Herrera said.
Daniel Herrera, the driver of the Jeep, said that after the accident, his first instinct was to check on everyone involved.
“I made sure my lady was ok, then I ran over to him,” Daniel said. “He was just thrown out of his seat. They tried to resuscitate him, but he was gone, man.”
Daniel said he and Vanessa were grateful to walk away with minor injuries, though the crash left their vehicle heavily damaged.
“It’s a sad situation. Such a tragic situation,” Daniel said. “Regardless of people’s faults or bad habits, I don’t wish this upon anybody.”
The couple said they had been ending their date night and stopped for 7-Eleven pizza before heading to Trader Joe’s to use the restroom.
The third driver, Vargas, said the crash happened “in an instant.”
“It’s scary, and it all happened so fast,” Vargas said. “We need to be careful.”
“The identity of the driver of the 2005 Nissan Altima is being withheld, pending notification of the next of kin by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner,” the LBPD press release states.
The Fall 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert transported audiences through various dances like spooky themed dances, a jazz funk retro era, a theatrical female empowerment dance and a sad duet that conveyed the broken and complicated relationship between two best friends.
The spooky themed dances, coinciding with the concert’s debut on Halloween, had their own thematic concepts and distinct characteristics.
Dancers perform to the song “Thriller” by Michael Jackson during a dress rehearsal for the Fall 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert on Oct. 28. The concert debuted on Halloween, and on debut day, this dance came as a suprise to the audience as the ending credit dance of the night. Dancers who acted as zombies walked from the back doors of the auditorium into the audience, and then all came together on stage. (Paloma Maciel)
One dance titled “The Fall and the Rise of the Inbetween” featured abstract moves and frequent groupwork, with costumes in rusty tones of beige, brown, red and orange.
Dancers of “The Rise and the Fall of the Inbetween” whip their hair while lined up during a dress rehearsal on Oct. 28 for the Fall 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert. (Paloma Maciel)
This dance gave an eerie feel as part of the delivery of the piece was the dancers straight, unemotive faces throughout the performance.
Another dance that followed a dark theme was the closing dance “Exquisite Bellows,” which centered around the storyline of a ballerina being in a cathedral.
Main ballerina Janell Cobian, center left, is held by dancer Aaron Untiveros, while in the gothic, masquerade themed dance “Exquisite Bellows” during a dress rehearsal on Oct. 28 for the Fall 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert. (Paloma Maciel)
The dance resembled a masquerade ball having a background ensemble in gothic outfits which were unique between each dancer.
Dancers hold a pose during the gothic masquerade themed dance titled “Exquisite Bellows” at a dress rehearsal on Oct. 28 for the Fall 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert. (Paloma Maciel)
Purple and blue shades, black bottoms and ruffles worked as the base of the outfits to provide cohesion to the group, while touches of lace and silver shine created more texture.
According to lead dancer Janell Cobian, the exact storyline is “up to interpretation,” but choreographer of the dance Kiara Kinghorn mentioned that the ballerina is confronting some sort of trauma, which Cobian inferred to be religious trauma because of its setting in the cathedral.
The combination of ballet with a darker theme is out of the norm, as most ballets focus on prettier, more delicate themes.
“It feels nice to break the boundaries of ballet for sure and I’m glad that I got the opportunity to do it because I’m always doing classical ballets like ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ ‘The Nutcracker’,” said Cobian.
Another highlight of the show was a broadway style dance that captured the essence of women empowerment and sexual liberation through the dancers’ sassy and bold moves.
Dancer Essence Cooper, center, crouches while other dancers energetically strut during the broadway style number “Chicago Medley” at a dress rehearsal on Oct. 28 for the Fall 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert. (Paloma Maciel)
The costumes resembled showgirl bodysuits, with some having sparkles and everyone having mesh fishnets to complete their looks.
Dancers in the broadway style number “Chicago Medley” move forward with a burst of energy at a dress rehearsal on Oct. 28 for the Fall 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert. (Paloma Maciel)
At the debut of the fall concert on Oct. 31, Martha Pamintuan, the artistic director and executive producer of the dance concerts at LBCC, expressed that she had not yet decided on any ideas for the next Dance Ensemble In Concert that will happen in the spring.
“Sometimes, the world lets us decide… whatever’s happening in the world kind of pushes us as artists to be like ‘I’m going to talk about this’,” said Pamintuan.
Dancer Maura Merida Arias leaps in the air during the dance “Tethered” at a dress rehearsal on Oct. 28 for the Fall 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert. This dance was about the falling in and out of a friendship between two women, during the dance a piece of long fabric was used by both dancers at the same time to symbolize their connection to one another. (Paloma Maciel)
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