CSULB Honors Program students are multi-faceted. Not only do they excel in academics, but other disciplines as well! Today’s article will feature Honors student and Presidential Scholar Iliana Guerena and her journey in dance.
*All photos courtesy of Iliana Guerena
Me: Please tell me a little bit about yourself. What is your major? Hobbies? Interests?
Iliana Guerena: “My major is going to be psychology, which I am declaring soon. Some of my hobbies are dancing and baking. Other interests I have include criminal justice, forensic psychology, and running social media accounts.”
Me: Okay, so a little bit more on the dance. How old were you when you started dancing? How much did you train? Favorite genre of dance?
Iliana: “I started dancing at three with the typical ballet and tap combo. I was more into competition dancing when I was really little. At eight I moved studios and went to a studio that taught the Cecchetti method of ballet. I started taking all the exams that go along with the Cecchetti method of ballet and I was able to move from grade 4 to grade 8 pretty quickly. This caused me to become more ballet focused in my dance training. I also started doing Nutcracker performances and summer intensives.
Then my mom made me audition for California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley. I didn't really want to go at first but then I was accepted and enrolled in the 8th grade. I got into both the ballet and commercial dance programs but chose ballet because of the pointe classes. While at CSarts I would take advantage of the master classes and guest choreographers. My favorite opportunity was when I got a soloist spot in a piece with guest choreographer Sophie Monet. It was my favorite piece ever and I enjoyed the experience so much.”
Me: Why do you choose to continue dancing, especially in college?
Iliana: ”It's my way to speak without speaking. It is like therapy. I was out for six months from dancing due to an injury once and it was one of the hardest periods of my life. I pushed friends away and I could not even hang out with other people. I was not in a good mental space at all and that taught me how much I need to dance to express how I feel."
Me: What was it like going to an arts school?
Iliana: ”It was really cool to meet so many people dedicated to their art form like I am and was. It builds instant community because you have so much in common with these people around you, which is something very different from the more typical public school experience.”
Me: Why did you choose to join the University Honors Program?
Iliana: ”I saw joining the Honors Program as a way to improve my CSULB experience. Getting awarded the President’s Scholarship also helped! Another reason I joined Honors is because I really want to go to graduate school, and I believe the Honors program will help me achieve that goal.”
Me: ”How do you think your training in dance helps with the workload you face as an Honors program student in college?”
Iliana: “Dance training really helps with discipline and time management. When you have all these dance classes, rehearsals, and commitments on top of school work you have to learn how to stick to a schedule and not procrastinate too much, otherwise you will fall behind.”
Me: What’s something you wish people appreciated more about dance, and the arts in general?
Iliana: “Something I wish people appreciated more about dance and other art forms is the struggle artists go through. Even though we love our art there is a lot of mental strength it takes to find the motivation to continue through it. There is a lot of burnout, self-criticism, and comparing yourself to others no one talks about. People come to shows, or go to art galleries, and think that these artists are so talented and must be happy with themselves for having all that talent but in reality the artist can be so in their head about their craft they do not even believe they are any good and cannot even take a compliment. We keep going with our craft, although it may hurt, and long for the joy we felt when we first started. That’s how it felt for me with ballet, and this ballet class I am taking this semester is my first time doing ballet since last May. I just needed that break to find my love for it again.”