Stories

CECILIA, ‘23

“The Wooden Floor provides a lot of opportunities. It allows you to be yourself, to get to know people, but also to get know yourself. You’re encouraged to reflect on how you feel and on how you can improve as a person and as a dancer.

Being here has helped me feel closer to my family. When my parents come and watch me dance or bring me to dance class, it makes me feel loved and supported.

When I dance, I feel inspired by the other people dancing around me. I feel expressive – whatever I’m feeling, I’m able to convey it into physical form. I feel heard and seen.”

Cecilia, Class of 2023
Cecilia has been at The Wooden Floor since the 5th grade and currently has a 4.8 GPA. Her Academic Advisor at The Wooden Floor encouraged her to apply to the prestigious QuestBridge College Scholars Program, where she was accepted and will work towards getting matched in the highly competitive National College Match Program for a full-ride college scholarship. Cecilia’s dream school is UC Davis, where she hopes to study animal sciences to fulfill her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She is a role model for her peers and for her younger sister, Anahi, who is also at The Wooden Floor.

VINCENT, ‘08

“At The Wooden Floor, dance taught me the foundations of experimentation, collaboration, giving weight, and utilizing space. Through experimentation, I knew things of beauty and calm could be created from spontaneity. From collaboration, I learned how to work and partner with others to reach an end goal. Through giving weight, I learned that I could lean on people who I knew would serve as a foundation in my life. I could command a stage by utilizing space and letting those around me know I am here and willing. Dance taught me many life lessons that translated into my academic career and life.

Growing up in a family that did not have the tools to support academics created a gap that The Wooden Floor was able to fill. The Wooden Floor gave me the tools and the reinforcement so that I could go to college and be surrounded by a community of others who would go on to do the same. Seeing my peers at The Wooden Floor enter their universities provided a drive I never knew I needed. When I needed academic advice or supplemental financial aid, The Wooden Floor supported me.

I wish everyone knew how impactful and transformative dance could be for young people. The Wooden Floor is the epicenter of change for many lives in Orange County. My life would have been entirely different if it had not been for The Wooden Floor. I would not have learned my most vital life.”

Vincent Perez, Class of 2008 Alumnus of The Wooden Floor

Vincent is currently a Senior Creative Strategist at Salesforce. After graduating from The Wooden Floor, he attended San Francisco State University, where he earned both a BA in Dance and a BA in Liberal Studies. He worked with the San Francisco State Dance Department, Joffrey Ballet School West, American Dance Festival, and others. Vincent then went on to graduate from the University of Southern California in 2021 with a Master of Science in Integrated Design Business and Technology. He was the commencement speaker for both his undergraduate and graduate ceremonies and is on track to earn an AA in Creative Coding and Immersive Technologies from Portland Community College. His career highlights include fabricating a physical prototype that used light to reset the circadian rhythm of patients with PTSD; participating in OpenIDEO’s Education (Re)Open, which reimaged passion finding for students; as well as conducting ethnographic research with Apple Education to reimagine the in-classroom experience.

KEVIN, ‘28

“The Wooden Floor has taught me that as long as you keep working for something, it is not as hard as it seems. Slowly but surely you’ll get there. Most of what you learn in Annual Concert rehearsal is timing and trust. There are moments when you carry someone and they have to trust you and they have to believe in you. You have to trust everyone is going to do their job. As for timing – you have to learn what your cue is, to pay attention, and be aware of others without making much noise.”

Kevin, Class of 2028
Kevin is in the 6th grade at Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School where he holds a 4.0 GPA. During remote learning, he gained confidence in dance and served as a leader in the class. He feels extremely fortunate to have been given a free laptop by The Wooden Floor so he could participate in remote learning. He loves attending the free one-on-one tutoring offered at The Wooden Floor, which his grades reflect. Kevin has a 100 percent attendance rate at The Wooden Floor and aspires to be the first in his family to gain higher education.

BREEZE, ‘27

“Before coming here I had only two friends. At The Wooden Floor I learned communication skills and I met a lot of new people. Now I have a big group of friends at school and at The Wooden Floor. I feel confident going into a new high school next year.

The Wooden Floor is like a second family. Once you get in, you are fully supported. It is part of you – you are not part of it. It is something so beautiful, breathtaking, comforting, and loving. The Wooden Floor – I thank you that I can be a part of this.”

Breeze, Class of 2027
Breeze has been a student of The Wooden Floor since she was in 4th grade. She is currently in 8th grade at MacArthur Intermediate School, where she holds a 4.4 GPA. This is her first Annual Concert performance, and she gave up participating in her middle school promotion activities to be a part of the process and not miss any rehearsal time. Breeze was admitted into Sage Hill School, a prestigious college preparatory school in Newport Coast, where she will attend high school on scholarship starting this fall. The Wooden Floor has a long history with Sage Hill School, encouraging and supporting many of our most academically gifted students to apply and gain acceptance.

XAVIER, ‘27

“It feels really happy and fun to dance, since you get to make your own movements – and if you don’t make your own movements, you can just follow along. I am nervous but excited to express myself on stage in front of other people.  If I do mess up – The Wooden Floor taught me to “mess up full out”. It means to not be afraid to mess up, because no one is perfect.”

Xavier, Class of 2027
Xavier joined The Wooden Floor in 2021 and is in 5th grade at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School where he has a 3.9 GPA. He has his sights set on becoming an engineer or computer programmer. Xavier has been practicing his skills at school by being “the classroom computer fixer.” His older sister Danna is also performing in The Wooden Floor’s 40th Annual Concert.

DANNA, ‘27

“The Wooden Floor is the best. Honestly, it has helped me a lot over the five years I’ve been here. I feel very joyful during the Annual Concert rehearsals. It is truly wonderful we get to learn new things every day. When I first started, I was very timid and self-conscious. The Wooden Floor has helped me feel more confident, to become more open with people. It has also helped a lot with my feelings. It is hard to explain, but when I’m down I think of dance and my friends here, and that helps me.”

Danna, Class of 2027
Danna is in 7th grade and holds a 4.3 GPA at Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School. She excels in dance and models The Wooden Floor’s values among her peers at all times. She was in The Wooden Floor’s site-specific Annual Concert in 2021. This will be her first time performing at the Irvine Barclay Theatre due to the pandemic. Danna dreams of being a history or social studies teacher.

DR. SARAH LOPEZ

“There really is nothing different or special in me that is not in each one of The Wooden Floor’s graduates. There are real ripple effects that will happen with each one of the students who is graduating. I am just a point of reference of what organizations like The Wooden Floor can do to impact generations and improve the community.”

Dr. Sarah Lopez, MD, MBA,
Chief Medical Officer, Zócalo Health and Alumna of The Wooden Floor

Dr. Sarah Lopez was born and raised in Orange County, California and she was one of the first students of The Wooden Floor, formerly known as Saint Joseph Ballet, where she learned to dream and thrive. She attended medical school at the University of California, Irvine and business school at UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business. She was part of UCI’s first cohort for “Program In Medical Education for the Latino Community” (PRIME-LC), a program focused on training highly qualified doctors who are culturally competent and dedicated to serving the diverse population of Southern California. Dr. Lopez also has a long history of advocacy through education. She started “Una Hora Con La Doctora” through MPNA GREEN, a nonprofit in Santa Ana, teaching parents about different health topics to empower them with knowledge. From 2019 to 2022, she was selected for the competitive California Health Care Foundation’s Health Care Leadership Fellowship. She has also served as an on-air medical expert on NBC, Univision, and elsewhere. Dr. Lopez delivered an emotional and inspiring keynote address at The Wooden Floor’s 11th Step Beyond Annual Breakfast in April.

JOCELYN, ‘17

“At The Wooden Floor I learned the importance of community. I have never felt such a strong sense of community anywhere like how it is at The Wooden Floor.

The students and staff care deeply for one another, and now being a faculty member myself, I realize how much care goes into each student. There are moments I see “a young Jocelyn” in my students, and I get quite emotional. I see my students and realize their potential is limitless and that I can now provide my perspective as an alumni, teacher, and role model. I hope my students can view me as an example that “from here you can step anywhere.”

Jocelyn, Class of 2017
After graduating from The Wooden Floor, Jocelyn attended California State University, Long Beach, where she earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance. She auditioned for the Limón Professional Training Program and was accepted with a scholarship, and moved to New York City during the pandemic to attend the program. Jocelyn returned to California and works as a faculty member at The Wooden Floor and also as an Assistant Manager and Instructor at Club Pilates. She dreams of attending a graduate program in the near future to receive a Master’s in Dance Education or Choreography.

TATIANA, ‘11

“After graduating from The Wooden Floor, I flew across the country to upstate New York where I attended Cornell University. As a first-generation college student, I moved with both ambition and caution. Ambition because I wanted to dream big and achieve those dreams. Caution because I knew what it took to get there.
 I knew the sacrifices my parents made.

I can confidently say that I would not be where I am today, if not, in part, because of The Wooden Floor. See, The Wooden Floor doesn’t just impact the life of the student, they impact the families and communities and future generations. When a dancer graduates high school and college, and eventually launches into their career, the successes are not just their own. The entire family reaps the benefits too. We all win and move upward and forward together.”

Tatiana, Class of 2011
Tatiana was a The Wooden Floor Sage Hill Scholar and went on to graduate from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics and Management in 2015. She says the free SAT and ACT test prep courses from The Wooden Floor were critical for her to gain admission to college, and while in college, she earned a yearly scholarship from The Wooden Floor. After graduating, she began her career as an absence consultant to innovate and implement best-in-class employee leave benefits. She also volunteers at The Wooden Floor as a part of the Alumni Professional Network, and Denver Kids where she mentors a young Latina teen. Tatiana is also a community leader, serving on the board of the Denver chapter of ALPFA, the Association of Latino Professionals for America, and leverages social media to inspire others to lead more confident and intentional lives.

IAN, ‘22

“Dance feels like my gateway to heaven. It satisfies me, and I always feel at peace, like I don’t need anything else in the world.

Co-creating dance takes teamwork and creativity. You have to put your minds together to create something that no one has ever seen before. It is a process of a lot of trial and error. You make movement you’ve never done before, mix them into something new, sometimes you do not like the result, throw stuff out, and that’s the whole point! Dance teaches you to make fresh ideas and to move onward. In life sometimes things can’t always stay the way you like, so you have to learn to adapt.

In the world of dance, you can sometimes hear that you need longer legs, longer arms, or better shaped feet. My teachers at The Wooden Floor taught me that you don’t need that at all. As long as I have the passion and the heart, I can be a professional dancer. The Wooden Floor was my gateway to the world of dance. It opened me to a career that I never thought would be for me. My teachers here have taught me to be confident and to be proud of what I do, because I should be proud of what I love.”
– Ian, Class of 2022

Ian has been a student of The Wooden Floor since he was eight years old. He was accepted into the San Francisco Ballet School Summer Session for the 2018 and 2019 summer as well as the Royal Ballet School Summer Intensive in London for the 2019 summer, with the goal of becoming a more well-rounded dancer. Ian attends Orange County School of the Arts for the Classical and Contemporary Dance and has a 4.0 GPA. He admires his older brother Brandon who graduated from The Wooden Floor and is the first in their family to attend college.

HECTOR, ‘19

“When I’m on stage, time stops. It feels great. I know I am going to be the art form. I am the painting or exhibit when you walk into the museum. I get to show the world what I’ve got.

Without a doubt, The Wooden Floor has changed my life for the better, offering me a love for dance, numerous support systems, and incredible opportunities. The opportunity to seek what I want to accomplish in life, to overcome obstacles, and to dream. To dream of my ability to do anything I may set my mind to. As the motto goes, ‘From here, you can step anywhere.’” – Hector, Class of 2019

Hector graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA and currently majors in mechanical engineering at Cal Poly Pomona.

ALEXIA, ‘19

“I would not be anywhere near the path I’m on right now if it were not for The Wooden Floor.
The most important thing I learned here is that there are different ways of expressing yourself, not on paper, not with words, but through movement. I could not have ever learned that in school. The Wooden Floor has also taught me a lot about prioritizing and helped me realize what I want to do with my life.

When I was in the eighth grade, The Wooden Floor had an opportunity for students to go to UCI’s robotics camp, and I took it! There was a special scholarship for The Wooden Floor students. For two weeks, I learned about robotics and how to code. I was able to meet a lot of new people and come up with projects, where what I saw in my head was able to come to life. I see art in coding, and I see coding when I dance. They aren’t binary, they are fluid.

I don’t think my mom could have pictured me going to a four-year university. It would have had to be a miracle. Now it is possible for me to go out of state, maybe even to one of the top schools in the country, and I don’t think my parents saw this coming. The biggest challenge I faced was the unknown. I knew I loved computer science, but I had no idea where to go, and no idea how to achieve it. Getting the help from The Wooden Floor has made it achievable.

The Wooden Floor offers kids like me a safe place to find themselves, love the people around them, and find a way to express themselves. It is not a dance program, it is an “everything you’ll need for life” program. It’s a game changer.” – Alexia, Class of 2019

Alexia graduated with a 4.1 GPA and credited The Wooden Floor’s tutoring program, and college and career readiness programs with helping her achieve her college dreams. Alexia currently attends UC Riverside, majoring in computer engineering.

MARIA, ‘27

“Being here is relaxing and you can come out of your stress. Sometimes you can meet new friends who you can invite to your house for a sleepover.

Something I learned here is how the body works. Your muscles get better and can do more stuff. Once my teacher brought a skeleton to class. She showed us about the bones, and some of them I did not know about.

I want to go to college because I want to become a ballerina and a doctor.” – Maria, Class of 2027

Maria has been at The Wooden Floor for two years and plans to be the first in her family to go to college. She currently attends Jim Thorpe Fundamental Elementary School and has a 3.0 GPA.

JOCELYN, ‘19

“I use the creativity that I have developed in dance class when I need to create something for a school project. What I’ve learned while creating dance isn’t all that different from what I have to do for school. I use that same mindset, where I’m able to create something with purpose and intention.

One of my memories that stands out from my 10 years at The Wooden Floor is from a class where we sat in a circle and just talked about our day. That conversation lead to advice about the future and reassurance about what to do when you’re facing a tough time in your life. I love that I was able to talk about these questions and be able to hear honestly how we will face the future ahead.

The Wooden Floor is family. Here, students are able to have support emotionally and academically.” – Jocelyn, Class of 2019

Jocelyn is entering her 2nd year of community college and hopes to transfer to California State University, Long Beach to major in Design. Her dream is to travel abroad to finish her design program or to teach English. Jocelyn’s brother Anthony, who also graduated from The Wooden Floor, is the first in their family to attend college.

CRISTINA, ‘16

“The lessons that I learned here at The Wooden Floor extend beyond the dance studio and can be applied to life. They helped me do well in high school, and I know that they will help me through college and beyond. I am attending UCLA and pursuing a degree in nursing. I am one of 13 siblings. One of my sisters has cerebral palsy, and she is the inspiration behind my decision to pursue a career in nursing. This is something that I am passionate about and with hard work and dedication, I am confident I will achieve.” – Cristina, Class of 2016

Cristina was named valedictorian of her high school class, and currently attends the University of California, Los Angeles.

ALFREDO, ‘12

“At The Wooden Floor, I learned that creativity and having your own way of portraying your personality can help set you apart from others. The great amounts of fun I had during Annual Concert season also helped me build more team working skills.

I was not the first in my family to attend college, but I was the first to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. The Wooden Floor prepared me for college and encouraged me to finish.” – Alfredo, Class of 2012

Alfredo graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He is currently an Electrical Engineer with DHS Consulting. After gaining work experience, he plans to go to graduate school.

XITLALLI, ‘22

“As I start high school this fall, the thing I know foremost is that The Wooden Floor has really helped me. My parents hoped that by being here, I would be more social. I had to learn how to start talking to other people, and The Wooden Floor helped me think about how to accomplish that. Everyone cares so much about each person that comes here and their well-being.

If I wasn’t at The Wooden Floor, my life would be a totally different story. I wouldn’t really be thinking as much about my future as I do right now. Here, you really learn how to talk to each other. Before, if someone said “hi” to me, I would just turn and walk the other way. I wouldn’t have known the part of me who loves to dance and loves other people. This isn’t the ballet tutu pink thing, its modern dance, which really is different. It makes me really think – about my body, the space around me, myself as a human being, and ask myself spiritual, deep questions. In modern dance, our teacher asks us to just breathe and just be, to find connectedness, to look at our fellow dancers in the eye. I could never do that before. When talking to a person, if you don’t look them in the eyes, it doesn’t feel the same, you don’t connect. I’ve learned how to connect with others better. It has taken me 15 years, but I did it.” – Xitlalli, Class of 2022

Xitlalli is entering Foothill High School as an 11th grader with a 3.6 GPA. The Wooden Floor’s Middle School Program supports our students’ academic and social-emotional transition to 9th grade, providing foundational support for success in high school, college, and beyond. Empowerment Workshops guide our students through two key transitions: from 5th into 6th grade, to focus students on closing the academic achievement gap during middle school, and from 8th into 9th grade, to ensure successful social-emotional transition to high school.

LIZBETH, ‘22

“When I started at The Wooden Floor, I thought it would be super strict and that technique was the most important thing. But then, they taught me that how you’re feeling and how you express yourself are much more important. Dance helped me express myself in a way that I didn’t think I could. It was a feeling I never felt. I could just let myself go.

I have health struggles, and The Wooden Floor has been a kind of physical therapy for me. My classes are weekly and consistent. My mom always tells me that she gets scared for me, but, for some reason, I never get scared. Dance helped with that attitude. Sometimes movements can make you fall, but if you don’t think about it too much and just do it from your heart, you’ll succeed—and it might look really cool!

Here everyone is really accepting about differences. I had to have surgery and take six months off. When I came back, everyone was so welcoming. We know that we’re all different and we celebrate that by bringing everyone together.” – Lizbeth, Class of 2021