Seventy Years of Dance at City College of San Francisco

When San Francisco Junior College began in 1935-1936 with morning classes at U.C. Extension on Powell Street and afternoon classes at Galileo High School on Van Ness Avenue, "Physical Education and Hygiene" classes were among the first courses offered. All female freshman were required to take "Games & Rhythms Fundamentals" (P.E. 6A). Continuing students had a choice of P.E. 6B team, 6C rhythmic or 6D individual activities. Dance was included under "rhythmics". Separate listings for Tap & Modern Dance, taught by Spencer and Kuhn (ne.Bergin), began the following year.

By the 1938-1939 school year a coed Social Dance class was offered, along with Folk and Modern Creative Dance. In 1940 the new "Balboa Park" Campus (now called the Ocean Camps) opened with a Science Building and separate Men's and Women's Physical Education facilities. Throught the 1940's courses were offered under the heading of "men's," women's," "coed" and "restricted" physical education. Students were assigned to "restricted" by the college physician and given a "prescribed program of moderate activities, corrective exercises, or relaxation methods."

For the first time in 1965-66 a Dance Composition class was offered, followed the next year by Jazz Dance, Square Dance and intermediate level classes. In 1967 a Ballet course was added and by 1970 African-Haitian and Folk dance Exhibition (now called "Production") were added. With the addition of advanced levels, these courses completed the breadth and depth of the dance program, remaining as such until the 1990's. With City College of S.F. being the second largest communit college in the country, it is no wonder that there are now over 2000 students enrolled in dance classes each semester. In response to the needs and interests of our students, four new courses were addd in the late 90's: Dance History, Ballroom Dance Production, Dance Conditioning, and Lation American Social & Folk Dance Forms. Since then Swing Dance, Argentine Tango, Hip Hop, Pointe, Repertory & dance Aerobics, Cheer/Dance Squad, Black Tradition in American Dance, and Waltz as well as "Intensives" are now being successfully offered. In addition, classes are beign taught at several other campuses. Students now have the opportunity to earn a "Certificate" in Dance with four possible options.

Student productions and performances on and off campus have been an important focus with regular concerts given in the Diego Rivera Theater and numerous events in our own convertible studio setting each semester. Our students have performed benefits, convalescent hospitals, community events, even a 49er half-time show. Gaining experience here, our students have joined amateur and professional performing companies and have become instuctors. We continue to sponsor master classes and lecture demonstrations to prepare our students to become better informed audience members. The dance program at C.C.S.F. has been making a strong contribution to Dance in the Bay Area for 70 years.