What sounds like thunder rumbling inside the halls of Santa Barbara Junior High School is actually the sound of folklórico dance shoes striking the floor as students practice in their newly renovated dance studio.

While the folklórico program, which teaches a Mexican dance style, began offering a class at the junior high school about a year ago, students only recently moved into a renovated and dedicated space for the program.

“Bringing in culture that mirrors our students, we can’t go wrong, and so we are building community, identity and leadership among the students,” said Anna Pilhoefe, arts program specialist with the Santa Barbara Unified School District.

The renovated space took out tile flooring from an existing classroom, added mirrors on the walls and installed a specialized “sprung” flooring in January.

That specific flooring is necessary for the dancers’ bodies and for the dance style as the students use the sound of their feet as an instrument, according to Pilhoefe.

“Not many districts are doing what we are doing, and I think that is unique to this area and even across the state,” she said.

The junior high school class is free for students to take and can count as a physical education credit. They are provided with the appropriate shoes and outfits.

“This is especially important for students who may have limited access to electives, including emergent multilingual learners and students in special education,” Pilhoefe said.

Principal Dan Dupont said the class might even grow into two sections next year because of increased student interest.

The district received $1.8 million from Proposition 28 during the 2023-24 school year, which provides annual funding for arts and music education, as well as a one-time $7.4 million allocation from the California Department of Education’s Arts, Music and Instructional Materials Block Grant with some money used to help launch the program.

“These investments are helping us expand access, build staffing and create dedicated spaces for students to engage in the arts in meaningful ways,” Pilhoefe said.

For some of the junior high school student dancers, when they walk into their third period class taught by Marisol Cabrera, it’s more than dance practice.

“I feel really comfortable around the people in my class and my teacher because I have known them for so long. It is kind of like a second home,” seventh-grader Sophie Huerta said. 

The junior high school wasn’t the only school to get a new dance studio space.

Franklin Elementary School, where the dance program started about two years ago, also received a studio, similar to the one at Santa Barbara Junior High School. 

The elementary school students practiced in the newly refurbished room on March 17, many in awe, pointing out the studio’s new features, such as fans mounted on the walls, mirrors and the flooring. 

“I like that it is just our room,” fifth-grader Sabrina Hernandez said. “It is fun for us to see each other actually doing it in the mirrors.”

The dancers used to practice on the stage in the school’s auditorium, but some students said it wasn’t ideal for folklórico.

“Our shoes would scrape the floor and make it harder to dance,” fifth-grader Johan Sanchez said, “and when we would sit down on the floor, black paint would always smudge onto our clothing.”

The two hope to decorate the practice room to make it feel more like their own, including some banners and lights. 

Practicing folklórico goes beyond the new dance studios. The student groups often perform at school and community events.

“Anytime there is a community opportunity, we are there,” Pilhoefe said. 

The junior high school students have performed in parades, school events, student walk-outs and even recently in front of State Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón and former Vice President Kamala Harris at Limón’s celebration for her new role.

Seventh-grade students Huerta and Jadelyn Contreras said they never imagined that joining the folklórico program would mean they would one day meet Harris. 

“She told us herself that we did really good,” Huerta said.

Pilhoefe hopes to start another folklórico program at another school, potentially on the Westside of Santa Barbara.