By Mia Gutierrez, May 12, 2026
Inner Essence Dance Company at Cal Poly Pomona hosted it’s showcase in the University Theatre May 1, gathering students and parents alike to watch 11 dances from different genres.
Each dance told a different story, such as the guest performance by “Kurrent,” a K-pop dance team at CPP who demonstrated the use of hand choreography, props such as umbrellas, and lifts, with a variety of choreography by different students and music picked for each routine.
Their inspiration and use of K-pop dance culture was represented throughout their routines and was reflected in many aspects of their dance such as the costume choices and gave viewers a new experience of what K-pop is all about.
Other dances such as “Flatline” contained hip hop style choreography and required controlled movements including both male and female dancers and multiple visual elements and transitions.
Each dance had its own impact on each of the dancers. Matthew Arvizu, a landscape architecture student,. said he felt most passionate toward one dance he choreographed with one of his close friends on the team and enjoyed being able to see his vision and hard work come to life on stage.
“My favorite dance was ‘Upgrade U,’ and that was because that piece was choreographed by my best friend Kaya and I,” Arvizu said. “It was our first time creating a set that would be performed on a stage for a show and that was super exciting for us.”
The event also required each member to put in the time and effort both at home and during practice to pull off the showcase successfully, according to Nadia Kyle, a business marketing management student.
“The preparation process was a lot. I had practice almost everyday to ensure everything went smoothly for the showcase,” Kyle said. “Showcase put some pressure on me because I just wanted to make sure I knew everything and didn’t mess up, but other than that it was so much fun and I enjoyed it.”
Inner Essence offers opportunities of leadership as well as the ability to collaborate with others on choreography.
For the president of the club and sociology student Annette Gonzalez, this performance was bittersweet as it was her last performance on the team before graduating and entering the next chapter of her life.
“Each of the dancers has taught me something new that I will carry with me always,” Gonzalez said. “IE has changed my life for the better and I will carry my knowledge with me through anything I do.”
The showcase came to a close with speeches by multiple members to seniors taking their last dance on the team and were shown immense gratitude by their peers and audience members.
Kyle said she learned a lot as a first year on the team and used this dance community as an outlet for their love of dance.
“My experience so far has been so much fun yet challenging,” Kyle said. “I’m forever grateful for all my friends on my team. Being on this team has definitely made me a better dancer and never fails to push me to become better.”
