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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT:
LAUREN MENDOZA, FOR THE LOVE OF DANCE

By Anthonia Edgren, Editor, The Report | Photo credits to Kamil Konrad

Lauren Mendoza (RPTA '13) has been dancing her way through college for the past three years and recently starred in the acclaimed production, Orchesis. A native of Walnut Creek, she has been dancing her heart out for 16 years and has dedicated a great deal of time towards being a skilled dancer.

At the age of 6 Mendoza started dancing and traveled often, competing in dance competitions around the country. Coming to Cal Poly, Mendoza enrolled in an Intermediate Modern Dance class and was intrigued by photographs of students in dance productions in the room. Further investigation led her to try out for the Orchesis dance production, and she has been dancing with them ever since. Mendoza recalls her experience with Orchesis, "When I came to Poly and joined Orchesis it was really different because Orchesis focuses primarily on concert dance instead of commercial dance styles. It opened my eyes to a very different and more mature style of dance, and I feel like I have grown as a dancer so much more in these past three years through Orchesis. More so than with any other experience in my dance career."

Being a member of Orchesis also gave Mendoza an opportunity to work with influential individuals and connect with many other students on campus. "Our main director is Diana Stanton along with two assistant directors Michelle Walter and Christy McNeil. Both of them have been amazing influences on my life these past three years. The members in the company change year to year, being as we always have to re-audition. There are a few girls in the company who I have danced with all three years, but every year the company becomes your family. This past year we all grew so close, and I really couldn't imagine my time at Cal Poly without any one of them. The company is made up of a mixture of boys and girls and we have members that range from freshmen to seniors, and a pretty unique mixture of majors including: engineers, architects, biology, food science, statistics, kinesiology, RPTA and many more."

Now, Mendoza sets her sights on graduation hoping to work for an event planning company in San Francisco. Even though a career in dance is not in her future, she hopes that it remains a part of her life, saying, "Dance will always be a part of my life and I am sure I will continue to take classes…once dance is a part of your life, it remains an integral part of your life forever."

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