Five years ago, Saban “Rocky” Ursua set foot on the University of Idaho campus intent on becoming a dentist.
During his first year, Ursua wanted a break from his more stressful classes, so he decided to take a hip-hop class — hoping to try something new and maybe make a few friends.
By his third year, Ursua changed his major to dance.
“When I first came to the University of Idaho, I didn’t know how to dance at all. I came to college wanting to be a dentist,” Ursua said. “I just took a dance class on a whim because I thought it sounded cool. The more I’ve progressed throughout the years, the more I developed a deeper appreciation for the arts.”
That first dance course Ursua took was Beginning Hip Hop Dance — Dance 105 — with Ben Devaud, who encouraged him to keep taking classes.
“The movements given to us and the foundation that he laid down was something I really enjoyed, and I guess I enjoyed it so much that I became a dance major,” Ursua said.
While he is still learning, the now fifth-year student said he has gained a better understanding of what his body can do.
“As a dancer, you visualize movements that sometimes you can’t put into practice because your body can’t physically do that yet,” Ursua said. “This year has been about practicing and training and getting my body to create those movements that I imagine.”
Ursua has performed in many different programs on campus, including DancersDrummersDreamers and Shades of Black. Those two events have allowed him to learn even more about himself as a performer.
In 2017, Ursua participated in TEDxUIdaho, where he discussed and showcased his love of dance.
“It was sort of on a whim when one of the production managers asked me to do it,” Ursua said. “It was a very cool experience. It was in the Hartung Theater and I’m very used to dancing there, but the crowd was so different than the performances I was used to.”
One of the things that has strengthened Ursua’s performance skills was participating in marching band for 10 years, four of which were spent in UI’s performance group.
“Marching band has helped shape the performance side of myself,” Ursua said. “Being on the field in front of hundreds of people has helped me learn to calm my nerves on stage.”
A year and a half ago, Ursua began teaching the class that started it all for him — Beginning Hip Hop Dance.
This experience allowed him to develop skills in choreographing dance, using a lot of the same techniques Devaud used when he took the class his first year.
After graduation, he said he plans to become a dance historian at Arizona State University. Being able to teach dance hip hop history made the decision to attend ASU easy.
Although Ursua has developed his skills during his time at UI, he said he still needs to further develop his craft.
In order to do this, Ursua has the goal of joining a dance company on the East Coast in order to learn more about himself and what he can do as a dancer.
“A lot of the other dancers in the program have been dancing a lot more than me and they’ve had time to figure themselves out in dance,” Ursua said. “They know exactly the movements that their bodies are responsive to. I want to branch out of my normal style and see where my artistry will go.”
Nicole Hindberg can be reached at [email protected]