Art, Healing, and Hope at Lompoc High School

Lompoc High School set a bold, meaningful example in addressing mental health and inspiring young people through a recent artist residency with director, movement artist, and Emmy Award–winning choreographer Jon Boogz. Boogz was joined by his wife, Malaena Eagle, also an accomplished movement artist and his essential creative collaborator in both life and work.

Santa Barbara has become increasingly familiar with — and fond of — Boogz, who lives in Las Vegas, through a series of local collaborations, including his 2024 residency with UCSB; his 2025 and 2026 Juneteenth programs at Center Stage Theater and the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara; his 2026 SALT event at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara; and additional collaborations with local organizations, including Santa Barbara–owned mental health app MindClay.

The residency grew out of that Santa Barbara synergy. Mayah Pico, a staff member at Lompoc High School and daughter of the school’s principal, Celeste Pico, attended this year’s Juneteenth with Jon Boogz. That connection led to an invitation for Boogz and Eagle to spend a week on the Lompoc campus. 

The first half of the residency centered on a screening of the short film Remedy in the Rhythm, written by, directed by, and starring Boogz. Eagle also plays a central role in the film, which follows a group of friends navigating grief after the suicide of a close friend.

The film offered students an engaging and accessible entry point into difficult and deeply human subjects. Classes rotated through the library to view the film across three large screens. As screenings unfolded, chatter subsided, and students became immersed in the compelling cinematography and storyline, with tears welling in some eyes.

Each viewing was followed by an open Q&A, allowing students to ask questions about everything from the filmmaking process to Boogz’s personal experience with the loss that inspired the film. With each bell ring and transition to a new class, Boogz and Eagle were approached by one or more students who were overcome with emotion as the film surfaced stories of their own. In these vulnerable moments, the students were met with care and compassion. Boogz’s intention for the film to catalyze de-stigmatizing conversations around mental health — particularly within communities of color — was realized in these spontaneous exchanges. The school counselors Carina Gutierrez and Ray Munoz were also available to support students and help them process anything the film may have brought to the surface.

The second half of the week focused on teaching dance and exploring the filmmaking process. Students were invited to imagine and develop their own creative projects, such as a film, video game, or TV series. They were encouraged to build out the details of their projects, including a title, genre, and budget, while thinking creatively about how their ideas might come to life. 

The results were wildly imaginative and notably diverse: a film about a teacher by day and drag queen by night; a video game themed around overbaked doughnuts; stories exploring aliens and alternate universes; and deeply emotional narratives inspired by students’ own lives and families. While some students were tentative at first, the process revealed fascinating, out-of-the-box minds. Brave volunteers shared their project ideas aloud with the class and were met with delight and encouragement from Boogz, Eagle, and classmates. Boogz encouraged the students to pursue their creative inclinations and spoke on the power of dreaming big. “I never went to film school or an art school, but my passion was bigger than any institution,” Boogz said. His most recent film has been accepted into Oscar-qualifying festivals. “If you dream and believe hard enough, you can supersede even the toughest obstacle.”

By the end of the week, it was clear the residency’s impact had moved in both directions. Boogz, a man of many hats — professionally and, quite literally, as a wearer of wide-brimmed hats — arrived on campus thinking about what he could offer the students. 

“I planned to inspire the youth but left inspired,” Boogz reflected. Talking with some of the students, he said, was “like looking in a mirror.” He recognized their struggles and the realities of growing up in underserved communities.

“We learn to endure. We adapt.”

He was also struck by the students’ creative abilities, describing many as “genius writers and creatives” whose ideas and stories left an impression on him. “The creativity that some possessed was unreal.”

The determination of some of the dance students affected him most deeply, even bringing him to tears. “Seeing how bad they wanted to learn,” he said, “how seeking our knowledge was a window or a door to their own dreams and possibilities — that hunger and desire is why I do what I do.”