Healing Through Dance

“Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” 

This quote, from diversity and inclusion consultant Verna Myers, embodies Move with Purpose’s mission (it’s also on their website). Founded on the principle that everyone in our community deserves access to the arts, Santa Barbara Dance Arts founder Alana Tillim created the nonprofit in 2024 to fill that need. 

The nonprofit partners with other local for-profit dance studios, including Tillim’s own Santa Barbara Dance Arts, The Dance Network, and State Street Ballet, to offer scholarships, educational opportunities and safe spaces for members of marginalized communities. 

“There’s nothing like dance,” says Tillim, who opened Santa Barbara Dance Arts 28 years ago. “It can let you speak when you don’t have words.” 

A national leader in the dance industry with a strong resume to boot (she’s served on the board of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics and was formerly the president of Santa Barbara Dance Alliance), Tillim has seen firsthand how economic and political shifts have shaped the dancing community in Santa Barbara. That’s why access to the arts is even more important; it has a healing power that can’t be replicated by a screen or workbook. At Move with Purpose, Tillim says, “we understand that our kids these days, especially our most vulnerable communities, need the healing power of the arts.” 

Scholarships are matched through a Corporate Partner Program and guidelines reflect Santa Barbara County’s wage and cost of living, rather than the state’s ($100,000 is considered low-income in our area, according to a new report). Scholarship opportunities open each quarter, and the next scholarship cycle is set to open December 1. 

“If we don’t start to create life-changing experiences, we won’t create the next generation of artists that represent equity and inclusion,” she says. 

To that end, Tillim adds, “To create life-changing opportunities, we need life-changing funding.”

A recent fundraising event, Fashion in Motion, celebrated a fusion of art forms — photography, paint, music, fashion, and dance. Photographer Lillian Hahn, artist Pedro de la Cruz, Merlette, and others collaborated to share Move with Purpose’s mission. Proceeds donated from the sale of photography, on display through the end of October at Art & Soul Gallery (1323 State St.) will also benefit Move with Purpose. Additionally through the end of the month, Merlette, a women’s clothing boutique in The Post center near the Bird Refuge (1805 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Ste. D), will donate 10 percent of sales from customers who mention “Move with Purpose.”

Upcoming events to support Move with Purpose include the creation of a short film in partnership with the Mental Wellness Center by a youth-driven, mentor-supported group within Move with Purpose’s Leadership Academy, the Inclusion Coalition. The film will be shown at Center Stage Theater March 7-8 and 13-14, 2026. Tickets go on sale early February.  

In addition, Move with Purpose’s annual fundraiser, the Student Showcase, encourages Leadership Academy participants to produce, direct, and learn to write grants as part of the Philanthropist-in-Training Program. Last year’s showcase raised $11,000 to help fund community scholarships. This year’s show will be hosted April 26, 2026, at Marjorie Luke Theatre. 

Dance is about healing. It’s not just about providing physical and emotional outlets, but safe spaces for those desperate for a haven. “Our community will thrive when our children are healthy,” says Tillim. And when children dance, there’s “universal joy.” 

For more information, see movewithpurposesb.org.