Dancer Craig Black Returns to Lincoln

Craig Black, a member of the Lincoln Class of 2007, made a return to his alma mater Tuesday to share his path to success with current students.

While in San Jose for a visit, Black was invited to Lincoln’s aptly named Black Box Theatre to answer student questions covering his experiences at Lincoln, in college, and beyond. He then performed a Contemporary dance piece for his enthusiastic audience.

Black got his start in high school performing arts as a member of BITCO, the dance team, and the music department, a story similar to that of many students in the audience.

Black moved on to attend an intensive and highly selective dance conservatory program at the esteemed Juilliard School in New York. Once graduated, he became a member of a dance company called the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, which he still performs with today.

He gave students several gems of advice, including a warning that “if you throw a tantrum; you’re fired,” and  “don’t go to school because you want to party; you will find parties anywhere.”

As for Black, he made the decision to attend his college and follow a career path in dance after narrowing down and looking at the high school classes he liked. He found that the most demanding classes –in his case, intensive dance and performing arts– were also the classes he felt the most passionate about.

Black shared his perspective on the importance of the Arts, saying, “This can’t be something that dies out. We can’t let our art form die. It’s our storytelling; it’s our culture.”