Tuesday Tunes: Priscilla Rivas

 R: How do you see the future of dance?

P: I think that dance will continue to change, shrink, and grow as it has done in the past.  I feel that Dance reflects, many times, how our economy is doing.  The better people are doing financially, the more chances we see children being put into dance classes and movement classes.  So on a home level, I think we will see an influx of kids taking formal dance classes.  Sadly, we will see the opposite in public schools.  Each year, more and more emphasis is placed on high stakes testing and less on developing the “whole child.”  Schools find themselves cornered and having to make cuts and losing artist teachers in the schools because the budget cannot support them. I think families will have to make the extra effort to seek opportunities to expose their children to the arts. As for dance itself, the smaller our world becomes through technology, the more we will see other cultures and styles influencing all types of dance.  I think that is really exciting!  It is so interesting to watch contemporary pieces and recognize elements of hip hop, folklore, and even language incorporation.    Continue reading →