“My dance is home! A place where I can let go of all my fear and show the world who I truly am and the power I have within.”
— Giselle Barrios, 2018 Inner-City Arts Repertory Dance Company
This month, the Inner-City Arts Repertory Dance Company not only closed another season of dance with a powerful production in The Rosenthal Theater, but also kickstarted its tenth year. X: Celebrating a Decade of Dance at Inner-City Arts honored the timeless power of the artform and the thousands of young dancers who have shared their stories on our stage.
Nearly a decade ago, Chief Program Officer Beth Tishler had a vision to offer young people a safe, supportive environment to explore themselves through movement, share their gifts, and grow towards confident and collaborative individuals.
More than 60 pieces of original choreography have been produced and performed at Inner-City Arts since the Repertory Company’s start. In honor of this growth, the 2018 class performed 10 select pieces from the company’s repetoire of original, choreographed pieces and invited alumni dancers back to the place they call their original dance-home to create a dancing tapestry of both the history and future of Inner-City Arts.
“As we look to the future, I know we have only scratched the surface of the potential of this program,” said Marissa Herrera, Artistic Director and Choreographer. “I hope we continue to have the support necessary to be that safe space for young dancers to find their dance, to share their stories, and to create and inspire each other, our audiences and our communities.”
“As we look to the future, I know we have only scratched the surface of the potential of this program,” said Marissa Herrera, Artistic Director and Choreographer. “I hope we continue to have the support necessary to be that safe space for young dancers to find their dance, to share their stories, and to create and inspire each other, our audiences and our communities.”
THE REPERTORY DANCE COMPANY:
Giselle Barrios, Julia Curiel, Lilian Fernandez, Ashlee Hodge, Paiton Lee, Virginia Lopez, Joshua Martis, Maia Melendez, Wendy Nolasco, Cindy Quintanilla
FEATURED DANCE CO. ALUMNI:
Moises Garcia, Elizabeth “East Los” Rodriguez, Danny Salgado, Michelle “Shell Shock” Sung
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:
Marissa Herrera
CHOREOGRAPHY BY:
Marissa Herrera, Liz “East Los” Rodriguez, Moises Garcia & Danny Salgado, Virginia Lopez/Giselle Barrios/Maia Melendez, Joshua Martis/Paiton Lee, Julia Curiel/Ashlee Hodge
PRODUCTION STAFF:
Dolores Chávez, Beth Tishler (Producers); Anthony Aguilar with Tom Grond (Lighting Design), Ingrid Ferrin (Costume Design); Darrin Bush (Visual Media Production); Kwesi Johnson (Video Production), Joshua Martis (Audio Editor), John Miyasaki (Production Stage Manager), Michelle Sung (Assistant to the Choreographer), Maribel Barcena Lopez and Liz Rodriguez (Rosenthal Theater Production Assistants), Letitia Chang (Technical Assistant)
INNER-CITY ARTS STAFF:
Bob Smiland (CEO/President), Beth Tishler (Chief Program Officer), Dolores Chávez (Director of The Rosenthal Theater), Myrna Cristerna (Theater Program Manager), Vy Pham (Director of Communications), Mindy Lee (Graphic Designer)
PHOTO THANKS: Craig Johnson Photography
