What people are saying about Sandra Rivera…

"Ms Rivera was absolutely terrific in “Sacramonte”…None of it was pure flamenco, and Ms Rivera’s idiosyncratic movements, most dramatic in her staccato attack as she jumped forward with knees bent, discarded the flamenco carriage in favor of a more rubbery spine.  This was a creative use of a traditional form, informed by Ms Rivera’s wonderfully fiery spirit. "

                                                          New York Times- Anna Kisselgoff, 1985

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"Sandra Rivera was equally commanding in “Sacramonte,”…Stamping her feet and clapping her hands sharply, Ms. Rivera indicated she was a fiery presence.  And when she gestured in a way that implied she was beckoning the audience to join her, she could have been casting a spell upon her viewers. "

                                                                  New York Times- Jack Anderson, 1986

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"The passions of the texts, of the past are embodied in Saeta, which Sandra Rivera and Omega Dance Co. presented on Maundy Thursday at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.  On the stage with the windows glowing in the distance, the two dances made a moving and radiantly beautiful prelude to Easter.

Sandra Rivera is very good at conveying emotion.  She stylizes it and makes it come from within so that it feels real….Rivera builds up tension with highly expressive movements and gestures of face, arms, and hands.  She is not afraid to convey disturbance with awkwardness.  In the process, the danced passion becomes meaningful and very beautiful.

Rivera’s solo is particularly expressive…Her wrenched flamenco moves seem full and lived and she doesn’t hesitate to exaggerate them when that is called for…Her hands are particularly effective, whether she is sending them down her body, or slashing her arms and then flashing them with fingers shimmering. "

                                  From Attitude The Dancers’ Magazine- Susanna Sloat, 1995

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"In her clean footwork and absolute intensity, Rivera shares the dignity and grandeur of body and gesture that characterized José Limón.  Both have left their art embody the off-center clarity of perspective which is the outsider’s difficult gift. "

                  Image, Journal of the Arts and Religion- Judith Rock, 2000

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" “Espiritu Mujer,” a flamenco solo created and danced by Sandra Rivera.  The booming echoes of Rivera’s foot stomps…made layers of rhythm that resonated thunderously through the Cathedral in an awe-inspiring tribute to the powerful spirit of womanhood. "

                                                                                Backstage- Lisa Jo Sagolla, 2001