Resume
SANDRA RIVERA
215 East 96 Street, #30A, NY, NY 10128 · 917-566-9257
sandrariveraprojects@gmail.com · www.sandrariveraprojects.com
Sandra Rivera is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and writer. Drawing on experience as a
founding member of Ballet Hispánico and training from Tina Ramirez, she wrote Spanish Dance
in New York City’s Puerto Rican Community, published in 2021 for the journal Dance Index.
She is a member of the collective, ColectivXs and most recently presented her film Zemi 2,
Remembering Hurricane Maria in their production of Toward A Latinx Practice in November
2021. Since 1990 she has choreographed and performed contemporary dances that incorporate
diverse Latino dance forms that include folkloric, social and flamenco dance. Her solo dance
portraits have been presented at the Caramoor International Music Festival, The Naumburg
Orchestral Concerts, The Abrons Art Center and the 92nd Street Y.
DANCE ON FILM
2021
ZEMI 2, REMEMBERING HURRICANE MARIA, COLECTIVXS, VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE
WORK SAMPLE: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/XQ_DQQVOSHO
DANCE PERFORMANCES (DANCER & CHOREOGRAPHER)
2022
SUSTENANCE, REVIVAL 6, DANCES FOR A VARIABLE POPULATION, NYC
2021
TOWARD A LATINX PRACTICE, COLECTIVXS, VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE
2021
ASTURIAS AND ENTRE DOS AGUAS, REVIVAL 5, DANCES FOR A VARIABLE POPULATION, NYC
2021
ASTURIAS, REVIVAL 4, DANCES FOR A VARIABLE POPULATION, VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE 2019
DESCUBRIMIENTO: VOICE, PLACE, IDENTITY, EL BARRIO’S ARTSPACE PS109, NYC
2019
PARA ANNA, CLARK CENTER, NYC
2018
JIBARA, CLARK CENTER, NYC
2017
PASODOBLE, 30 YEARS OF FRIDAYS AT NOON CELEBRATION, 92ND STREET Y, NYC
2015
PASODOBLE, REMEMBERING CLARK CENTER, 92Y FRIDAYS AT NOON, NYC
2015
FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH, CELEBRATING NEW YORK'S CLARK CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, CITY COLLEGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, NYC
2008, 2009
BARRIO GIRL: A LIFE THROUGH DANCE, THE ABRONS ARTS CENTER, NYC
2009
VIVA LA VIDA (FRIDA KAHLO), THE GREEN SPACE, NYC
2007
DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATION, UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, NYC
2007
PONCE MASSACRE MEMORIAL, UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, NYC
2004, 2005
LOVE’S PURE LIGHT, EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO, NYC
2002
MYSTIC FIRE: ST. TERESA DE AVILA, BOSTON COLLEGE
2002
PATH OF THE ARTIST, JULIA DE BURGOS CULTURAL CENTER, NYC
2000, 2002
BARRIO GIRL: A LIFE THROUGH DANCE, JULIA DE BURGOS CULTURAL CENTER, NYC
CONCERTS (DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER & PRODUCER)
2016
PATH OF THE ARTIST, HOMAGE TO JULIA DE BURGOS, JULIA DE BURGOS CENTER, NYC
2010
BARRIO GIRL, AGUILAR LIBRARY, NYC
2004, 2005, 2008
NAUMBURG ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS, THE NAUMBURG BANDSHELL, NYC
2008
AGUINALDO, A PUERTO RICAN CELEBRATION, DANCE THEATRE WORKSHOP, NYC 2006
AGUINALDO, A PUERTO RICAN CELEBRATION, ST. CECILIA CHURCH, NYC
2004
SAETA, CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE, NYC
2004
PASION FLAMENCO, NAUMBURG ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS, NYC
2001
CANTOS & FLAMENCO MYSTICO, CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE, NYC
2000
FLAMENCO MYSTICO, CARAMOOR INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
1997-2001
THREE KINGS DAY, EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO, NYC
1999, 2000
THE REMEMBER PROJECT, 12 HOUR DANCE CELEBRATION BENEFITING DANCERS RESPONDING TO AIDS, DANCESPACE PROJECT, NYC
1998
SACRED DANCE GUILD FESTIVAL, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
1992
ANCESTRAL SPIRITS, ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH, NYC
1990
DANCES OF FAITH, STRUGGLE & CELEBRATION, ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH, NYC
OMEGA DANCE COMPANY (CO-DIRECTOR)
2009-2010
FLAMENCO DANCE MEDITATIONS, MIDDLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH, NYC
1997-2010
ST. FRANCIS DAY BLESSING, CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE, NYC
2008
CHRISTMAS EVE CONCERT, MIDDLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH, NYC
2008
LOS SEISES (EPIPHANY SERVICE), CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE, NYC
1985-2018
DANCE RESIDENCIES, UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, NYC
BALLET HISPÁNICO
1970-1982, 1984-1986
FOUNDING COMPANY MEMBER, NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL TOURS
1981-2019
FACULTY, BALLET HISPÁNICO SCHOOL OF DANCE
1988-2012
TEACHING ARTIST/CONSULTANT, PRIMEROS PASOS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS
1988-2019
CHOREOGRAPHY, CADIZ, ESPAÑA CAÑÍ, TANGO FLAMENCO, SEVILLANAS
2013-PRESENT
CURRICULUM CONSULTANT, SPANISH DANCE PROGRAM, BALLET HISPÁNICO SCHOOL OF DANCE
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
I am Latina, the daughter of Puerto Rican emigrants, and that experience is at the root of my work as a dance artist. A desire to explore and share my heritage is at the core of my work. I have extensive training in contemporary, flamenco and folkloric dance and I use this body knowledge to educate and create dances that celebrate the diverse mix of indigenous, Spanish and African cultures that are present in Latino culture.
TEACHING
2016-PRESENT
DANCERS FOR A VARIABLE POPULATION, TEACHING ARTIST
1997-2013
BILINGUAL, BICULTURAL SCHOOL (PS182), PROJECT ARTS PROGRAM (Bailes del Pueblo)
Conduct dance workshops that service entire school population. Sessions include collaboration with classroom teachers for incorporating dance into school curriculum, some of which culminate in student performance, including Puerto Rican Heritage Month, African- American Month and Mexican Heritage concert.
1995-Present
UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Conduct dance workshops in conjunction with the Worship Office.
Mentoring Program
2014-2016
CASABE HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY
Senior Dance Classes for Casabe Residents
2013-2015
HUNTER COLLEGE
Conduct flamenco dance workshops for Dance Department.
1996-2009
EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO
Create original dance pieces for students related to the museum’s exhibits and events including three productions for the annual Three Kings Day Parade.
1988 & 2009-2010
HENRY STREET SETTLEMENT, ARTS PARTNERS PROGRAM
Taught creative/contemporary/Latino dance forms to students from elementary through high school
1980-1985
ARTS RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
Residency culminated in performance that utilized dance, drama and history. Researched and created original dances for various celebrations, including Women’s History, African-American Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.
1988-1997
DANIEL WEBSTER MAGNET, NEW ROCHELLE, NY, ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, STUDIO ARTS PROGRAM
Taught creative movement, Latino folkloric, flamenco and modern dance to elementary school students that culminated in student performances.
1988-1997
BROOKLYN ARTS COUNCIL, BROOKLYN, NY, ARTS PARTNERS
Taught creative, modern, flamenco and Latino folkloric dance to elementary through High School students. Residency culminated in a performance that utilized dance, music, drama, and literature.
1988-1990
NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS, ROSTER ARTIST
Performed and conducted dance workshops for children and adults throughout New York State with a strong emphasis on Spanish/Flamenco dance.
LECTURES & PRESENTATIONS
2022
HUNTER COLLEGE DANCE DEPARTMENT
2022
BALLET HISPÁNICO SCHOOL OF DANCE
2022
MARTHA GRAHAM SCHOOL OF DANCE
2021
SACRED DANCE GUILD
2021
NDEO HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH PANEL
2021
NDEO POSTER PRESENTATION
2019
LIBRARY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, 60 YEARS OF THE CLARK CENTER
2018
CITY LORE, FLAMENCO NYC: FAZIL’S DANCE STUDIO & FLAMENCO CELEBRATION
GRANTS & AWARDS
2022
CREATIVES REBUILD NEW YORK’S ARTIST EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
1997, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2021
LOWER MANHATTAN CULTURAL COUNCIL
2000
ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC ARTS
2000, 20006
THE AMALIA & NICOLA GUILIANI FOUNDATION FOR RELIGION AND THE ARTS
2004
TEACHING ARTIST AWARD, SHORACKAPPOCK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (PS 98) NYC
1996
DANCE ARTIST AWARD, INSTITUTO DE PUERTO RICO, NYC
1996
ETHNIC DANCE AWARDS, DANCE ATTITUDE MAGAZINE, NYC
1981
TEACHING AWARD, CHILDREN'S ARTS AND SCIENCE WORKSHOPS, NYC
EDUCATION
2016
BACHELOR OF ARTS, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, BACCALAUREATE FOR UNIQUE AND INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
Area of Concentration: Dance in the Latino Diaspora
2004
FOUNDATIONS OF DANCE, DANCE EDUCATION LABORATORY OF THE 92ND STREET Y HARKNESS DANCE CENTER, NYC CERTIFICATION
2006
DEVELOPING DANCE LITERACY THROUGH LOD AND LMA, DEL, NYC CERTIFICATION
2011
LINCOLN CENTER INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATOR WORKSHOP CERTIFICATION
2019
INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY ACTION TRAINING, GIBNEY, NYC CERTIFICATION
PUBLICATIONS
2021
DANCE INDEX JOURNAL, “SPANISH DANCE IN NEW YORK CITY’S PUERTO RICAN COMMUNITY”
In writing this essay I have relied on the resources afforded by my own vast experiences with Spanish dance, including the mastery of nearly 40 dances from my formal training — dances that had been passed on from [Lola] Bravo to [Tina] Ramirez, with clear influences from Spanish roots and La Argentina herself.
https://www.eakinspress.com/danceindex/
2021
DANCING WITH THE DIVINE, OMEGA KAIROS BOOKS, “ZEMI, THE TIME TO DANCE IS NOW”
https://www.omegakairosbooks.com/
2021
DESAHOGAR, A SPACE TO UNLOAD, THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF COLECTIVXS, “WE ARE A DANCING PEOPLE” AND “SPANISH DANCE IN NEW YORK CITY'S PUERTO RICAN COMMUNITY”
https://www.colectivxs.com/desahogar/we-are-a-dancing-people
https://www.colectivxs.com/desahogar/spanish-dance-in-new-york-citys-puerto-rican-community-by-sandra-rivera
MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS
LATINX DANCE EDUCATORS ALLIANCE, ALLIANCE MEMBER
NATIONAL DANCE EDUCATION ORGANIZATION, MEMBER
CLARK CENTER NYC, MEMBER
PRESS
NEW YORK TIMES, 1985, ANNA KISSELGOFF
"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, 1986, JACK ANDERSON
"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. "
ATTITUDE, THE DANCERS’ MAGAZINE, 1995, SUSANNA SLOAT
"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. "
IMAGE, JOURNAL OF THE ARTS AND RELIGION, 2000, JUDITH ROCK
"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. "
BACKSTAGE, 2001, LISA JO SAGOLLA
"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. "
TRAINING
BALLET, CHRISTINA BERNAL, ALBA CALZADA, ALFREDO CORVINO MODERN, BALLET HISPÁNICO SCHOOL, ALVIN AILEY DANCE CENTER, MARTHA GRAHAM SCHOOL
SPANISH DANCE/FLAMENCO, JOSE MOLINA, MARIANO PARRA, TINA RAMIREZ, LUIS MONTERO
CHOREOGRAPHY, ANNA SOKOLOW, JULIE ARENAL
LITURGICAL/SACRED, CARLA DE SOLA