We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Santiago Rivera. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Santiago below.
Santiago, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
The victories and obstacles in my life have been a constant source of inspiration for my creativity. My choreographic works are autobiographical, as I reminisce about my life I am able to tell my story through movement. I feel very privileged that dance has stayed in my life and have made a career from it. I am in continuous practice of my artform by taking dance classes, teaching, and creating. My family, friends, students, and dancers also ignite my soul to be creative.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a Salvadoran-American dance theater artist based in Los Angeles, California. My choreographic works focus on the closeted queer experience for Latiné folks and people of color. My creative process is informed by experimental dance theater artists and practices like Pina Bausch, José Limón, Butoh, and Gaga movement language. I am a professor of dance at Cypress College and a teaching artist for the non-profit organization Young Choreographers Project. My passions are choreography and education and the intersection of both. As an educator I want my students to feel comfortable experimenting in their creative endeavors and finding their authentic voice. I will be performing a new solo work titled “la maldad del ángel” at Cypress College from May 17th-19th and El Camino College on June 6th. This year I have presented dances at Orange Coast College, “La Verdad de mis Mentiras: A Choreographic Study on the LatinX Body in Butoh” for The Giles T. Brown Student Project and Research Symposium and “La Sangre de mi Tierra” for their Spring Dance Celebration Concert, “The Emotions of a Mannequin” for Megan Fowler-Hurst and Emmanuel Camacho Larios’ MERGE, “The Misery of Moonlight” for White Wave Dance Company’s SoloDuo Dance Festival in New York, “el alma del diablo” for the American College Dance Association with Cypress College, and with Young Choreographers Project, “The Sunshine in Your Eyes” for Pasadena HIgh School, and “The Sea of Questions” for CHAMPS Charter High School of the Arts. This Summer I will be part of Imprints Dance Company’s choreographic workshop Choreoscape in Fresno, California.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
There is a Pina Bausch quote that really shaped the way I approach choreography, “I’m not interested in how people move, but what moves them.”
This quote helped me let go of perfection, failure, and expectations. The skills that I have sharpened are listening, understanding, and problem-solving. Collaborating with artists of different mediums requires listening to their perspectives, understanding where they are coming from, and trusting that our team work will result in something beautiful.
I tell my students and young artists that feedback is powerful. Take what is valuable and release what isn’t. Never be afraid to experiment and fail because the most wonderful lessons come from it.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents did not understand why I wanted to be an artist at first, but they always believed in me. They are from a very conservative culture and generation and still felt proud of the work I had accomplished. When they saw me on stage when I was younger we would celebrate. They were never embarrassed of me for chasing my dreams. My father is now watching me dance from heaven and my mother still sits in the audience and echoes the questions my father used to ask me about what my dances are about and what they mean. Their belief in me has made me the artist and educator I am today.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @santiag0g0
Image Credits
Personal Photo: Benjamin Rivera Image 1: Anthony Najera Image 2: Gregory R.R. Crosby Image 3: Jesse De Castro Image 4: Ginger Sole Photography Image 5: Santiago Rivera Image 6: Sienna Serrano Image 7: Steven Pisano Image 8: Fabian Leon Torres
