Moving In The Spirit Conjures Influential Voices For ‘SOAR’

J.D. Scott Photography

Moving in the Spirit is wrapping up its season of programming and classes for 5 to 18 year-olds with its end-of-year performance Thursday. The program, called “SOAR:  be bold. be brave. believe.”, drew inspiration from the students’ favorite vocalists.

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Co-founder and Executive and Artistic Director Dana Lupton asked the students, what singer touched your heart in such a bold way that encouraged you to be bold?

“The answers were so surprising. I didn’t realize how vulnerable people would be. I had no idea that it would be so personal,” she said. “The collection of work is rooted in that through line of artists being bold and impacted our lives as young people to us the strength to stand.”

Lupton and Artistic Director Emeritus Leah Mann founded Moving in the Spirit in 1986. Since then, hundreds of kids and teens have passed through the program, which fuses dance education with social justice.

“The creative youth development model marries the vigor and mastery of the arts and humanities along with the cognitive, social, and emotional skills, and forms a whole person,” Lupton said.

SOAR is this Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Rialto Center for the Arts.