Rise Up is a Collaboration Meant to Inspire

"The goal of this project is to portray positivity, hope, and perseverance in a time of change and struggle," says Ms. Kibarska. "During these unsettling times of fear and isolation, we can rise above the confusion and continue to be of service to others, to share our creativity with the world, and to be the best and the strongest versions of ourselves." The process included learning choreography from videos, recording on a cell phone, adapting to a video editing software program, and many hours of treasured collaborative work between two artists—teacher and student.

Hannah says of her experience performing Rise up, "Over the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of working on this project with Ms. Kibarska. She choreographed a beautiful dance piece that demonstrates the need for people to rise up and stay positive even though it seems impossible right now. This piece was definitely a challenge for me, but it was an amazing learning experience, and I am very proud of what we produced. It's extremely important that we all stick together and remain as positive as possible." Dr. De Sal, Director of Arts, says of this project, "It is an inspiring reminder in the midst of this pandemic that art, learning, community, love, and hope, are never canceled." Both Ms. Kibarska and Hannah hope that this endeavor will remind you that sharing our gifts with others will make the world a better place.

Click here to watch Rise Up.