The dance program at Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts is a comprehensive program which focuses on both dance technique (Ballet, Modern, West-African, Latin, Global Traditions, Hip-Hop, Aesthetics of the Oppressed) as well as using dance (Choreographing, Composing, Devising, and Performing) as a tool for inquiry into contemporary themes and questions that require interdisciplinary knowledge, such as power, oppression, balance, beauty, representation, independence, movement, and transformation.

​Dance students will explore creative expression and inquiry through movement; awareness of space, time, and energy as design factors in dance composition; anatomy; and the development of self-confidence through the use of the body as an instrument to negotiate, question, and gain insight. In addition, students will learn the history of multiple forms of dance and formulate their own individual appreciation and philosophy of Dance as a contemporary art form.

Dance Majors and Minors at TAPA will develop kinesthetic awareness, proper body alignment, physical strength, flexibility, endurance, and care for the body. Dance students will work collaboratively to build technique in multiple genres, choreograph/curate original work, and critique professional dance performances. The essential questions and curricular objectives for Dance students across grade levels are supported by the RI Department of Education Grade Span Expectations in Dance (RI GSEs).

TAPA Dance Team

Matt Garza, Dance Artist in Residence
Mr.Garza@TAPAProvidence.org
Matthew Rolando Garza is an educator and performance artist originally from South Texas who has worked in the U.S., Ghana, Mali, South Korea & Costa Rica. A recipient of The Woodrow Wilson-Rockefeller Brothers Fund Fellowship for Aspiring Teachers of Color, M. Garza holds a B.A. in Education History from Brown '11 and an M.A. in Educational Theatre & Social Studies Education from NYU Steinhardt. While in NYC, Garza was a special needs classroom teacher for 3 years, an Art21 Educator, & the Education Director for B&M Fine Art Studios, while he also studied Movement & Ashtanga Yoga with Alvin Ailey & the Joschi Institute. Mr. Garza is Company Member of New Works/World Traditions Dance Company, a practicing yoga teacher, and also teaches undergraduate courses in the Rhode Island Adult Corrections Institute. He particularly enjoys Latin, West African, Hip Hop, Vogue, Dancehall, and Contemporary Dance.
Picture
Lisa Travis, Adjunct Dance Artist in Residence
Ms.Travis@TAPAProvidence.org
Lisa has served on the faculty of the department of Music, Theater and Dance at Plymouth State University, the Holderness School, and is the former Director of Dance at New Hampton School. She has performed professionally with several dance companies and has worked as Choreographer for Plymouth State University’s Department of Theater. In addition to her extensive dance background, Lisa is a certified Vinyasa Yoga Teacher.