The S.B. Questionnaire: Rosalina Macisco
Talking 'Alice in Wonderland' y La Bruja with the Founder of Santa Barbara Dance Institute
“I love trying new things, anything that challenges me in new ways,” exclaims Rosalina Macisco breathlessly. “And I love providing that to children. I wanted to offer that experience to kids who don’t have parents to take them to dance studios.”
A choreographer, dancer, and instructor, Rosalina founded the Santa Barbara Dance Institute in 2005 with the belief that dance has the special ability to motivate children. “It’s the right of every child to experience the arts,” she exalts. “It can provide an outlet with a sense of safety.”
A nonprofit modeled after the National Dance Institute, SBDI facilitates “Teaching Artists” to serve entire grades and schools by creating a dance performance inspired by a particular year’s educational theme. The Teaching Artists are professional dancers, choreographers, musicians, and composers who are trained to run these in-school educational dance programs. The SBDI’s current partner schools include Solvang Elementary, Adelante Charter School, Aliso Elementary, and Querencia.
