Artist Spotlight: Toña Rivera
This week’s spotlighted artist is dancer, visual artist, and founder of the nonprofit Every Ability Plays Project - Toña Rivera!
ABQ Dance Connect started an Artist Spotlight Series to feature dancers, movers, and creators in Albuquerque. This series is aimed to introduce and connect artists to their ABQ community. If you are interested in being a part of this series, please email info@abqdanceconnect.org or DM ABQ Dance Connect for more information. Look back at the artists who were featured last year.
Toña Rivera was born and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was born with Cerebral Palsy. Even though she was born in Albuquerque, she calls herself Mexican because her family is from Mexico. She graduated from Valley High School in 1999.
After High School, she volunteered at Carrie Tingley Children's Hospital for nearly four years. She worked in the recreation room by supervising the children. She was also going to Carrie Tingley Hospital for therapy during the same time. It is there where Toña met her physical therapist and her lifelong time friend Mary Beth Schubauer. In 2001, Ms. Schubauer started a wheelchair sports camp which was called The Muthu Berry Wheelchair Sports Camp, and later known as Beyond Limits Sports Camp. Toña volunteered at Wheelchair Sports Camp over ten years. She co taught power soccer and bocce. She was in charge of setting up the climbing wall event. After camp was over, Toña was also in charge of setting up The Ability Experience/Journey of Hope event for the same group of campers.
Toña is a dancer and visual artist as well as the founder of the nonprofit Every Ability Plays Project. She cannot speak or use her hands. She uses a wheelchair for mobility and a computer to help her speak. In 1999, she discovered dance through Keshet Dance Company. In 2005, she was able to travel to Eugene, OR to get the DanceAbility teacher certification. She also began painting in 2005. She paints with her left foot. Since then, she has transitioned to clay by using a head pointer. From 2003 through 2020, she attended the North Fourth Art Center, which was associated with VSA Arts of New Mexico. It was there that she danced with the Buen Viaje Dance Company, a mixed abilities dance company. In 2014, Toña founded Every Ability Plays Project, a nonprofit that purchases special playground equipment for children with disabilities. In 2020, she became a master teacher in DanceAbility.
Keep up with Toña’s work here:
