Here’s the question for Missy Pfohl Smith: What prompted the creation of the ARTs + Change Conference?
Worldwide, it’s the rising tide of polarization, and social media’s role in it, she says. Closer to home, it was the death of Daniel Prude a man in the midst of a mental health crisis at the hands of the Rochester Police Department “that sparked all the protests and brought up the problems that have been happening here for a long time, but really became acute in that moment last summer,” says Pfohl Smith, who organized the conference.
“And then also, of course, here we are, in these really raw moments for our students and our community members, and yet we can’t be together, we are separated.”
February 11, 2021
The lineup for the 2021 inspireDANCE Festival includes Bridgman|Packer Dance, with coartistic directors Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer giving a behind-the-scenes artist talk. (Image courtesy of Bridgeman|Packard)
The virtual version of the annual festival welcomes everyone to learn new dance styles from top choreographers and instructors.
inspireDANCE Festival online
The inspireDANCE Festival is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Sign up online to attend one, some, or all of this year’s classes and events.
The University of Rochester’s Program of Dance and Movement’s eleventh annual inspireDANCE Festival will be a free virtual event over the next few weeks.