Coral in Overtown, Miami

© 2012 Kristofer Ríos. All rights reserved.

“Entrepreneurs Grow Coral for Research and Art,” The Miami Herald, July, 1, 2012. To Colin Foord, corals are a metaphor for life in Miami. He speaks lyrically about the parallel between the living underwater urban structures and the city. “The essence … Continue reading

Puppets in Ft. Lauderdale

© 2012 Kristofer Ríos. All rights reserved.

“Keeping Puppet Traditions Alive in South Florida,” The Miami Herald, June 28, 2012. Under normal circumstances, interviewing a puppet would seem absurd. But at the Puppet Network, a Fort Lauderdale workshop founded and directed by Jim Hammond, it’s easy to suspend … Continue reading

Subway Tap Dancing, NY

© 2012 Kristofer Ríos. All rights reserved.

On a recent Friday afternoon, Joshua Johnson danced down a Q train car with an Air Jordan sneaker on his left foot to keep from slipping and a tap shoe on his right foot to play a beat as he collected money from several riders.

“Thank you, folks,” Mr. Johnson told the straphangers. “If you know Penn State, you know it ain’t cheap. Every dollar counts.”

Since he enrolled at Pennsylvania State University, Mr. Johnson, 20, a Harlem native, has helped support himself through his studies in business marketing with the donations he receives during his weekend performances in the New York City subways. Continue reading