Practicing last weekend, the eight and nine-year-old dancers of the Rise dance troupe appeared a bit sloppy. Seems it had been a few days since their last rehearsal.

“Where’s your ’tude?” asked Jil Matrisciano, their passionate choreographer and the director of Rise Vineyard Performing Arts studio.

Ms. Matrisciano stopped the children to sharpen up their movements. She was the supportive version of a drill sergeant and the young dancers all had smiles on their faces as she shouted encouragement. “More! More! That’s right!” She also helped them do handstands against the wall by holding their legs up when they started to tip over.

The group came together seated in a circle after running through one of their numbers, Time Warp. Ms. Matrisciano demonstrated a sloppy cartwheel versus a sharp one.

“Is this pretty?” she asked, while demonstrating the sloppy cartwheel.

The girls responded as a chorus, “No.”

“Is this prettier?” She landed a sharp cartwheel.

“Yes,” all the children shouted.

For Ms. Matrisciano, seeing the kids grow up in her dance classes is one of the best parts of her job.

“I was just saying to one of the moms the other day that some of my nine-year-olds, I’ve been teaching them since they were four,” she said. “Not just at Rise but at little afterschool programs. So I’ve seen them come up, and to see the progression of a three-year-old sort of freewheeling around the studio just having fun, pretending to be a technical dancer and ... seeing their passion manifest into their own diligence to try harder, to like to be better and to feel the emotional connection to moving, it’s mind blowing. It makes me cry, every recital, every year.”

This weekend the tears will be flowing when Rise presents its annual dance recital on Saturday, June 25 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 26 at 2 p.m. The performance takes place at the Martha’s Vineyard High School Performing Arts Center and is filled with 35 acts, representing over one hundred students.

This is Rise’s third full year offering classes to kids ages 3 to 18. The school has grown over the years and there are now five teachers, including Ms. Matrisciano, for classes in contemporary, hip-hop, tap, and ballet dancing, as well as acrobatics and other movement styles. The recital is the culmination of the children’s efforts during the year.

“It’s exciting to see this little studio start to pick up momentum, and the momentum is because of the passion for movement,” said Ms. Matrisciano, who has been working as a choreographer on the Island for years, including, for awhile, choreographing the Minnesinger’s spring dance concert. “It’s also pretty cool that somebody like myself can come to Martha’s Vineyard, live here, and open a business that celebrates what I love and also allows kids to share a passion.”

Mostly, dance classes at Rise are separated by age groups, but classes are also organized into a more advanced group of dancers called Rise Company.

“Two years ago we started what we call company dance, which means we have an audition at the beginning of the year and we sort of handpick kids who show the most potential and interest in spending a little more time with dance... and learning all the technical background they need to be involved as a performer,” said Ms. Matrisciano.

There are three divisions of Rise Company, currently compRise d of 26 dancers. The company travels to off-Island dance competitions and recently took a trip to see the Boston Ballet.

The idea of dance competitions has recently taken hold in the popular culture. Shows like So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew are making dance more accessible and inspiring youngsters to get involved. Even the paradigm of dance being primarily for girls may be changing.

“This year alone I’ve had so many parents call for their boys, which is really great because there has always been a shyness I think for boys to warm up to dance,” said Ms. Matrisciano.

Ms. Matrisciano began taking dance classes as a child when her mother enrolled her in a ballet class because she was clumsy and would bump into things and break them.

“I didn’t mind ballet, but I then gravitated towards tap, so I think the chaos part was always fun for me,” she said.

Ms. Matrisciano now has an opportunity to give that solidity and enjoyment, which dance provided her, to the younger generation.

“To see the kids make dance their own is pretty incredible,” she said. “And at a young age...in like eight and nine-year-old girls, they get on stage and just light up. It makes me wonder about what they are going to be like when they are 17. They’re going to be on fire.”

Rise performs at the Martha’s Vineyard High School Performing Arts Center on Saturday, June 25 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. The show runs approximately two hours. Rise also offers summer dance classes for ages three to adult. The studio is located at 455 State Road, Vineyard Haven. For more information, call 508-693-2262 or visit Rise vpa.com.