Volume 11, No. 1                                                                          June 21, 2013
Special Edition
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Teen Learning in the Traditional Arts
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By Amy Kitchener, Executive Director
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This month, ACTA dedicates our entire issue of The New Moon to Teen Learning in the Traditional Arts. In over fifteen years in our role as funding intermediary and advocate for the diverse traditions and cultural communities of our state, we have seen intense commitment of young people engaged in their art forms, inspired by rigorous training approaches by master teachers in backyards, kitchens, home studios, and other sites of community learning. Here, we aim to highlight some of the diverse experiences and points of view to illuminate the ways in which teens work to carry traditions into the future.
 
Ty'ithreeha Allen's Ihuk Ceremony
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My name is Ty'ithreeha Allen and I am sixteen years old and I had my Ihuk ceremony when I was twelve years old. I grew up attending flower dances, which are coming of age ceremonies held for girls who have become young women. My mom was pregnant with me when the first flower dance, or Ihuk as we call it in the Karuk language, was held again after not being held for over eighty years, so I have grown up attending the dance. I have always attended this and other ceremonies my entire life, and have grown up dancing, learning, and practicing my culture.
Teenagers in Traditional Arts and Practice: Recognizing Foundations of Knowledge
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By Russell Rodriguez, Program Manager
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At the same time that traditional arts provides much potential for teens to develop as productive contributors to community and society at large, it is the participation of children, teens, and youth that guarantee the preservation and the development of traditional expressions, such as Hmong qeej and Mexican mariachi music, which undoubtedly help define the cultural landscape of the United States.
A Conversation with Naomi Washington Diouf on Teens & Traditional Arts Learning
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By Lily Kharrazi, Program Manager
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"Because dance is inseparable from a sense of community, I tell my kids that an individual shines because the community shines."
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As a California-based mentor and master artist, Naomi Diouf is an exacting authority figure. "I drive my students. My standards are high. I have a syllabus and a technique. I assess my students and ask them to self-assess. I videotape them and ask them to see other professional companies to learn how to evaluate what they are doing."
 


Further Reading
 
For other examples of ACTA-supported projects involving teens, please see:
 
 
 

 


Following ACTA
      


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The Alliance for California Traditional Arts is the California Arts Council's official partner in serving the state's folk and traditional arts field.