PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Artist Diploma Program is designed as two separate programs, the Advancement Program and the Leadership Program. While the Diploma Program was developed for young people as a four-year sequence, it is broken into two-year components. This enables the student to discover their own particular goals and gifts during the first two years, and then decide if they wish to continue their studies at a more concentrated level in the Leadership Program.

Some incoming students may be older than the normal entrance age of twelve (entering 7th grade), while other students may enter at a more experienced or advanced level. The Director of Repertoire Training and Faculty advisors will determine the year and level of program where students are placed.

By the end of four years, a full graduate of the Artist Diploma Program will complete as many as 2,000 hours in year-round individual lessons and group classes, project learning, student mentoring projects, five-week cross-cultural summer intensives, recitals, and public performances.

These performances are realized in one of the nine active Resident Companies at the Center whose work explores instrumental jazz music, acting/writing/directing of both original plays and ones from world theater traditions, contemporary urban dance, classical Anlo-Ewe (West African) music and dance, regional Mexican Son, instrumental chamber music, African-American vocal traditions, Laotian/Mien ceremonial performance arts, and independent filmmaking.

The Center maintains core instruction and performance in specific art forms that were chosen over several decades with a number of criteria in mind. First, that there was a spectrum of art forms representing interest from our community, interest among youth, and that enjoy widespread practice in society. Next, that each art form possessed clear cannons exemplifying a range of human skills and distinctive traditional training methodologies. Finally, the Center was to have access to authentic master artists capable of transmitting and translating the theory, techniques, cultural contexts and meaning of the repertoire.

For further information:   510-323-2492; para Español 510-323-2495;  fax: 510-234-8206