What's New Archives
Very Special Festival of the Arts
Coloma Center, Sacramento
Spring 2005
The Very Special Festival of the Arts unites 50 schools from 4 different schooll districts, 10 developmental centers, and over 3000 students.
New this year: Pony Express and John Cabrillo schools created a puppet show. The instructor, Talib Huff of Tinker's Coin Productions, dedicates his art to the revival and continuation of traditional children's games and entertainment. With a focus on puppetry and games involving movement, Tinker's Coin Productions strives to bring to children and adults a renewal of healthy, engaging activities.
After making a splash at the CalExpo earlier this year, Coyote Contra Band was once again in the spotlight, now including a couple of young musicians from Caroline Wenzel school.
"Emphasis is paid to professionalism in the Arts, " states Alice Parente, the Executive Director of VSA arts of California. "By having young people work together in a non-competitive forum, the walls between "regular" and "handicapped" dissapear. The students see that they share the same interests, fears, hopes and desires for recognition, friendship and encouragement".
Hip hop is all the rage: Ethel Baker, John F. Kennedy, Rosemont Elder Creek, Luther Burbank, C.P. Hungtington, Hollywood Park and Jed Smith performed hip-hop dances. Some of thesestudents are veterans of the VSAS stage.
