YOUNG ART / ARTE JOVEN 2016

YOUNG ART ARTE JOVEN

YOUNG ART ARTE JOVEN OUR CHILDREN’S EXHIBIT AT LA CASITA

PROUD OF OUR YOUTH La Casita is proud to showcase the achievements of its youth programs this year, YOUNG ART that emerges from its dual language reading programs for preschool and elementary school children, as well as La Casita’s dance troupe, and its music education program Mi Música.

ORGULLOSOS DE NUESTRA JUVENTUD Nos enorgullece presentar los logros de nuestros programas para la juventud en este año, el ARTE JOVEN que emerge de los programas de lectura bilingüe para pre-escolares y de nivel elemental, así como del grupo de baile y del programa Mi Música en La Casita.

DUAL LANGUAGE READING CIRCLES CIRCULOS DE LECTURA BILINGÜE Domenika Alvarado Jair Alvarado Alexandra Boria Jeimelis Brown Jendriel Brown Garielys Casanova Joy Coburn Yanceilis Desla Michelle Freeman Denzel García-Ilisastigui Desirée García-Ilisastigui Jonathan González

Rain González Yandel González Kevin Medina Ramos Kelvianys Medina Narayan Milton Suanellys Milton Bendriel Osorio Kayla Ramón Ruben Ramón Nicole Tejeda Gabriel Torres Sha Williams

Reading Circles Michelle Freeman, 11 years old, participated shared her writing in English and Spanish at the open mic event that marked the release of the program's first original publication: What I Love About Me!

It has been an honor to work with the children in the Reading Circles over this year. I have learned from them about how it is to navigate school and family in two languages and they have been patient with my attempts to learn to speak Spanish. As a librarian working with the Reading Circles program, I have tried to find books to share that are bilingual, reflect different Latino cultures, have beautiful illustrations, and which may spark the students’ interests.

Zulay, Lizet and I collaborated to create activities that are hopefully fun and allow the kids to be creative, but also teach them about their own culture and that of each other. My favorite project was “What I love about Me” because each student found something about themselves that they liked and of which they were proud. ­— Margaret Clark Cover art of the new publication by 7 year old Jeffrey Ramos.

Reading Circles

Above: The children of the Dual Language Reading Circles, a program offered by La Casita in collaboration with the Spanish Action League of Onondaga County, presenting their first bilingual publication: What I Love About Me! Left: Nine-year-old DesirĂŠe GarcĂ­a-Ilisastigui, proudly presenting her work at the book release event where all the children stepped up to the microphone to read in English and in Spanish.

MANOS Randy Ayala Luarys Ceballos Jared Concepción Ethan Dechoudens Rikh Esparza Jesus Arroyo Estrada Julien Gardiner Jaydhenne González Cruz Imani Hernández London Holloman De’Naliyah Hubbard Wilfredo López Kelvanys Medina Ramos Delianys Osorio Dianyeliz Pizarro Osorio Angel Paul Torres

Leyshliann Alicea Rosario Luis Juaniel Ayala Nasheilys Carrasquillo Marialyz Cruz Nathanael Cruz Zamantha Faria Rosell Angel Abdiel González Leislan Manso Ventura Joel Matos Naibella Morris Rodríguez Jordiel Omar Pizarro Navieliz Imari Quiñones Renen Yomar Rivera Joelianys Rodríguez Cruz Janciel Rolon Aleydsha Nicole Romero Brexialee Torres

Manos

EL PUNTO ART STUDIO 2016 PUNTO DE CONTACTO / POINT OF CONTACT A contemporary arts program for young artists PRESENTING ITS SIXTH EXHIBITION

Leslie Abraham Alexandra Boria Héctor Boria Jendriel Brown Jeimelis Brown Amaiya Burke Natasha Calderon Destiny Carrasquillo Rihanna Carrasquillo Noriana Carrasquillo Garielys Casanova Juniel Cirino Joy Coburn Joseph Cook Janac Dempsey Isabella Destito Rob Dietz Luca Díaz-Pérez Yancielis Disla Michelle Freeman

Gabriela García Desirée García Denzel García Sarah González Amanda González Yandel González Jonathan González Rain González Natania González Angelina Grevi Amyah Jackson Akeem Jackson Laylani Jenkins Kevin Medina Kelvianys Medina Suanellys Milton Narayan Milton Randy N. Ayala

Elijah Neptune Emilio Neptune Jeidalys Ortíz-Rivera Bendriel Osorio Atiany Orivieiri Xabiel Pérez Joel Pérez Victoria Pauta Ruben Ramón Kayla Ramón Jeffery Ramos Mykaila Ricks Samaria Ricks Anthony Rivera Heidy Rodríguez Brooklyn Smith Llorett Smith Gabriel Torres Maria Vázquez Carlos Vázquez

El Punto

El Punto

El Punto

Above: El Punto Art Studio participant Yancielis Disla, age 7.

El Punto Art Studio, a program offered by Punto de Contacto-Point of Contact in collaboration with La Casita, the Spanish Action League and the Open Hand Theater, offered an 8-week program that culminated in the production of an original play, entirely staged and performed by the children.

Left: SU graduate student from the Janklow Arts Leadership Program, Mariah Scott, led acting workshops with the children and she was a co-writer of the play, EVERYDAY HEROES, with Peter Fekete, artistic director of the Open Hand Theater .

El Punto

El Punto

El Punto

MI MUSICA Elijah Neptune Emilio Neptune Victoria Pauta Miranda Norona Daniel Santiago Barrientos Gabriela Loaiza Giraldo Miranda Norona Jonathan GonzĂĄlez Yandel Gonzalez Heidy Rodriguez Isabella Dickson

Teaching children the piano was a brand new experience to me.

I started playing the piano since three years old, and never had a chance to spread the soul of the piano to others. Children came to classes with their passion and curious, and I was so glad to have a chance diving into the beautiful music world with them. — Yikun Meng

DANZA Amina Jones Fatima Jones Heidy Rodriguez Ismari Calderon Joel Perez Kimari Jenkins Kimberly Hervey Cruz Kimberly PĂŠrez Lalazia Daniels Laylani Jenkins Muhammad Jones Natasha M. Calderon Robert Dietz Xabiel Perez

Danza

What I love the most about teaching the Danza program is having the opportunity to share my culture through dance. I teach traditional Latin dances that the kids are usually not exposed to. At first, I thought they wouldn’t like it, but they love it! It’s also very satisfying to see how they grow and gain self-confidence. I feel like that’s an important thing to cultivate in kids.

— Adriana Jiménez

La Casita's DANZA troupe performing with dancers from the Syracuse University RAICES Dance Troupe on campus during their special event A NIGHT OF EXPRESSION.