Underserved youth learn performing arts at Pittsburg academy

Kitty Griffin, of Pittsburg, says she didn’t come from an ideal household however choir saved her life.

“My dad was a practical alcoholic, my mother a stay-at-home mother. A choir trainer in my center faculty years found I might sing. He skilled me from seventh via the twelfth grade — offering a high quality studying house for me to develop socially, academically and personally,” Griffin says. “The choir program saved me from the streets and medicines and extra.”

After efficiently elevating her kids, Griffin’s mission grew to become saving others via efficiency, which is why she began Aspire Visible & Performing Arts Academy and serves as its program director. Headquartered in Pittsburg, it started in 2017 with 48 college students from Contra Costa County’s underserved communities and serves youth from traumatic residence lives or low-income households. Greater than 300 children are enrolled within the academy as we speak.

“Our academy has grown from 48 students (college students) to roughly 307 students which might be in performing artwork lessons weekly. Our program members stay in Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley and Brentwood,” mentioned Katrina Jefferson, Aspire’s administrative assistant and in addition a lead educational aide for Aspire’s after-school program at Stoneman Elementary in Pittsburg.

Jefferson involves this system with a background in fashionable, up to date, jazz, ballet, hip hop dance and extra. She says Aspire’s mission is to “encourage all kids to change into their best possible in working inside their potential — educationally, socially and economically — striving to change into a productive, optimistic citizen of their neighborhood and general society.”

All lessons are taught by credentialed grasp dance, choir and theater academics from everywhere in the Bay Space, beginning with Aspire’s founder, Griffin. Griffin was formally skilled as a vocalist in highschool and at American River Faculty in Sacramento and obtained a bachelor of arts diploma in media communication research from California State College, Sacramento.

“By chance, I used to be found by a Sacramento playwright, Delilah Rashell, of Sacramento, and was given the lead feminine position of the stage play ‘Any person Oughta Inform God Thank You,’ the place I toured and carried out the entire main phases, from California to Seattle, New York, Detroit and extra,” mentioned Griffin, who added that the academy is vital to her as a result of she desires to assist deserving children.

“All of our packages are intentional — the purpose is to assist every particular person baby attain their true potential,” she mentioned. “All of our instructors come to the desk with not solely a talent set to show but in addition to encourage and inspire kids to be their finest in all the things they carry to the stage.”

Jefferson, who has a bachelor of arts diploma in dance efficiency and choreography from the College of Nevada, Las Vegas, feels Aspire’s lessons meet the wants of children on this Contra Costa County.

“Contra Costa is an space that has little or no alternative for youths from low-income areas to expertise high quality instructional packages within the performing arts that provide publicity to the theater,” Jefferson mentioned. “Youngsters from these kinds of communities really want the humanities to help of their growth — providing alternatives for them to develop within the space of confidence, vanity, a tough work ethic, teamwork and coming collectively as youth to offer one thing optimistic for his or her neighborhood. As well as, this system gives a secure, structured house for youths to find their highest potential.”

Aspire members additionally conduct 4 main productions a yr, offering alternatives for youth to carry out on stage at main Contra Costa theaters, together with the Pittsburg Inventive Arts Constructing, Pittsburg’s California Theatre and Antioch’s Nick Rodriguez Neighborhood Middle Theater.

Their most up-to-date present, “Pleasure — the City Nutcracker,” with 87 performers was held Dec. 10 on the Pittsburg Inventive Arts Constructing. An city tackle the basic ‘Nutcracker’ ballet, Griffin wrote and produced it. For Kitty Griffin — who was born in Cellular, Alabama, and named after her grandmother, Kitty Odessa, raised in Sacramento and now lives in Pittsburg — serving underserved children is a lifelong mission for her.

“Once I was a baby round age 10 or 11, I might collect the poor children from my neighborhood and direct performs and expertise exhibits,” recalled Griffin. “There was slightly woman named Charmaine, who actually wanted assist. Her mother was a prostitute and would permit me to carry little Charmaine to my residence to feed her a meal, give her some clear garments or no matter was wanted.

“Fortunately, my mother was on board with me caring for Charmaine when permitted. In the future, once I went to select up Charmaine, a neighbor knowledgeable me that the household abruptly moved. I used to be devastated, and since that day, I really feel like I’m nonetheless on the lookout for the Charmaines in life, offering them a secure place to study and develop.”

For extra details about Aspire or methods to volunteer, go to fb.com/AspireYouthProgram.

Charleen Earley is a contract author and journalism professor at Foothill and Diablo Valley faculties. Attain her at charleenbearley@gmail.com or 925-383-3072.