Today we’d like to introduce you to En Las Tablas Performing Arts, NFP.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
En Las Tablas Performing Arts was born 11 years ago out of a need to establish a bilingual/bi-cultural performing arts program in an under-resourced, but highly creative and resilient community. Our co-founders, Maritza Nazario and Dr. Milka Ramirez, both performing artists and former Chicago Public Schools professionals, made many personal sacrifices to secure a space in the Hermosa Area in Chicago to start the challenging process of creating a new community arts organization. During our first year in 2006, we welcomed approximately 30 students to 3 dance classes a week. Today we offer 12-15 performing arts classes a week and our enrollment fluctuates between 200-230 students a year. Our low cost tuition remains the same, thanks to our program’s families and committed donors. The mission Of En Las Tablas continues to stand strong, by providing a safe, open and affirming space where participants can explore their own artistic expression. Our mission has strengthen throughout the years, confirming that the arts is an important aspect in people’s lives.
Our educational and artistic philosophy is centered on health, environmental, and cultural awareness. We believe that by teaching our students to care for their bodies, mind, and environment, we also help them care for and respect one another. Most of our students are of Latino/LatinX descent. Because of this, we work to celebrate the traditions, language, history, and artistic manifestations of many Latin American and Caribbean cultures. We always look to support families in their efforts to pass on an important piece of themselves to their children through the arts. En Las Tablas Performing Arts is in the final stages of redesigning the curriculum to include Illinois social/emotional learning standard and Illinois Arts Learning Standard (Theater and Dance), grounded in a trauma informed lens to continue to provide quality programming to under-resourced communities.
Please tell us about your art.
Arts education helps students to think critically, solve problems creatively, work cooperatively with other students, appreciate different cultures and imagine a different world. That is why we offer dance, theater, music and voice classes. All of us are born with multitude of talents and as we go through life and the traditional educational systems, a lot of us are deterred from following our talents and instead go after careers that are popular and guarantee money making right away. It is important to know that your children will be able to live financially well in the future, but it is our responsibility as parents to expose our children to a myriad of experiences that will allow them to become well rounded individuals that can think out of the box, can work with others. And can make their own decisions. The arts are one of the most reliable tools to communicate, entertain and express our inner feelings, passions and believes. That is why we do what we do and that is why we don’t believe in wasting any of those amazing early years of the lives of children; we start our work early at 2 1/2 years.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
We believe the role of artists today is more important than ever. Our artists are always at the fore front of any events or issues where human rights are violated and where issues of race, sexual orientation or religious beliefs are stepped on. When the national and international artists’ community comes together to support other artists and those communities that are marginalized and oppressed, people listen.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Our studio is located at 4111 West Armitage in Chicago. You can also visit our website enlatablas.org, or our Facebook Fan page: En Las Tablas Performing Arts, to learn more about our program. If you do not have small children but would love to support our work, you can donate any amount you feel comfortable with through our donate button in our website.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4111 West Armitage Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60639
- Website: enlastablas.org
- Phone: 7738054325
- Email: enlastablas@sbcglobal.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/en_lastablas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enlastablas.performingarts/inbox/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EnLasTablas
Image Credit:
Kaila Designs, Inc
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