Kwaku Oppong Manu of Pinole, received his Master of Education from Lesley University, Boston in 2019. He received his education and training in West African Music and Dance at the University of Ghana. After obtaining his BFA degree in Dance in 2004, he was employed by the University of Ghana as a Senior Production Assistant and worked in the capacity of Dance and Drumming Instructor from 2004-2010. He received the Curtain Call Costumes Rising Star award from the Dance Council of North Texas to attend American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina in 2010. His involvement in dance workshops, performances and festivals on local, regional and national levels has given him the unique opportunity to gain extensive practical experiences. He was selected on numerous occasions to travel abroad to perform and teach African Music and Dance. He is currently working a full time with the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts as a Program Associate in charge of Students Development and Training teaching African Music and Dance to teenagers and also involved in a variety of Out of School Time (OST) programs for children from kindergarten to 6th grade as well as an in-school professional development program at Title One Schools called Learning Without Borders. He is also teaching a part-time drumming at California State University at East Bay.

Apprenticeship Program

2024

Ghanaian Agbekor drumming with apprentice Kwesi Anku

Kwesi Anku will explore the intricacies of the Agbekor drumming. This involves understanding the roles of various instruments and mastering the drum language through instruction and practice. A crucial element of mastery is developing the skills to lead both drumming and singing during performances, with both lead and support drums.

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Kristian Kubuay of Oakland, is an artist/entrepreneur/futurist specializing in endangered writing systems and tattoos from the Philippines. As a leading authority for the propagation and instruction of prePhilippine scripts, he launched his own edutainment business specializing in custom art, books, events, technology, and apparel. Kristian has spoken around the world at museums, schools, and companies. His work is wide-reaching that spans across multimedia, traditional practices, and technology. He is currently working on his 8th book, 2nd documentary, education startup, and honing his traditional tattooing practice.

Apprenticeship Program

2024

Pre-colonial Philippine Tattoo with apprentice Iggy Mora

Kristian Kubay will mentor his apprentice, Iggy Mora in traditional pre-colonial Philippine tattoo practices covering a range of skills, including tool making, hand poke marking techniques, storytelling through traditional patterns, and skin stretching. By assisting as a skin stretcher at the mentor’s hand-tapping ceremonies, the apprentice will learn about the traditional symbolic patterns of the diverse ethnolinguistic groups of the Philippines.

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Julia Caridad Cepeda Martinez was born into the esteemed Familia Cepeda, a family that has carried the Bomba tradition for more than 8 generations. She is the granddaughter of Don Rafael Cepeda Atiles and Doña Caridad Cepeda Brenes (Patriarch & matriarch of Bomba Cangrejera de Santurce Puerto Rico) and the daughter of El Tambor Mayor, Jesus Cepeda Brenes. Julia has been dancing for 40 years and has been part of her family tradition as both a student and a teacher. Julia has been teaching in Oakland for 10 years. Currently, she is carrying her family’s legacy in the San Francisco Bay Area as Julia Dansé, dance instructor, alongside Denise Solís with their class community Taller Bombalele.

Apprenticeship Program

2024

Bomba Dance with apprentice Ansarys Andino

In this apprenticeship, Julia Cepeda will focus more intensively on the foundation of grace and power that Bomba requires as she guides her apprentice, Ansary’s Adino in this cultural dance expression. Julia’s vast knowledge of the tradition passed down to her by way of her family will enrich Ansarys’ foundation in paseo ( travel of dance space), Figuras (figures), Piquetes (dance solos and movement) within each rhythm in Bomba culminating in the development of choreography.

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Sonam Phunstok of El Cerrito is a celebrated Tibetan opera artist and cultural custodian who began his journey in traditional Tibetan performance arts at the age of 11. Trained at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) in Dharamshala, India, he honed his craft under the guidance of several masters, particularly the late opera master Norbu Tsering. Over decades, Master Sonam has excelled in Tibetan music, dance, theater, and opera, eventually serving as opera master at TIPA, the very institute where his training began.

Now residing in the U.S., he continues to lead and curate Tibetan opera performances, often in collaboration with organizations like Chaksam-pa. For Master Sonam, sharing his knowledge with the younger generation is both a responsibility and a reward. Through mentorship and apprenticeship programs, he aims to ensure the survival and vitality of Tibetan culture in the face of challenges such as displacement, modern influences, and the loss of elder cultural leaders.

Deeply committed to preserving the “heart and soul” of Tibetan identity, Master Sonam sees his work as essential to keeping the spirit of his people alive. He hopes to inspire younger generations, especially those growing up in the West, to connect with and carry forward the rich traditions of Tibetan opera and performance art.

Apprenticeship Program

2024

Tibetan Opera Singing with apprentice Tenzin Thinley

In this apprenticeship, Sonam Phunstok will focus on voice training and the vocalization techniques central to traditional Tibetan opera, specifically the namthar style of singing with his, apprentice Tenzin Thinley. Namthar is an essential element of Tibetan opera, requiring intensive training and deep knowledge of its art form. The mentor artist will guide the apprentice through foundational vocal exercises to build the strength and stamina necessary to perform namthar. While the apprentice already has foundational training in opera dance and movement, this program will prepare them for more significant roles in productions and the ability to perform solo namthar pieces for special occasions.

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Fremont’s Anuradha Suresh, a classical musician and skilled harikatha performer, is a mentor in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program, where she teaches Amritavarshini (Amrita, for short) the traditional South Indian art form. Harikatha combines storytelling, poetry, and Carnatic music, bringing to life tales from epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana and creating a cultural bridge across generations.

For Anuradha’s family, who are Brahmins from Tamil Nadu, Diwali celebrations take the form of Naraka Chaturdashi, as in much of South India. Their celebrations begin early in the morning, gathering with family and performing sacred rituals symbolizing renewal and prosperity. Unlike the North Indian Diwali, which centers around evening festivities and fireworks, the Tamil tradition begins at dawn.

“We wake up at 3 AM, gather everyone’s new clothes, and come together in the living room,” Anuradha explains. 

Then, the family performs nalangu, a blessing ritual where they wipe their feet with a red paste made from lime and turmeric root; they also draw a line around their feet with kumkum paste. While anointing each person’s head with a drop of oil, Anuradha sings “Sri Rama Jaya Jaya,” a traditional song that her grandmother used to sing every Diwali. Afterward, everyone showers, dresses in new clothes, and shares a family breakfast of idli and chutney before visiting the temple and extended family, and lighting lamps to wish each other ‘Deepawali’ – another way of saying Diwali more common in South India.

“Sri Rama Jaya Jaya,” sung by Anuradha Suresh.

Central to Anuradha’s family’s celebration, and others who celebrate Naraka Chaturdashi, is the story of Narakasura. Narakasura was a powerful demon who terrorized the heavens, but he was ultimately defeated by Lord Krishna and his wife, Satyabhama. In this story, first told in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, Narakasura’s defeat symbolized the victory of light over darkness. After his death, Bhumi (Mother Earth) requested that her son Narakasura be remembered not with sorrow but with joy, inspiring South Indian families to celebrate the day with new clothes, sweets, and festive gatherings.

 “Diwali is about honoring our heritage, sharing stories, and celebrating together as a family,” reflects Anuradha.

Diwali’s significance varies widely across India. In North India, it’s a multi-day festival with Choti and Badi Diwali, centering around Lakshmi Puja, where families pray to the goddess of wealth. In contrast, many southern states do not traditionally celebrate Diwali, or otherwise recognize it as Naraka Chaturdashi.

For Anuradha’s apprentice Amrita, this cultural heritage is still somewhat new. Her family has roots in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, but growing up, Diwali wasn’t celebrated in the Keralan side of the family.

“To me, Diwali (the Festival of Lights) is a symbolism of light taking over the darkness, in the shape of our family and friends,” shares Amrita.

Now, with Diwali’s growing global reach, Amrita is not only learning about her Tamilian family’s Diwali customs but also connecting them with her Keralan heritage.

For Amrita’s apprenticeship, Anuradha teaches Amrita about the storytelling tradition of harikatha. Many of the stories featured in their performances come from Sanskit epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, just like the stories central to Diwali. A harikatha performance during Diwali would typically tell the story of Narakasura’s defeat. However, modern harikatha performances can cover topics relevant to anyone or any time, from social issues to climate change.

Anuradha began her formal harikatha training only six years ago, with Sangitha Kalanidhi (an honor and title bestowed on an exemplary Carnatic musician) Sri T. N. Seshagopalan. However, she has been teaching carnatic music in Fremont for three decades, and is a long-time devotee of puranas (ancient Indian texts). While growing up, she used to listen to discourses on puranas intertwined with Carnatic music. She sought a mentor several years ago in the Bay Area to begin teaching her the ancient South Indian classical form, acting on her deep fondness for bringing these ancient tales to life.

“I love knowing the stories behind the compositions,” Anuradha shares.

As Diwali becomes celebrated more widely, Anuradha notes that the festival’s essence remains intact even as traditions evolve. Whether it’s celebrated as Naraka Chaturdashi or referred to as Deepawali, the celebration brings people together in shared joy, remembrance, and renewal, connecting the past to the present — much like the art of harikatha itself.

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Roshni Pillai of San Jose, began her journey in Kathakali at the age of 7, under the guidance of the esteemed Sri. Late Kalamandalam K Gopalakrishnan. Her training continued with Sri. Kalamandalam Keshavan Namboothiri and she is presently mentored by Sri. Kottakkal Harikumar. As a Kathakali practitioner for over 25 years, Roshni has garnered many awards and regularly shares the stage with renowned Kathakali artists in Kerala, the USA, and abroad. While balancing her profession as a design engineer, she continues her pursuit of Kathakali, aiming to introduce and make this ancient classical art form accessible to new audiences. 

Roshni’s Instagram

Apprenticeship Program

2024

Kathakali Dance with apprentice Janhavi Pillai

Janhavi will work with her mentor, also her mother, to deeply explore the complex dialogue and emotional range of the character to portray her effectively on stage. Janhavi’s apprenticeship will deepen her understanding of Kathakali, focusing on mastering the extensive vocabulary of communicative hand gestures and learning advanced ‘Kalaasam’ (concluding pure dance patterns). She will then focus on learning the ‘Sthree Vesham’ (female role) character of Lalitha from the Kathakali play, “Kirmeeravadham”.

Janhavi’s Instagram

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Kala Ramnath of San Mateo, is one of India’s most adept violinists, sliding around the fretboard in a strikingly vocalistic style. Her approach is focused on Hindustani classical music, but she also incorporates ideas from her South Indian roots. In recent years she has performed classically around the world as well as working with musicians from jazz, flamenco, Western classical, and African traditional music. In 2006 she recorded on the Blood Diamond soundtrack, and in 2016 collaborated with the Kronos Quartet, adapting Raag Shuddh Nat (‘nectar’) for a string ensemble. Outside her playing career she seeks to improve the lives of underprivileged children through music through Kalashree, her charitable foundation.

Kala Ramnath’s Instagram

Apprenticeship Program

2024

North Indian Classical Music
with apprentice Aadi Kale

Kala will be working with Aadi on expanding his repertoire of Raags and refining his performance abilities. Through targeted coaching and supervision, they will work on developing a structured approach to improvisation in order to perform new raags with confidence. Additionally, they will be focusing on voice training and improving the steadiness of Aadi’s voice to sing the slow, soulful phrases known as Alaps and enhancing vocal clarity needed for singing high tempo phrases known as Taans.

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Madiou Diouf of Oakland, is a Sound Engineer and Musical Director for the Diamano Coura West African Dance Company. His journey in the world of music and sound engineering is a testament to the rich tapestry of cultural influences that shape an artist’s craft. Born into a family where artistic excellence is the norm, his multicultural background provided him with a unique perspective on music and performance playing many instruments from djembe, kutiro, dundun, log drum, bells, ngoma,sasa, which he has honed over the years through dedication and passion. His work demonstrates his commitment to preserving and promoting African culture through music and dance. 

Apprenticeship Program

2024

Senegalese/Liberian musical traditions

with apprentice Ababacar Kouyate

Madiou will be teaching Ababacar through the origin, construction and history of the drums, the rhythms they produce and their importance to African dance in general, and the specific dances. Ababacar will learn the independent and complimentary roles of the drums and their complex patterns in rhythmic compositions.  Following the introduction of the drums, Ababacar learns basic movements and how the rhythms produced by the drums carry the dancer. As Ababacar learns each new dance, he must also learn to sing drum patterns in unison and understand the emphasis rhythm places on various movements.

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Grupo de música tradicional del sur de Veracruz, México. Este grupo se formó en el área de la bahía con Claudio Vega y Lolis García. El son jarocho que interpretan es una mezcla del campo y la ciudad. Su principal idea del proyecto es con nuestras bases invitar a músicos renombrados tradicionales del son jarocho y músicos de otros géneros con la finalidad de enriquecer esta música de fandango.

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Ziying Zhao serves as a jury member for several music competitions, including the International Youth Music Competition, 21st Century Talents Music Competition, Rocky Mountain Music Competition, Red Maple Music Competition, Royal Sound Music Competition, Charleston International Music Competition, and the “德润音才筑梦未来” Music Exhibition (a Chinese guqin National Music Competition). In 2023, she showcased her solo Guqin concert in Houston. Her talent has led to invitations to perform the guqin at renowned venues such as the Seattle Center, University of Washington, Texas A&M University, Asian & Pacific Culture Center, California WorldFest, and other esteemed organizations. Additionally, she has delivered guqin presentations at numerous universities and schools.

The guqin, an ancient and enigmatic musical instrument with a history spanning over 4,000 years, is considered one of the quintessential representations of traditional Chinese culture. Many guqin compositions date back hundreds or even thousands of years, and the revered Chinese philosopher and educator Confucius used the guqin as a teaching tool for his students. Ziying Zhao aspires to introduce this ancient musical heritage to modern society, sharing the timeless melodies of millennia past with the world.

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