Riverbank Cultural Center for dance, music and art opened July 5 in the recently redeveloped downtown and expects to serve not only the Riverbank community but the cities around as well as it launches an on-line class for Hawaiian dance.
Hawaiian dance master Araceli Mailelauli'i Delgado, who has been a dance instructor for more than 20 years and won high honors as a dancer in Mexico and Hawaii, is the director of the Center that is located at 3313 Santa Fe next to the Plaza del Rio. Now a resident of Modesto, she previously ran her own dance studio there with her husband Rick Delgado, who is a musician.
The Center offers classes in Hawaiian and Tahitian dance for all ages, even a special program for moms during pregnancy, Mexican Folklorico dance, a Special Movement class for children and adults with disabilities and seniors and Ballet for ages two to 10. There are also art classes such as cartoon drawing for children and teens, Mexican arts and crafts, a class on Bio-art that teaches how to use recyclables in art, jewelry making for adults, oil painting and cake decoration.
In music, the Center will offer instruction in piano, guitar, ukulele, violin, trumpet, drums and other percussion instruments.
The Center will have a class for moms and their toddlers of ages 18 months to three years old in a trilingual class called "Musika Maestro!" aimed at immersing children in music and dance through play in English, Spanish and sign language.
Once a month, the Center will offer special workshops for Quinceaneras or sweet sixteen students and for children there will be special activities during the weekends such as birthday parties, teatime, Wii competitions and more.
The Center will also host special faith-based classes like Bible Studies for women, teens and a puppet theater for children.
"We are calling it a one stop shop for the artistic needs of the family," said Delgado. "No more driving all around various cities to take the children to learn an art."
The Center is bilingual and classes are planned so that children and teens can take up to two activities in a day and even have their parents involved in an art or music class at the same time.
"All the family benefits when they are doing something in common and they can share their developed talents," Delgado commented.
The Center is a non-profit organization founded by the Delgado family. Its mission is to give local and international artists the opportunity "to dream big" by teaching their skills to complete families of a growing community.
Some classes started July 5 and all the rest will begin by Aug. 5 except the guitar instruction, Delgado said.
While the Center is already helping the Saturday morning Farmer's Markets in the adjacent plaza by presenting events like puppet shows, the Riverbank Chamber of Commerce has slated Saturday, Aug. 13 for a formal ribbon cutting. The Center plans to bring both local and Bay Area dancers and musicians to the plaza stage that day and will offer small group tours of the Center.
To contact the Center, call (209) 543-4068 or go to its website, www.culturalcenterofriverbank.org.
Hawaiian dance master Araceli Mailelauli'i Delgado, who has been a dance instructor for more than 20 years and won high honors as a dancer in Mexico and Hawaii, is the director of the Center that is located at 3313 Santa Fe next to the Plaza del Rio. Now a resident of Modesto, she previously ran her own dance studio there with her husband Rick Delgado, who is a musician.
The Center offers classes in Hawaiian and Tahitian dance for all ages, even a special program for moms during pregnancy, Mexican Folklorico dance, a Special Movement class for children and adults with disabilities and seniors and Ballet for ages two to 10. There are also art classes such as cartoon drawing for children and teens, Mexican arts and crafts, a class on Bio-art that teaches how to use recyclables in art, jewelry making for adults, oil painting and cake decoration.
In music, the Center will offer instruction in piano, guitar, ukulele, violin, trumpet, drums and other percussion instruments.
The Center will have a class for moms and their toddlers of ages 18 months to three years old in a trilingual class called "Musika Maestro!" aimed at immersing children in music and dance through play in English, Spanish and sign language.
Once a month, the Center will offer special workshops for Quinceaneras or sweet sixteen students and for children there will be special activities during the weekends such as birthday parties, teatime, Wii competitions and more.
The Center will also host special faith-based classes like Bible Studies for women, teens and a puppet theater for children.
"We are calling it a one stop shop for the artistic needs of the family," said Delgado. "No more driving all around various cities to take the children to learn an art."
The Center is bilingual and classes are planned so that children and teens can take up to two activities in a day and even have their parents involved in an art or music class at the same time.
"All the family benefits when they are doing something in common and they can share their developed talents," Delgado commented.
The Center is a non-profit organization founded by the Delgado family. Its mission is to give local and international artists the opportunity "to dream big" by teaching their skills to complete families of a growing community.
Some classes started July 5 and all the rest will begin by Aug. 5 except the guitar instruction, Delgado said.
While the Center is already helping the Saturday morning Farmer's Markets in the adjacent plaza by presenting events like puppet shows, the Riverbank Chamber of Commerce has slated Saturday, Aug. 13 for a formal ribbon cutting. The Center plans to bring both local and Bay Area dancers and musicians to the plaza stage that day and will offer small group tours of the Center.
To contact the Center, call (209) 543-4068 or go to its website, www.culturalcenterofriverbank.org.
