FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY FOUNDATION... ...NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

...AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU THIS TIME, ON COLORES!

IN 1968, USING A PALETTE OF LETTERS, NUMBERS AND SYMBOLS, PAINTER FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY EXPLORED ART IN A REVOLUTIONARY WAY USING ART1.

REFLECTING ON THE ELDERLY IN OUR SOCIETY, AURORA MOLINA AND JULIAN PARDO CREATE AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE.

TO EXPLORE HIS AFRICAN AMERICAN IDENTITY, CULTURE, AND HISTORY THROUGH DANCE DOMINIC MOORE-DUNSON CREATED "THE BLACK CARD PROJECT."

NO MATTER YOUR BACKGROUND, EVERYONE IS INVITED TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES AT THE CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS AND LEARNING.

IT'S ALL AHEAD ON COLORES!

TECHNOLOGY BECOMES ART.

>>PATRICK FRANK: THE MOVEMENT THAT STARTED WITH COMPUTERS AT UNM WAS REALLY COOL.

THE PROGRAM "ART1" BECOMES THE MEDIUM THAT THE ARTIST USES AND IT'S AN ENTIRELY NEW MEDIUM WHAT HAPPENED WAS, A WHOLE BUNCH OF ARTISTS TOOK OVER TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS MEANT FOR OTHER PURPOSES, LIKE PAYROLLS AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

AND THEY PLAYED WITH IT.

THEY MADE SOMETHING VISUALLY INTERESTING AND COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED OUT OF IT.

HAMMERSLEY WAS THE KIND OF AN ARTIST WHO FUNCTIONED WELL WITHIN LIMITS.

OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL HUNDRED WORKS, HE DID MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE TO EXPLORE THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT WAS POSSIBLE WITH ART1.

HE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN, WITHIN, WITHIN A BOUNDARY, IF THE BOUNDARIES WERE CLEAR, HIS TYPE OF ART WAS TO MOVE ALL AROUND TO EVERY POSSIBLE CORNER OF THAT SORT OF WALLED GARDEN, EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES UP AND DOWN, IN AND OUT, BACK AND FORTH.

IT'S REDUCING A VISUAL IDEA TO A SET OF INSTRUCTIONS.

AND, AND COMPUTERS THAT, THIS IS STILL TRUE, COMPUTERS ARE VERY STUPID.

THEY HAVE TO BE TOLD EXACTLY EVERYTHING DOWN TO THE LAST PARAMETER.

AND SO THIS KIND OF THING APPEALED TO HAMMERSLEY.

WORKING THROUGH A LANGUAGE LIKE THAT.

HE WAS,THAT WAS HIS KIND OF THING.

HE FLOURISHED UNDER IT FOR THE BETTER PART OF TWO YEARS.

HE DEVOTED ALMOST ALL OF HIS ATTENTION TO CREATING ARTWORKS WITH ART1.

HAMMERSLEY HAD A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR.

HE WAS ALWAYS MAKING JOKES.

HE, HE OFTEN GAVE THE HIS WORKS TITLES THAT WERE, THAT HAD A, SORT OF A PLAY ON WORDS IN THEM.

LIKE "TAKE A MOMENT FOR YOU".

AND THEN IN A PROMINENT PLACE IN IN THE WORK WOULD BE THE LETTER "U", YOU KNOW.

AND SO HE WAS ALWAYS, HE WAS, HE WAS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO USE HUMOR TO KIND OF DEMYSTIFY ART AND MAKE IT MORE USER FRIENDLY.

WHAT'S GOING ON IS THAT THEY'RE TAKING A LINE PRINTER THAT PRINTS NUMBERS AND LETTERS AND MATH SYMBOLS, AND THEY'RE USING THOSE SYMBOLS IN A NEW WAY TO TO TAKE THE OLD MEANING OUT OF THEM AND GIVE THEM A NEW PURELY VISUAL MEANING WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A PAGE OF COMPUTER PAPER.

THE BIG DISCUSSION BACK THEN WAS THE TWO CULTURES.

WE HAVE A SCIENTIFIC CULTURE AND A LITERARY CULTURE OR AN ARTISTIC CULTURE AND THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO EACH OTHER.

AFTER WORLD WAR II, THIS WAS THE THIS WAS THE CULTURAL DEBATE BACK THEN, BECAUSE YOU HAVE AVANT-GARDE ART THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, AND THEN YOU HAVE AVANT-GARDE SCIENCE SOME OF WHICH IS LIKE TOP SECRET.

WHERE'S, WHERE'S THE MEETING POINT?

GUESS WHAT?

ART1 IS THE MEETING POINT.

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT HAMMERSLEY'S ART IS IT'S, IT'S ORIGINALITY BASICALLY.

HE HAD A SHOW OF THESE WORKS IN ALBUQUERQUE AND THE REVIEWER SAID "IT'S SORT OF INTERESTING TO SEE SOMETHING USED FOR TAX FORMS NOW BECOMING ART."

AND THAT'S THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THIS WHOLE THING.

YOU DON'T EXPECT IT.

YOU'RE LIKE, "WHAT'S THIS?"

AND ANYTIME AN ARTIST GETS YOU TO SORT OF WONDER WHERE YOU ARE AT THAT MOMENT, THEN THEY'VE SUCCEEDED.

THEY'VE CHALLENGED THE WAY YOU LOOK AT STUFF.

AND HAMMERSLEY, HE ACCOMPLISHED THAT.

ART1 CAN EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ART IS BECAUSE, LOOK, THE COMPUTER THAT THEY USED DID THE PAYROLL FOR UNM.

IT PARTICIPATED IN THE MANHATTAN PROJECT MAKING NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

IT DID THE SCIENTIFIC AND MATHEMATICAL CALCULATIONS FOR THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENTS.

AND GUESS WHAT?

IT MADE ART.

IT, IT WAS SOMETHING THEY...

IT WAS A, IT WAS A CORNER OF CREATIVITY IN A VERY ESOTERIC AND EVEN TOP SECRET WORLD.

THAT'S, THAT'S INSPIRING.

THAT'S A COOL THING.

CREATING A CONNECTION.

BASICALLY WHEN I SAW LIKE THE HIGH CEILINGS, IT'S LIKE WHAT, WHAT CAN I DO HERE?

LIKE WHAT IF I DO LIKE A BOX OF PUPPETS.

IT'S PRETTY MUCH LIKE A PUPPETEER SHOW.

MY NAME IS JULIAN PARDO.

I'M A GUEST CURATOR HERE AT THE POMPANO BEACH CULTURAL CENTER.

AND I'M AURORA MOLINA, I'M AN ARTIST FROM MIAMI.

JULIAN CALLED ME AND HE SAID THERE'S A SPACE AND YOU KNOW, I'M VERY OPEN TO ALWAYS COLLABORATE.

AND HE'S A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE.

SO WE SAID, OKAY, LET'S TELL ME ABOUT THE SPACE.

WE CONSIDERED THAT WE WANTED TO DO AN INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION.

MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A SEAMSTRESS, SO MY CRAFT, ALL OF THAT ATTACHMENT TO THE THREAD ALSO BROUGHT IN PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE MAKING OF THE WORK.

SO I THINK IT COMES FROM A PERSONAL EXPLORATION TO DEALING WITH MY GRANDPARENTS.

I STARTED DOING A PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES SORT OF CAPTURING THEIR DAILY ROUTINE, THEN I LEFT TO SPAIN TO DO MY MASTERS, AND I STARTED TO PAY ATTENTION SINCE I WAS AWAY.

AND THEY WERE 90 AND 92 AND I THINK I WAS GETTING READY TO SORT OF LET GO.

MY FAMILY HAD BEEN VERY CONSCIOUS OF TAKING SO THEY WERE WITH US AT HOME, AND YOU KNOW VERY INVOLVED.

AND WHEN I LEFT I HAD THAT LONGING... YOU KNOW THEY WERE LEFT BEHIND.

I REMEMBER LOOKING AROUND AND HAVING THESE MOMENTS REALIZING HOW DETACHED WE WERE.

THEN I WAS TRAVELING TO OTHER PLACES AND I KEPT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ELDER.

I CONNECT WITH THIS AS WELL.

I LIVED WITH MY GRANDPA FOR LIKE 10 YEARS IN MY HOUSE.

SO ALL THAT CONNECTIONS MAKE EVERYTHING OK, LET'S DO SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN SHOW THE PEOPLE LET'S LOOK OUT FOR THE ELDERS.

MY IDEA WAS LIKE TO CREATE THIS PULLEY SYSTEM TO WHERE THEY CAN MOVE EACH ONE OF THE HANDS.

SO LIKE A GROUP OF HANDS.

SO IT'S MORE COLLABORATIVE.

IT'S MORE LIKE CONNECTING THE, THE FAMILY, THE CONNECTING THE THE ELDERS WITH YOUR DAD OR YOUR MOM JUST LOOKING AT YOU OR JUST PLAY WITH YOU IN EACH ONE OF THEM.

AND ALSO THE FACT THAT YOU MAKE THEM COME ALIVE.

LIKE WE HAVE THIS IDEA, THERE'S TWO COMPONENTS TO A PUPPET.

THERE IS A PUPPETEER AND THE PUPPET.

SO THE PUPPET DOES NOT COME TO LIFE UNLESS THE PUPPETER PLAYS A ROLE INTO IT.

SO IT WAS PART OF LIKE CREATING THAT CONNECTION.

IN GENERAL, THE IDEA OF THE WHOLE SHOW, THAT WHOLE CONCEPT, ONE ITS TO CREATE THAT INTERACTIVE, APPROACH, UH, AND I'M BRINGING THEM TO LIFE.

AND SECOND, IT'S TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING.

CONCEPTUALLY IT'S LIKE INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT THEM, YOU ARE LOOKING UP TO THEM.

THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF MAKING THEM EIGHT FEET TALL BECAUSE YOU ARE LITERALLY LOOKING UP TO THEM.

I STARTED TO STUDY LIKE WHAT KIND OF POPULATION IS AROUND THE CENTER?

SO MOST LIKELY IT IS HAITIAN PEOPLE, LATIN AMERICA, AND LIKE, UH, THEY SPEAK LIKE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

SO ONE OF MY IDEAS IS TO REACH MORE TO THOSE KIND OF COMMUNITIES.

SO I TRANSLATE IT TO SPANISH, ENGLISH, AND CREOLE.

SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE LIKE THE TEXT ON THOSE THREE LANGUAGES.

UH, BUT I THINK THE TEXT AND THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GRAPHICS AND THE SIMPLICITY OF, OF THE WALLS, LIKE AT THE EYE LEVEL, ALSO MAKES YOU LIKE, YOU KNOW, LOOK UP AND PAY MORE ATTENTION AND JUST WONDER.

ALSO THE SOFTNESS OF THE FABRIC, UM, THAT, THAT TENDERNESS OF SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT YOU HAVE, WE'LL HAVE A RELATIONSHIP TO, WE ALL ARE COVERED WITH FABRIC.

SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS ALSO IMPORTANT.

I THINK A WORK OF ART NEEDS TO BE OPEN-ENDED.

NOT EVERYONE COMES IN KNOWING PRECISELY THE CONCEPT OF THE WORK.

AND UNDERSTANDING THERE'S A NARRATIVE BEHIND IT.

OTHER THAN BEING A PRETTY PICTURE, ALL THESE IDEAS SHOULD SPIKE YOUR CURIOSITY.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLACK.

- IN SIXTH GRADE MUELLER SOUTH, I'M SITTING WITH THE SEVEN OTHER BLACK BOYS IN MY GRADE AT THE TIME, AND WE'RE ALL SITTING IN THE SAME LUNCHROOM TABLE.

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE WANTED TO BE WHEN WE GREW UP.

AND ONE OF THEM SAYS, "I WANNA BE IN THE NBA.

I WANNA PLAY LIKE LEBRON."

AND OTHER ONES WERE, "I WANNA BE IN THE NFL, GONNA BE LIKE MICHAEL VICK."

IT WAS MY TURN TO SAY SOMETHING, I SAID, "WELL, I WANNA DANCE IN PARIS, OR PLAY PROFESSIONAL SOCCER IN ENGLAND."

AND THERE WAS DEAFENING SILENCE AT THERE IN THE TABLE.

AND ONE OF MY FRIENDS LOOKS AT ME AND SAYS, "BRO, THAT AIN'T BLACK."

AND ALL THE KIDS STARTED LAUGHING.

THERE'S THIS OVERARCHING FEELING THAT LIKE WELL IF I DON'T KNOW THIS ABOUT THE BLACK CULTURE, IF I DON'T KNOW THIS KINDA MUSIC, I'M NOT BLACK ENOUGH.

IF I DON'T LIKE THIS KIND OF FOOD, I'M NOT BLACK ENOUGH.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I WAS SUPPOSED TO LEARN HOW TO BE BLACK SOMEWHERE.

AND BUT NOBODY, THERE'S NO PROGRAM TO LEARN HOW TO BE AND I KIND OF SAT FOR A WHILE AND I WAS LIKE, "WHAT THERE WAS A SCHOOL?

WHAT DOES A SCHOOL LIKE SOMEONE LEARNED HOW TO BE BLACK?"

AND THAT'S WHERE IT STARTED.

AND I WAS LIKE, "WHAT IF THERE'S THIS KIND OF WEIRD, INTERESTING CHARACTER WHO'S KIND OF LIKE ME, BUT LIKE A DIFFERENT VERSION OF ME IN MY HEAD?

AND WHAT IF, HE KINDA WENT THROUGH ALL THESE CLASSES, AND IT KINDA FELT LIKE A REALLY WEIRD VERSION OF THE WIZARD OF OZ."

BECAUSE YOU HAVE A SINGLE CHARACTER WHO RUNS INTO ALL THESE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS AND LEARNS ALL THIS STUFF.

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE STRUCTURE THAT WE USED.

KEVIN PARKER, WHEN I ASKED HIM TO COLLABORATE ON THIS SHOW, I DIDN'T KNOW REALLY WHAT THE SHOW WAS YET.

I WAS TALKING TO HIM, WE WENT OUT TO AN APPLEBEE'S AND WE SAT DOWN.

I WAS LIKE, "SO I HAVE THIS IDEA.

I KINDA WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT LIKE, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLACK."

AND WE STARTED JUST KINDA LIKE JOKING AND LAUGHING ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE KNEW ABOUT.

THROUGHOUT FIRESTONE HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS MY ALMA MATER.

I GRADUATED FROM FIRESTONE IN 2008.

IT'S HARD TO TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO ME BECAUSE THIS MOMENT IS FULL CIRCLE.

AT 14 YEARS OLD, I WAS LEARNING THE FOUNDATIONS OF WHAT MEANT TO BE A CREATOR.

AT THE SAME TIME I WAS DEALING WITH ALL THESE INTERNAL STRUGGLES OF WELL CAN I DANCE?

SHOULD I BE DANCING?

CAN I PLAY SOCCER?

SHOULD I BE PLAYING SOCCER?

BUT COMING INTO THIS PLACE, WAS LIKE A VERY SAFE SPACE FOR ME TO EXPLORE WHO I REALLY, REALLY KNEW I WAS AS AN ARTIST, AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE AND TO BE 16 YEARS LATER, BRINGING MY 90-MINUTE WORK, A VERY LARGE WORK FOR SOMEBODY AROUND MY AGE, AND KNOWING THAT WOW, JUST A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET THAT WAY WHILE I WAS ON STAGE, I STARTED THIS PROCESS.

- I WOULD SAY I'VE NEVER REALLY SEEN A SHOW QUITE LIKE THIS.

THIS WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

THE FACT THAT IT ONLY HAD TWO PEOPLE IN IT, DOING AN ENTIRE STORY WAS LIKE ENOUGH AT THAT TO SET IT ASIDE FROM MOST THINGS I'VE SEEN.

I GUESS I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT A BLACK CARD, LIKE EVER HAVING A BLACK CARD.

AND LIKE REALIZING THAT LIKE IT IS A THING, LIKE OH LIKE THERE ARE THINGS THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT LIKE HAPPEN WITHIN MY COMMUNITY.

- I WOULD SAY THE SLIGHT STEREOTYPICALNESS OF IT, IT WAS PRETTY FUNNY.

LIKE THE LITTLE GANGSTER WALKING, THE STEREOTYPICAL CLOTHING.

IT WAS PRETTY FUNNY.

(LAUGHING) - THE PROBLEM WITH HUMOR IS IT'S ACTUALLY THE HARDEST THING TO DO ON STAGE.

YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN BIASES AS WHAT YOU THINK IS FUNNY, VERSUS WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK IS FUNNY.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST BARRIERS.

INSIDE OF THIS CONVERSATION, WE WANTED TO USE HUMOR BECAUSE WE WANTED TO PULL PEOPLE INTO OUR WORLD, AND MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH ALWAYS DOES THAT.

YOU WANNA PULL PEOPLE INTO THE SHOW, BEFORE YOU HIT THEM WITH THE REALLY HARD TOPICS.

WE COULDN'T START THE SHOW WITH THE HISTORY SECTION.

BECAUSE IT'S IT'S TOO RAW AND IT FEELS TOO CLOSE TO HOME.

SO YOU INVITE PEOPLE IN BY MAKING THINGS FUNNY, BY MAKING THEM FUN, PLAYING THEIR FAVORITE MUSIC, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE WILLING TO GO ON THE JOURNEY WITH YOU, NO MATTER WHERE YOU TAKE THEM, AND WE REALIZED THAT'S WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, BECAUSE LIKE, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF MODERN DANCE SHOWS.

AND OFTEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RACE, THE PIECE IS VERY HEAVY.

AND A LOT OF TIMES YOU'LL SEE PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING FORWARD, START TO LEAN BACK AND DISENGAGED BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE TOO MUCH FOR THEM.

SO WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, WELL, WHAT IF WE DO THE OPPOSITE, WHAT IF OVER TIME, WE GOT THEM TO LEAN FORWARD, AND THEN THEY WOULD STAY THERE.

SO IT'S ALSO TAKING THAT IDEA OF LIKE, (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) WE HAVE THESE CHARACTERS WHO ARE THE STEREOTYPES, BUT WHAT IF WE BROKE THE STEREOTYPE AND MADE YOU LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT THEM THAT CHANGE YOU A LITTLE BIT.

SEE T-PAIN WHO'S THE THUG, HE DOESN'T THINK HE'S FUNNY.

HE'S VERY, VERY SERIOUS.

BUT AS YOU SAW ON THE SHOW TODAY, THE KIDS WILL LAUGH AS SOON AS THEY SEE HIM.

(DRUMMING) THE PART THAT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT ACTUALLY, WAS MAKING SURE EVERY CHARACTER HAD INTEGRITY.

AND IT WASN'T MY EMOTIONAL FEELINGS ABOUT THAT CHARACTER THAT CAME OUT.

BECAUSE ME AND KEVIN TALKED ABOUT, WE CAN'T BE HYPOCRITES, WE CAN'T SAY THERE'S NO ONE WAY TO BE BLACK AND THEN SAY, WELL, THE WAY THE THUG'S DOING IT IS WRONG.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC ) I KNEW I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING HAD TO DO WITH BLACK HISTORY BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT, SO I'LL JUST GO THROUGH CLIPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND ONE DAY I HAD THIS DREAM THAT I WAS RUNNING.

AND I WAS JUST LIKE, THE SLAVE MASTER RUNNING AT ME, THERE WAS THE DOG HAPPENED AND ALL THIS STUFF.

AND THEN I HAD ANOTHER DREAM ABOUT BEING IN THE JIM CROW SOUTH AND WHAT THAT FELT LIKE, AND THEN I HAD ANOTHER DREAM RIGHT AFTER THAT, THAT WAS LIKE THE 60S, BLACK PANTHER MOVEMENT.

AND THEN ANOTHER DREAM THAT WAS KIND OF BEING THIS TRAYVON MARTIN, TAMIR RICE TYPE CHARACTER.

SO THE SECTION IS ACTUALLY LITERALLY A DREAM I HAD.

- ALL YOU CAN REALLY HEAR IS WHIPPING THINGS, AND GETTING HIT WITH BATONS AND ALL OF THAT.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT, THAT KINDA IS REALLY REFLECT ON OUR HISTORY.

I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS, THAT WAS PROBABLY THE PART THAT MADE IT MOST IMPACTFUL, WAS JUST LIKE, THE WAY THEY DRAWN IN THE AUDIO WITH THE DANCING AND I WOULD SAY LIKE THAT ALL JUST CAME IN AND MADE IT SO POWERFUL.

(SHOOTING) - I WOULD LOVE FOR THIS PIECE TOUR NATIONALLY, TO TOUR TO ALL THESE LARGE CITIES, ESPECIALLY WHERE THERE'S A LARGE AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION, AND TO GET INTO THE SCHOOLS JUST LIKE WE DID HERE.

AND BUT ALSO THE SHOW IS ALSO BUILT FOR THESE STUDENTS, BUT ALSO THEIR FAMILIES.

IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, MOM, DAD, GRANDMA AND GRANDPA, AUNTIE, UNCLE SEE THE SHOW, BECAUSE WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO HAPPEN IS EVERYBODY GOES HOME THAT NIGHT, AND THEN THEY TALK ABOUT IT.

THAT'S THE POINT, RIGHT?

THE MISSION OF THIS PROJECT IS TO CREATE CONVERSATION AROUND THE NARROW ASPECTS OF THE BLACK IDENTITY, AND THEN HOW THAT RELATES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

- THIS IS LIVING PROOF THAT YOU COULD LITERALLY DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO AND EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY GET HIT, YOU MAY GET HURT, YOU MAY GET RUN DOWN A LITTLE, YOU'LL STILL BE YOU, AND BE ABLE TO GO FORWARD TO WHEREVER YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.

- TODAY WAS THE FIRST PERFORMANCE WHERE I MEAN I COULD SEE THE AUDIENCE A LITTLE BIT BUT IT FELT LIKE 80 TO 90 PERCENT OF THE AUDIENCE WAS THE EXACT TARGET AUDIENCE THIS SHOW WAS FOR AND IT, IT GAVE ME A SENSE OF LIKE THIS IS WHY WE DID THIS.

(APPLUASE) BRINGING LOVE TO THE COMMUNITY.

[UPBEAT MUSIC] - NOTHING HOLDS ME BACK, IF I CAN DANCE, I'LL DO IT.

THIS IS THE CENTER FOR PERFORMANCE ARTS & LEARNING.

THIS IS WHERE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY COMES TOGETHER.

THIS IS THE WHERE SIX TO 600 IS OUR NEW HASHTAG.

AGE IS NOT A LIMIT, YOUR ETHNICITY IS NOT A LIMIT.

YOUR GENDER IS NOT GONNA HOLD YOU BACK.

YOUR BELIEFS DON'T HOLD YOU BACK.

- WE STRIVE TO BRING AN ALL INCLUSIVE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR ANY WALK OF LIFE.

ANY HUMAN BEING THAT WANTS TO BE AN ARTIST CAN COME HERE AND BE WELCOMED HERE, AND BE A PART OF WHAT FEELS LIKE A FAMILY.

- NANDITA HAS A GREAT HEART FOR PEOPLE AND SHE PUSHES, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE COMFORTABLE, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO TRY SOMETHING THEY'VE NEVER TRIED BEFORE.

SO THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE PLACE.

- [NANDITA] WE ARE ACTUALLY RIGHT AT THE BORDER OF NOVI AND WIXOM.

WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING WHICH WAS EASILY ACCESSIBLE.

BUT I THINK WHEN WE WALKED IN, IT SOUNDS CLICHE, BUT THE SPACE JUST SEEMED RIGHT.

THIS IS BASICALLY A SPRINGBOARD FOR YOUNG INSTRUCTORS, FOR YOUNG ARTISTS, FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LEARN, AND THEY CAN, THEY ARE IN A VERY SAFE SPACE.

- IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT OTHER ART FORMS BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME WAY ABOUT LEARNING HISTORY OR LEARNING MATH OR LEARNING READING...

IT CREATES A HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE WORLD.

- IN THE DANCE WORLD OR IN THE MUSIC WORLD, A LOT OF WHAT IS COMPETITIVE LEADS TO BROKEN SELF-ESTEEM, LEADS TO BROKEN DREAMS.

SO WE'RE TRYING IN OUR OWN LITTLE WAY, TRYING TO BUILD PEOPLE BACK UP, I GUESS.

- [COLLIN] I THINK WHAT REALLY CAUSES CONFIDENCE TO GROW HERE IS THAT NURTURING ENVIRONMENT.

SO YOU SEE PEOPLE WALKING IN WHO HAVE NEVER TAKEN THIS CLASS BEFORE, GROW FROM COMPLETE BEGINNER TO VERY, VERY FLUENT IN THE MOTIONS, AND IT'S SO COOL TO SEE THAT REALLY POSITIVE, REALLY NURTURING ENVIRONMENT, REALLY HELPING INSPIRE PEOPLE TO SUCCEED.

- WE HAVE FOUR BASIC AREAS, DANCE, MUSIC, ART ALONG WITH CREATIVE EXPRESSION.

CREATIVE EXPRESSION INCLUDES LANGUAGES, SPEECH CLASSES, COMMUNICATION CLASSES, MUSIC OF COURSE, COVERS YOUR DRUMS AND GUITAR.

THAT WAS THE FOUR BASIC AREAS, WE STARTED WORKING WITH WAS DRUM, GUITAR, VOICE AND KEYBOARD.

NOW WE COULD EXPAND IT INTO A VIOLA, VIOLIN, FLUTE.

WE ARE TALKING TO A CELLO INSTRUCTOR AS WELL.

- I TEACH VOICE AND I'M GONNA BE THE ONE DIRECTING THE COMMUNITY CHOIR, THAT'S GOING TO BE AN INCREDIBLY WIDE AGE RANGE, WHICH I FIND TO BE VERY UNIQUE.

YOU DON'T REALLY SEE A LOT OF COMMUNITY CHOIRS ANYWHERE THAT HAVE AGE RANGES FROM EARLY HIGH SCHOOL OR EVEN MIDDLE SCHOOL TO MIDDLE AGE.

IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHAT AGE YOU ARE.

- WE DO HAVE A STUDENT WHO HAS ACTUALLY BEEN INVITED TO SING FOR THE PISTONS, HE'S GONNA BE SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR PISTONS IN MARCH.

- [COLLIN] IT MAKES ME PROUD TO SEE THEM THRIVING.

- [NANDITA] DANCE CLASSES COVER YOUR BALLET, TAP, JAZZ, INTERNATIONAL DANCE STYLES, CLASSICAL DANCE STYLES, AERIAL ARTS.

WE JUST INTRODUCED A MIXED AERIAL ARTS CLASS - [COLLIN] SOME OF THE REALLY UNIQUE ONES THAT WE HAVE ARE THE AERIAL SILKS CLASSES OR THE LYRA CLASSES.

- OUR AERIAL PROGRAM HAS GROWN OVER THE LAST YEAR A LOT, BECAUSE OF THE COMMITMENT THAT I'VE MADE FOR IT AND WHAT THE VISION THAT I'VE WANTED FOR IT AND NANDITA HAS BACKED ME UP ALL THE WAY, WHICH IS GREAT.

WE WENT FROM HAVING TWO STRAIGHT FABRICS TO NOW ALL THESE OTHER APPARATUSES AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THESE STUDENTS CAN LEARN.

I LIKE THE FACT THAT IT TAKES A LOT OF STRENGTH AND IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT DISCIPLINE.

I WANT THE STUDENTS TO LEAVE EVERY WEEK, HOW I FELT WHEN I FIRST STARTED, WHICH WAS WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR, I DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE.

I WANTED TO GO BACK IN AND JUST KEEP PLAYING.

IT'S A GREAT STRESS RELIEVER, IT'S A WORKOUT.

IF YOU'RE ON THAT APPARATUS FOR 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR, EVEN IF YOU'RE ON AND OFF OF IT, YOU'RE BURNING CALORIES, YOU'RE BUILDING MUSCLE, YOU'RE BUILDING CONFIDENCE.

- [COLLIN] THERE'S A LOT OF BOLLYWOOD STYLE DANCE CLASSES THAT WE HAVE THAT YOU REALLY CAN'T FIND THAT A LOT OF PLACES NEARBY.

- [NANDITA] ONE, TWO.

- I TEACH BOLLYWOOD CLASSES.

I TEACH BOTH CLASSICAL, SEMICLASSICAL AND YOUR CONTEMPORARY BOLLYWOOD MUSIC BASED CLASSES.

- [GARY] IF AN INSTRUCTOR HAS A PASSION FOR IT, WE CAN TELL.

- OUR BIGGEST STRENGTH IS OUR INSTRUCTORS.

THEY ARE ALL QUALIFIED.

THEY'RE ALL PASSIONATE TEACHERS.

THAT IS WHAT MAKES THEM SO UNIQUE.

- I JUST LOVE IT BECAUSE SHE'S SEEN WHAT I CAN DO AND WE GET ALONG REALLY WELL AND CAN COMMUNICATE JUST FINE AND SHE KINDA JUST HAS THROWN THE BALL IN MY COURT, ALLOWS ME TO CREATE MY OWN SYLLABUS, ALLOWS ME TO JUST BE CREATIVE WITH THE STUDENTS, SET GOALS WITH THEM.

- THIS IS THE MOST COMFORTABLE WAY TO STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE.

THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO HERE THAT YOU'D NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD DO, BUT IT'S THE MOST COMFORTABLE WAY TO DO DO IT.

- IF YOU ARE SITTING THERE WATCHING THIS, JUST DO IT.

THERE IS NOTHING HOLDING YOU BACK.

WE ARE HERE AND WE WANT TO HAVE YOU HERE.

WE WANT TO HELP YOU SUCCEED HERE.

- [NANDITA] WHEN WE STARTED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, WE JUST STARTED WITH THIS ONE BUILDING PURE DANCE CLASSES.

TODAY WE ARE SITTING AT TWO DIFFERENT STUDIOS WITH ABOUT 23 DIFFERENT CLASSES WE OFFER.

THE GOAL IS STILL TO WORK WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

IT'S VERY SATISFYING, IT MAKES US HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO.

- I WANT TO BRING LOVE TO THE COMMUNITY, A SMILE AT THE VERY LEAST, AND SOMETHING THAT THEY FALL IN LOVE WITH AT THE MOST.

BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, I TRULY FEEL LIKE ART IS WHAT MAKES US HUMAN, AND WHEN WE LOVE ART, WE'RE ABLE TO LOVE PEOPLE.

SO I WANT TO KIND OF SHARE THAT WITH THE WORLD, I WANNA SHARE THAT WITH EVERY PERSON THAT WALKS IN THESE DOORS.

[UPBEAT MUSIC] TO VIEW THIS AND OTHER COLORES PROGRAMS GO TO: NEW MEXICO PBS DOT ORG AND LOOK FOR COLORES UNDER WHAT WE DO AND LOCAL PRODUCTIONS.

ALSO, LOOK FOR US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.

"UNTIL NEXT WEEK, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING."

FUNDING FOR COLORES WAS PROVIDED IN PART BY: FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY FOUNDATION... ...NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

...AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU