Artz 4 Life Academy

Performing Arts: This includes all of our performing arts programs. Specifically, The Family Blessing and Dundu Dole. Artz 4 Life Academy, Inc. continues to exceed expectations and budget under the direction of Founder/Executive Director, Jai Hinson. In the current year, the organization rebranded the annual production of the Chocolate Nutcracker to The Nutcracker Twist to The Family Blessing and continued to receive the highest accolades for the production. The production reached approximately 6,000 Tampa Bay community families, based on weekend long sold out performances. Artz 4 Life Academy continued to collaborate with Mahaffey Theater and the City of St.Petersburg to provide a state of the art venue for the annual production. Artz 4 Life Academy, Inc. established a semi-professional performing outlet for community youth that performs a variety of genres; such as West African Dance, Jazz, Ballet, Modern, and Caribbean. The youth use the semi-professional company as a foundation for future endeavors. Many of our students have been accepted for summer intensives with schools such as: Alvin Ailey, The Rock and Jacobs Pillow. Several have received performing art scholarships and prestigious awards. We have graduates attending on scholarship to Sante Fe College, University of Hartford, Gainesville, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and Boston Conservatory and one former dancer graduated from Julliard and is currently a premier dancer with Alvin Ailey Dance Company and American Ballet Company. Six former members are now performing in "Katunga," and "Dance With The Music" at Busch Gardens and one male is the performance dance captain. Three former Dundu Dole members have recently received invitations to Las Vegas from the "So You Think You Can Dance" Television show. Other former dancers recently were winners on the BET television show "106 & Park. In addition, the semi-professional program continued to expand the community outreach, expanding the outreach to two additional counties in the Tampa Bay area.

Arts, Culture & Humanities Programs: The programs at The Academy provide youth with opportunities to explore the arts and develop skills they can use to express themselves in all aspects of their live, now, and as they chart a course for their future. Studies have shown that art education, as an extension of the classroom and an academic resource, increases learning by enhancing math, reading and writing skills. Art education, expressed conceptually and practically in various forms and disciplines, stimulates intelligence in our youth during the school year, and throughout their summer hiatus. Youth who take part in our programs achieve higher educational and personal aspirations through activities that reach beyond the classroom to identify and develop personal values and character building assets, increasing their effectiveness, resiliency, and academic performance. The Academic and Cultural Enrichment after school program, Explore the Arts summer camp, Angelina Ballerina, which was featured in conjunction with the University of South Florida and local news programs, and the Community Through our eyes; which helped community youth understand the legacy and history of the local community.