Awoke

AWOKE PRODUCES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, ARTS AND ATHLETICS PROGRAMMING, AND CULTURAL EVENTS TO EMPOWER YOUNG ADULTS TO BECOME LOCAL LEADERS.

THE UNITE CULTURAL CENTER OPERATES YEAR-ROUND WITH IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING DIVIDED INTO THREE 12-WEEK SEASONS WINTER/SPRING STARTING IN FEBRUARY, SUMMER STARTING IN JUNE, AND FALL/WINTER STARTING IN OCTOBER. THESE SEASONS FEATURE AFTER-SCHOOL YOUTH PROGRAMS, DROP-IN ACTIVITIES, SEASONAL EVENTS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT CREATION. IN 2023, THE CENTER HOSTED SEVERAL COMMUNITY EVENTS AND FESTIVALS ACROSS THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, ATTRACTING OVER 10,300 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, 369 YOUTH PARTICIPATED IN 8-10 WEEK EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON FOUNDATIONAL ARTISTIC AND ATHLETIC PRACTICES, WHICH INCLUDED STREET DANCE, GRAPPLING, ARTS CRAFTS, AND DJING. STREET DANCE SESSIONS TEACH VARIOUS STYLES AND TECHNIQUES, FOSTERING CREATIVITY AND PHYSICAL FITNESS. GRAPPLING CLASSES FOCUS ON WRESTLING AND MARTIAL ARTS SKILLS, EMPHASIZING DISCIPLINE AND SELF-DEFENSE. ARTS CRAFTS WORKSHOPS NURTURE CREATIVITY AND ARTISTIC EXPRESSION THROUGH HANDS-ON PROJECTS. DJING CLASSES INTRODUCE THE BASICS OF MUSIC MIXING AND PRODUCTION, ENHANCING AUDITORY SKILLS AND CONTINUED SCH. O

THE SHELDON SKATE PARK PROJECT SUCCESSFULLY PROVIDED THE COMMUNITY WITH A VARIETY OF ENGAGING ACTIVITIES. SHELDON PROGRAMS FEATURED WEEKLY STREET DANCE, WRESTLING, AND SKATEBOARDING WORKSHOPS, A WEEKLY OPEN DANCE SESSION, AND A MONTHLY COMMUNITY COOKOUT THAT INCLUDED SKATEBOARDING ACTIVITIES. THE PROGRAM OFFERS TWICE-WEEKLY WRESTLING CLUB SESSIONS, WEEKLY DANCE AND SKATE WORKSHOPS, AND WEEKLY DANCE SESSIONS, FOSTERING A VIBRANT ENVIRONMENT FOR PARTICIPANTS TO IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS AND STAY ACTIVE. OVER THE YEAR, THE PROGRAM DELIVERED A SUBSTANTIAL 468 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION AND PLAY, WITH ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 52 WEEKS. MONTHLY SHELDON COMMUNITY DAYS, EACH FOUR HOURS LONG, CONTRIBUTED AN ADDITIONAL 48 EVENT HOURS, PROMOTING COMMUNITY BONDING AND PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR SHOWCASING SKATEBOARDING TALENT. THE WORKSHOPS ATTRACTED 1,040 PARTICIPANTS, WHILE THE DANCE SESSIONS ENGAGED 520 INDIVIDUALS, ILLUSTRATING THE PROGRAMS BROAD APPEAL AND EFFECTIVENESS IN ENCOURAGING REGULAR PHYSICAL CONTINUED SCH. O

FLAVA OF THE YEAR, THE 14TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL STREET DANCE COMPETITION PRODUCED BY AWOKE, CAPTIVATED 1,000 ATTENDEES WITH ITS DYNAMIC SHOWCASE OF GLOBAL TALENT, FEATURING PARTICIPANTS FROM EVERY CONTINENT EXCEPT ANTARCTICA. HELD AT THE MID-VALLEY YMCA IN VAN NUYS IN NOVEMBER 2023, THE TWO-DAY EVENT INCLUDED 1 VS. 1 POPPING BATTLES AND 3 VS. 3 OPEN STYLES GROUP BATTLES. WITH ELECTRIFYING HIP-HOP MUSIC, VIBRANT GRAFFITI ART, AND ENERGETIC DANCE-OFFS, THE EVENT CELEBRATED THE ESSENCE OF STREET DANCE CULTURE. ESTEEMED JUDGES, INCLUDING PIONEERS OF THE DANCE COMMUNITY, EVALUATED THE PERFORMANCES, AWARDING CASH PRIZES TO THE WINNERS. THE COMPETITION WAS MORE THAN JUST A SERIES OF BATTLES IT WAS A CULTURAL FESTIVAL. THE VENUE BUZZED WITH EXCITEMENT AS THE CROWD, SEATED ON BLEACHERS, CHEERED ON DANCERS EXECUTING INTRICATE MOVES ON A LIT-UP CHECKERED DANCE MAT. THE EVENT EMBRACED THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF HIP-HOP DANCING, DJING, MCING RAPPING, AND GRAFFITI ART. BETWEEN COMPETITIONS, THE AUDIENCE JOINED THE DANCE FLOOR, SHOWCASING THEIR UNIQUE STYLES AND CONTRIBUTING CONTINUED SCH. O