Asian American Performing Arts and Culture Center
Asian arts and culture
The Asian American Performing Arts and Culture Center (AAPACC) is a nonprofit organization devoted to sharing traditional Asian performing arst, music, and dance with other ethnic and international communities in the Sacramento and Central Valley. Founded in 2009 by Long Vang and Pao Vang, AAPACC also offers educational programs designed to give youth an opportunity to expand their knowledge and skill in traditional arts.
In 2013 and 2012, AAPACC received a grant from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program to support arts and culture classes for Hmong youth and teens. A prominent instrument in the negotiation of weddings and in funeral rites is a mouth organ known as qeej. In addition to musicianship, training to play the qeej involves movement and knowledge of appropriate oral passages. Folk and social dance classes will also be offered, taught by elders in the community. Classes are offered five days a week and target American-born youth, but are suitable for adults as well.