Photo courtesy of 2008 Chicago Arabesque organizers
About 30 Chicago Public School students who study Arabic language and culture will dance, play traditional Arabic instruments and act this Saturday as part of the 3rd annual Chicago Arabesque.
The festival, which began today, runs through Saturday, June 27. It hours will be Wednesday through Friday from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. and Saturday from 11 A.M. to 7 P.M.
The event, a non-religious and non-political celebration and exploration of Arabic art, cuisine, culture, music, and dance, takes place at Daley Plaza, 50 West Washington St., between Clark and Dearborn.
Three schools (Durkin Park Elementary School, Lindblom Math and Science Academy High School, and Volta Elementary School) will have students performing several folk dances from the Arab world, playing musical instruments like the Tabla and Oud, and offering a fashion show featuring traditional Arabic garments, said Fadwa Hasan, chairman of the Education Committee for the Chicago Advisory Council on Arab Affairs.
“We are happy to see that the students are not only learning the language, but they are learning and participating in the culture of the Arab world,” she added.
Robert Davis, manager of World Language and International Studies at the Chicago Public Schools Office of Language and Cultural Education, noted that nine CPS schools now offer Arabic language and culture instruction.
“We started offering Arabic two years ago, but the big push was last year,” he said. “Six elementary schools and 3 high schools offer instruction. Eventually we hope to offer it as a general program in our K-12 pipeline.”
Overall, CPS offers its students instruction in 11 languages, Davis noted. The CPS system includes more than 650 schools serving 440,000 students. It is the third largest public school system in the U.S.
“While learning the language and culture, there are citywide events that they are invited to, including culinary and performing arts events,” he said. “Chicago Arabesque is exciting – it’s a great way for the students to show what they have learned.”
Davis noted that CPS students can only study a foreign languageat their school if it is part of the school's curriculum.
“Parental interest is the best way to have language instruction offered at one's school,” he said. “Parents should approach their school’s principal, and if enough parents approach the principal, then they may be able to start a program.”
Mayor Daley and the new CPS CEO are particularly supportive of three critical languages: Arabic, Chinese and Russian, Davis noted.
“It’s essential for everyone in the world to learn a second language because global communications is so important in this day and age,” Davis said. “And the impact on Chicago will be opportunity. We, as educators, and the mayor are committed to giving Chicagoans opportunity."
"I was thrilled to learn that we had the opportunity to collaborate with the Chicago Public Schools,” said Roxane Assaf, a member of Chicago's Advisory Council on Arab Affairs.
“It is the perfect blend of everything the Commission on Human Relations stands for,” she noted. “It is cultural outreach; it’s education; and it's bringing people, cultures and generations together."
For more info:
3rd Annual Chicago Arabesque program schedule
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