We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Tacasata Hunter-White. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Tacasata below.

Alright, Dr. Tacasata thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

My motto is “Tell me and I will forget, teach me and I will remember, involve me and I will Understand.”

I was once in the same shoes as most of my students. I have traveled the world but I wanted to bring additional cultural experiences and opportunities to the youth and adults in my hometown that otherwise wouldn’t experience the progressively positive effects of Performance and Visual Arts. I remember when I first started my Dance and Drama career at the ripe bold age of 5. Well at the time it really wasn’t a career more of a hobby. Similar to most of my students, my parents at one point in time could not afford the studio classes. After my parents received better jobs, I was able to return to dancing with only one stipulation, that I kept good grades. Since then, dance has been a fixture in my life that has developed into an overwhelming love and passion. The true passion and love that I have for Performing Arts/dance flourished when I entered High School. I learned with excellent guidance you can unleash a talent or strength from within you that can aid in propelling you through life.

We AR 1 (we are one Arkansas community) and BCAS – Boundless Creative Art Styles was created by Dr. Tacasata T. White to motivate and inspire multifaceted young Artists/Students to be “Perfectly Imperfect” and to always remember their success present and/or future is a limitless goal to set. The mission is to continue to plan, create, implement, educate and engage people regardless of personal challenges, ethnicity, gender and/or background to ensure their future success and overall mental and physical development.

I was born and raised in NLR Arkansas “Off Pike Native,” and I am a proud Alumni of The NLR School District Ole Main, an honored Founder and Director of WeAR1 Organization, NLRHS Dance and Theatre Program Member, NAACP, Hat and Glove Society, THEA Foundation Supporter, and NLR Community Outreach Leader with the Baring Cross Neighborhood Association CDC. I love God, Family, Dance, Music, Drama, and Sports (especially Football) in that order. I am Mentor, Educator, Community Advocate, and Creative Director for 22+ years. My international experiences, educational background, in addition to being an award-winning ADE certified Performing Arts Instructor and Director implementing a multitude of multi-faceted experiences, opportunities, and skills/techniques have equipped me for success within a multitude of environments.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I can attest that I am not one to back down from a challenge as I strive to inspire those around me to rise to their personal best and to defeat what challenges them. I believe in finishing what you start and to never let adversity get you down. With bold vision and perseverance, our programs have flourished, and our mentees have discovered aspects of themselves they might not have through innovative and engaging instruction and leadership. I help build stronger communities by helping to strengthen the self-love of our youth who can be challenging at times to say the least. However, it is evident that they value me as I do them. I am so enthusiastic to expand WeAR1 programs and furthering the vision of the Organizations in the Central Arkansas Communities I know “Together We Can” achieve anything.

When I teach, I attempt to utilize all my experiences, which reflect my self-understanding to develop a progressively positive environment for our students/youth to freely express themselves without the fear of intimidation or embarrassment to embrace themselves.

The passion to inspire and educate young adults is a continued goal, with the
implementation of a combination of positive tenacity, leadership, creativity and personal character. I am so enthusiastic to expand WeAR1 programs and furthering the vision of the Organizations in the Central Arkansas Communities I know “Together We Can” achieve anything.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I take this program highly personal due to the fact that I was once the same type of youth that BCAS caters to. Like most, disappointment almost motivated me to let my creativity evaporate from my mind. However, like majority of my past students, I was fortunate enough to come across someone who was the key to allowing my artistic expression to flourish. Christian Pitts showed me a different side of performing arts. When I first came into contact with Mrs. Pitts, my attitude towards Dance and Drama directors/instructors was distorted, minus being brought up in a creative household, with parents who encouraged most of my creativity. I felt as though I was treated like the Legendary Dorothy Dandridge which at that time in my life, I admired her the most. Not only was she beautiful but a triple threat (sing/dance/act) which most production company’s look for in a artist. Although she was talented and highly qualified, racism, discrimination, and poverty hindered her future, and after being the infamous Carmen Jones performing arts was taken from her due to still having a “particular” look which aided in shorting her life. The passion for artistic expression sometimes can truly consume a person, which I also knew all too well. I learned at an earlier age that sometimes talent and creativity was not always the deciding factor.

Since the age of 5 I have had an opportunity to be a part of a few unsuccessful performing arts programs competitively, school based, and urban community base, whether performing, modeling, painting, sketch, singing and/or dancing, they all had the same outcome. I had so many ideas and no way of expressing myself, in a society perplexed by future events and living in a neighborhood that associates creative/performing arts as being culturally bias. Mrs. Christen Pitts was the first person in the performing arts setting to let me know I didn’t have to be the disappointed artist or the “angry black girl.” She helped mold my transformation from a young lady with a lot to say into a passionate artist. She also never failed to make sure her dancers and/or performers consistently did well in school with behavior and academics.

I would later go on to achieve success and recognition in performing arts, dance, and creative writing/poetry while I maintained a 3.8 G.P.A and finally having the opportunity to further my career in education, dance, drama, and creative writing and poetry. Reminiscent of Mrs. Pitts I am not only a Educator, but a mentor to those lost or misguided creative minds. My additional previous research Arts in Education: The Integration into School Curriculum (Brown) was conducted from the perspective of a preschool through sixth grade general academic educator.

I also believe that as an Educator and Creative Director it is my responsibility/pleasure to encourage the growth and development of the total child and not just a couple aspects, such as intellectuality and physical awareness. The characteristics of the “total person” are a balance between intellect, physical and socio-emotional health, spirituality, and community/cultural awareness. It is a whole to parts concept that addresses the big picture first and then breaks it down.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

What I love the most about The BCAS (Boundless Creative Art Styles) Program is not only is it fun and interesting for the 22nd century youth but it offers a variety of learning styles: (Communication, Literacy, Math/Geometry, History/Social Studies, Foreign Languages, and Creative Writing). BCAS also teaches everyday skills (social) such as respect, determination, trust, comprehension, physical, and verbal expression.

BCAS Cultural Performing Arts Program has proven that it produces positive attitudes, a more comfortable individual and community surrounding, self-confidence, constructive communication, and comprehensible expression. Recently in an International Studies Historic Middle School located in the heart of an urban/lower-income community there is a concern for the lack of implementation of multiculturalism through performing arts. Similar to many schools and areas in central Arkansas for instance: Harris Elementary, Terry Elementary, Lynch Drive Elementary, Henderson Middle, McClellan High School, Argenta Learning Academy, Penick Boys and Girls Club, and Alexander Youth Services where BCAS needed to continue to thrive and build determination. I was once again affected by the constant lack of artistic expression and ignorance of “normal” outdated curriculum)

Historically public schools’ children have been grouped by their academic achievement and tracked into programs such as honors and college-bound that will determine their future success within society. The only problem with tracking students, especially at a young age, is that the arts are generally not included within career placement opportunities and/or utilized as measurable ability indicators of growth and development (citation). Additionally, because the arts are not included as measurable ability indicators, children are limited only to the critical thinking, problem-solving, and expressive characteristics associated with the social sciences and the scientific methodology.
Furthermore, the term “late bloomer” becomes obsolete when considering developmentally immature children and their preparation for advanced coursework. Paulo Frierre believed that if educators would examine how the presentation and classroom orientation could be oppressive in nature, maybe educators could begin to organize their classroom structures in a manner that is supportive for all children, not just a few or even the majority.

Traditionally, the arts have had a strong foundation in the public schools setting because the arts “reflect multifaceted dimensions of the human experience” (Glassman 2004). The establishment of the public school is based on providing a free and adequate educational experience for all children in America. Free meaning that education is funded by the people and adequate meaning that all children are afforded the basis developmental skills of reading, writing and arithmetic; which explains why high graduation requirements are lower than college admission requirements. What becomes tricky is who determines which children are tracked into college bound programs. Currently, the State government determines the public schools’ agenda unlike federal for what students should learn, how they should learn it, and when they should learn it leaving little to no room catch up. Furthermore, any deviation from the national agenda limits the funding public schools can receive.

“The future of our nation depends on our ability to create and to be creative. During the coming decades our most important national resources will be human resources. If our nation is to continue to meet the challenge of the future, today’s schools need to develop creative leaders.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://WeAR1.org
• Instagram: bcas_perform_byTacasata1nonly
• Facebook: Tacasata White or Baring Cross Neighborhood Assoc CDC. or Pac Men or BCNA
• Linkedin: Tacasata Hunter-White
• Twitter: bcas.perform
• Youtube: bcas.perform or Zaehd or Baring Cross
• Other: Tik Tok – bcas.perform
  WeAR1

Image Credits

Boundless Creative Art Styles
Baring Cross Neighborhood Association CDC