By Virginia Brown

When Cassandra Wynn was looking for fun things to do with her 6-year-old granddaughter, Skylar, she came across an ASC Culture Blocks offering at David B. Waymer Recreation and Senior Center in Huntersville. “Jazzerific,” it was called, and that sounded like fun. Plus, it was free and close to her house.

“They had people there who were older than me, and then babies and toddlers with their parents, so it had multigenerational appeal,” said Wynn, who attended a performance with her granddaughter.

Nicci Canada, founder of Dapper Street Productions, created the show a few years ago.

“It teaches kids about the evolution of jazz,” Canada said. “And it’s really fun. The kids are able to participate, and the grownups love it.”

Through Culture Blocks programming, ASC supports cultural experiences that are planned with resident involvement and that take place at libraries, recreation centers, parks and relevant community spaces. The program is funded by Mecklenburg County.

“A lot of families are always looking for something to do with their kids but can’t afford the $30 ticket uptown,” said Canada. “But I can bring it to them.”

Canada said that neighborhood recreational centers are an ideal alternative to performance halls and theaters that can feel intimidating to those who aren’t as familiar with more formal types of venues.

Added Wynn: “Arts organizations can build different audience bases you know, so if you’re only performing for the people who come to see you, you’re kind of missing a whole swath of the greater community.”

Plus, according to Wynn, programs like these provide opportunities for children like her granddaughter to learn outside of the traditional school environment.

“One of the things about pushing a diverse culture, all kinds of diversity, is that you don’t want you don’t want it to be lost,” she said. “I was basking in the experience, because my granddaughter is getting that exposure.”

Since 2016, Dapper Street has provided relevant cultural programming to the community through ASC’s Culture Blocks program, which has led to greater exposure and awareness of the organization’s productions.

“The partnership has been amazing,” Canada said. “ASC has helped me grow an audience and become a known entity in the Charlotte area. They’ve really helped me to expand.”

“These programs are enriching so many lives, and people look forward to these events,” Wynn said. “Music brings us all together.”