Tahoe Arts Project features a poet and storyteller in local schools / LTCC stage

Kealoha and Diane Ferlatte will be in South Lake Tahoe this week as part of the Tahoe Arts Project's goal of bringing the arts to town.

Diane Ferlatte, world famous storyteller, and Kealoha, Poet Laurette of Hawaii, come together for an exciting night of slam poetry, storytelling and prose. Don't miss your chance to see these two industry legends together in a unique performance to be enjoyed by all ages.

They will be performing on January 30 at 7 p.m. in the Duke Theater. General admission seating will begin at 6:30. Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for children and $10 for seniors and can be purchased in advance at the Lake Tahoe Visitors Centers in both California and Nevada. To charge tickets by phone, please call 530-542-3632. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Tahoe Arts Projects provides professional performing arts to the schools and at public events throughout the year.

Diane Ferlatte will be performing at local elementary schools January 26 - 30. She is scheduled to be at Sierra House Elementary and Lake Tahoe Environmental Magnet School on Monday, Zephyr Cove Elementary on Tuesday, and Diamond Valley Elementary on Wednesday, Tahoe Valley Elementary on Thursday and Bijou School on Friday.

Kealoha will be performing at South Tahoe Middle School and South Tahoe High School on January 29 and 30. He'll be at STMS from 7:45 a.m. and 8:40 a.m., and STHS from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m on the 29th and at Tallac High School on Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Diane Ferlatte is an internationally renowned storyteller, who has traveled the globe, from Europe to Singapore & Malaysia, from Australia & New Zealand to Colombia and Senegal, Kenya, South Africa, and of course all over the United States. She believes that telling and listening to each other’s stories not only enables us to learn about each other, but also to understand each other better. She views storytelling as a traditional art form that can promote literacy, imagination, and values in the young. While emphasizing African American stories, she loves to tell stories that hold truths touching upon our common humanity, including personal stories as well as many tales from across the globe. Having a background in music as well as American Sign Language, Diane frequently incorporates both into her performances. Erik Pearson, her musical sidekick, will accompany Diane on banjo & guitar.

Kealoha is the first Poet Laureate of Hawaii. As an internationally acclaimed poet and storyteller. He has performed throughout the world -- from the White House to the `Iolani Palace, from Brazil to Switzerland. He is the first poet in Hawaii’s history to perform at a governor's inauguration, and in 2010 he was selected as a master artist for a National Endowment for the Arts program. He has represented Hawaii at the National Poetry Slam, and was ranked in the top ten of the nation’s best poets in 2007 and was honored as a "National Slam Legend" in 2010. He is the founder of HawaiiSlam, Youth Speaks Hawaii (2-Time International Champions), and First Thursdays (the largest registered slam poetry competition in the world with an average attendance of 500+). Kealoha has served as Hawaii’s SlamMaster since 2003, and has been on the Artists in the Schools roster since 2005. He graduated with honors from MIT with a degree in Nuclear Physics (and a minor in writing), served as a business consultant in San Francisco, and played around as a surf instructor prior to becoming a professional poet in 2002.