At a time when Denver is cracking down on graffiti, Michael Sierra is handing youths spray cans and teaching them the art.
It’s graffiti that can be found on walls throughout the city, including the courthouse and recreation centers. But these young people have permission to create as part of an educational program using elements of hip-hop to develop positive self-image and self-esteem.
Through his company, Colorado Hip Hop Elements, Sierra has incorporated graffiti, break dancing, and DJ and MC skills into various curricula to help reach at-risk youths.
Hip-hop pervades today’s youth culture, Sierra said. Images on television, music and even clothing demonstrate the prevalence of hip-hop.
In those contexts, however, hip-hop often appears negative, creating an inaccurate image, according to Sierra. His programs provide ways to change the image.
“For the school programs, we definitely have a more academic approach,” Sierra said. “In addition to learning the skills, they learn the history of hip-hop, and they have to take tests on what they learn.”
Other programs, such as the one Sierra runs through the Bridge Project in cooperation with the city’s Office for Children and Education, provide more basic outreach to at-risk communities.
At the La Alma Recreation Center on Tuesday, the music flowed from song to song but the beat remained strong throughout. The beat is the heart of the song — it’s the story line that each dancer follows, regardless of the melody.
“Flow with it! Flow with it!” break-dancing teacher Arthur “Cosmo” Sanchez called to 16-year-old Rathana Chham of Denver, attempting his own freestyle dance with the beat.
The call distracted Rathana, who collapsed into a laughing heap at his own attempt.
A few blocks away, 14-year-old Armando Granillo sprayed pink paint onto his pinkie and added some finishing touches to the worm caught in the graffiti bird’s mouth.
Being able to express his artistic side legally will likely keep him from finding other outlets that may not be positive, he said.
In addition to teaching the skills, Sierra organizes a showcase performance at the end of each curriculum for the participants to show off those skills.
One such performance will take place Saturday, highlighting the program between rival middle schools Rishel and Kepner. The schools contacted Sierra with the hopes of curbing gang-
style rivalry among the students.
“When we first started, these kids hated each other. They wouldn’t even talk to each other,” Sierra said. “After a few weeks, though, they were asking for phone numbers and saying, ‘Hey, we should hang out.’ ”
The showcase will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Barnum Recreation Center, 360 Hooker St. in Denver.
Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier: 303-954-1661 or jsteltonholtmeier@denverpost.com
