Performances
Zack Allen
Banjo Player
Burnsville, NC (Yancey County)
Zack Allen was born and raised in Asheville, but he also spent time in Anson County where he learned to play clawhammer banjo from his grandfather. His grandfather, a carpenter, had removed the first 10 frets from his own banjo to make a semi-fretless neck, and he played an old-time double-thumb clawhammer style. When Zack discovered his grandfather's banjo in a closet and cleaned it up to playable condition, his grandfather encouraged Zack to play the newly developed Scruggs style instead of the older style.
Read more about Zack AllenAni-Kuwih [Mulberry] Dancers
Cherokee dancers
Cherokee, NC (Qualla Boundary)
The Ani-Kuwih, or Mulberry, Dancers perform traditional Cherokee dances, demonstrate blowguns, and can give Cherokee language lessons. A group of about ten children, ages 5-12, these dancers can perform for large or small audiences or any age. For the past three years, these children have learned dances, language, and more under the guidance of Myrtle Driver, Tribal Cultural Traditionalist in the Office of Cultural Resources of the Eastern Band.
Read more about Ani-Kuwih [Mulberry] DancersDavy Arch
Cherokee storyteller, lecturer, craft demonstrator
Cherokee, NC (Qualla Boundary)
Davy Arch tells Cherokee stories, presents lectures on Cherokee history and culture, and demonstrates carving, flint knapping, and mask making. He adapts his programs for audiences of all ages. Using artwork from different mediums, he describes both Cherokee history and contemporary Cherokee life. He is a founding member of the Cherokee Potters Guild.
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