Korean Traditional Performing Arts Association (KTPAA) is an artists’ group that endeavors to preserve, cultivate, and disseminate Korean cultural arts in the United States. Its members consist of individuals, and professionals of the Korean traditional music and dance from Korean-American community in New York area who are dedicate to promoting intercultural understanding and appreciation of Korea’s artistic heritage and history.
The association founded in 1986 as the “Korean Traditional Arts Community.” Along with growing community support, the association later adopted its official name, Korean Traditional Performing Arts Association in 1990. In 1993, they were formally recognized by the State of New York as a non-profit organization, and since 1998, it has been receiving annual grants from the Folk Arts Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
The organization serves a vital role in New York City through the teaching of traditional arts to members of the Korean community, and through performances for both Korean and general audiences. The association has played an instrumental role in instilling pride of Korean culture to second generation Korean American and Korean adoptee, and in fostering intercultural dialogue with the American society at large.
In 2010, KTPAA opened a studio, Korean Performing Arts Center (KPAC) near Korean Town in midtown Manhattan to get close to the Korean community. KPAC is a home for the company, rehearsal space for the artists, outreach programs for local audiences, and a school offering music and dance classes to students of all ages.
