Ridikkuluz Telfar
Philip Galinsky
Samer Akroush, also known as Ridikkuluz Telfar, and Philip Galinsky will receive Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grants through funding from the New York State Council on the Arts. The grants are part of $150,000 in state grants awarded to ArtsWestchester to support artists in Westchester, Rockland, and New York counties.
Ridikkuluz’s grant will allow him to train and apprentice under Myles Telfar of New York City, for an apprenticeship in vogue femme performance in the House Ballroom Community. Galinsky’s grant will support him and Gabriel Cé of Hastings, as he mentors Cé in Brazilian roda de samba percussion, with a focus on tantan and pandeiro performance.
“Apprenticeship grants are one of the foundational tools in the field of folk and traditional arts. Through this program, master artists take on an apprentice to whom they pass on their skills and knowledge,” said Aaron Paige, ArtsWestchester’s Director of Folk & Traditional Arts. “Apprentices must belong to the same community of practice as the master artist and can even be a member of a master’s family. The 2025 apprenticeships will support a wide range of traditions, including Paraguayan harp, Korean haegeum, Afghan harmonium playing, Iraqi Maqam singing, and costume making for vogue performance.”
For nearly three decades, ArtsWestchester has remained committed to supporting folk & traditional arts and artists. The ArtsWestchester Folk Arts Program produces festivals, concerts, and educational programs through grassroots partnership and collaboration.
Also core to the program are the support services provided to traditional artists in the form of professional development, technical assistance, as well as training in public folklore and community documentation. While the program touches many, its services and resources are directed to cultural groups who face the greatest structural inequities in Westchester County.
