Those are the building blocks of CATS, Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene. The San Jose non-profit group was formed three years ago in what is thought to be the first full-scale attempt to bring Asian-American theater on a regular basis to Santa Clara County, where the population is 22 percent Asian-American.

In conjunction with its latest production, "A Grain of Sand," the theater group will kick off the first workshop in its new Arts-In-Education Program on Saturday. That program is designed to help young people develop their artistic talents through apprenticeships and seminars with professional artists and community activists.

Nobuko Miyamoto, who stars tonight and Saturday in "A Grain of Sand," will lead a hands-on workshop - using dance, yoga, tai chi, theater games and meditation - to teach students to express their stories.

"She's one of those people whose style and techniques will really inspire students," says Miki Hirabayashi, CATS board president.

The workshop was made possible through a $1,800 grant from the city of Milpitas. If it can get more funding, CATS will host other community workshops, including ones in which students can make masks and costumes to express their heritage, learn improvisation to foster self-identity and become a clown for a day to explore non-verbal communication.

Last year, the group established an internship program in which six high school stuents learned about marketing, audience development, fundraising and graphic design and had the chance to help artists during performances.

"With so many arts classes being cut in schools, we're trying to fill a void," said Jerry Hiura, CATS board chairman. "The satisfaction is seeing kids get involved in music, movement and song and in nurturing future audiences for classical music, mariachi music and all the other arts."