Instructors bring expertise to Adult Experiences
Higher education, decades of experience and a deep passion for their subjects.
That’s what instructors of JCC’s new fall adult education classes all have in common.
“These classes are an amazing opportunity to learn from the very best in the community,” said Slava Nelson, senior adult programming and cultural arts director.
All six courses – which range from Hebrew and acting to painting and dancing – will be offered at a discount to members, too, she said, making them a real value. And even though they’re taught by experts, they’re all appropriate for beginners, she said.
“Everyone will be welcome and feel comfortable,” she said.
Michelle Mardis will be teaching the steps, techniques and style of modern ballroom dancing. She took private lessons in ballroom, swing and Latin dance for more than 12 years and is a favorite JCC instructor in group classes such as yoga and JBarre.
Her students will be exposed to and progress in lots of different types of dances, she said, so they can see what they like.
“I hope people have fun, make friends and learn a new way of communication, because dancing is all about communicating,” she said.
Mardis will offer a free demonstration at 6:45 p.m., Sept. 30, in the JCC dance studio. Attendees may register for the class then, if they like.
Luci Mistratov, who has a PhD in art education, will be teaching silk painting starting Oct. 1. A familiar name in the Louisville arts scene, particularly from the world of water color, Mistratov has years of experience teaching people of all ages and ability levels.
She hopes her students learn how versatile silk painting is. They can apply the techniques to making everything from jackets to curtains, she said. For example, she has painted silk ties on display at the Kentucky Derby Museum. She even painted a Silk Derby scarf for Queen Elizabeth, who sent her a polite thank you note in response.
Silk is a natural fiber and the paints used are light, she said, making for a final art form with unique fluidity and movement.
“I hope people in my class discover a new ability to express themselves,” she said.
Rush Trowel, a Louisville-based actor, director and theater instructor, will be teaching intro to acting, which begins Oct. 3. Trowel is now directing CenterStage Acting Out’s Oct. 13 production of And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank and will also direct CenterStage’s spring production of The Color Purple.
Participants can expect to learn technique and then perform scenes in each class. There won’t be a lot of line memorization or lofty expectations, he said, rather steady progression that could help anyone meet their goals, whether it’s to improve performance skills or simply become more comfortable at public speaking.
“Just try it and see if you like it,” Trowel said.
