Education

4 Winnipeg Free press - saturDaY, august 2, 2014 By Holli Moncrieff For the Free Press Y ou might say that Catherine Delaquis danced her way to happiness. Delaquis was struggling in a stressful job when she spotted a coworker dancing down the hallway. "She was so excited about her first ballet class at Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School (RWB). On the spur of the moment, I decided to go with her," said Delaquis. "Dance is an excellent stress release. The exercise has been great for me." Seeing her coworker's joy was a great reminder of what she'd been missing. Delaquis had been a serious dancer in her youth, but had let dancing slip out of her life 10 years before. She was eager to welcome it back. "It's been great. I was a lot more serious about it when I was younger. This is a way to take the seriousness out of it and just enjoy it for what it is," she said. "I grew up with ballet, but I find I love to take hip hop lessons now." Delaquis, 34, has been taking recreational adult classes at the RWB for eight years. In that time, she's developed strength, physical fitness, friendships, and new dance skills. She also found a better job. "Moving to music connects you to your environment and your body. I've benefitted from it so much," she said. "It's nice to have designated time just for me. It makes me a better mom and better at work. It's nice to see other adults in the evening." The thought of learning how to dance in the vicinity of some of the world's greatest dancers can be intimidating. Delaquis said the school's instructors realize this and are willing to help beginning students of any age feel comfortable. "Hip hop was so out of my element, but the instructors are very gifted at breaking down those barriers and moments of self-consciousness. You don't feel as embarrassed as you'd expect," she said. "The year- end show is a lot of fun." Adult recreational classes in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and hip hop will begin Sept. 8. The RWB's adult program runs from September through June. "We have classes for all skill levels. You can be an absolute beginner and we'll find a place for you. I recommend all students come down and speak with one of our staff," said Nicole Kepp, Vice-principal of the recreational division of the RWB School. "Dance is a great form of physical activity and a wonderful stress release. It's an opportunity to take on a new challenge, while giving you a very good workout." Most of the adult recreational classes are held Monday to Friday in the evening, but there is an advanced ballet class on Saturday morning. Hip hop is an open-level class. Those who like to sing as well as dance may find the musical theatre class to be just the challenge they've been looking for. Musical theatre is a combination of singing, dancing and acting with some vocal training, dance composition, and acting exercises. Musical theatre is open to all levels. Delaquis takes three dance classes each week. "Different classes provide a different type of workout. There's so much core work and strength in your posture in ballet, while jazz and hip hop are great for cardio," she said. "Everyone seems to gravitate toward different types of dance. People should take whatever class they think they'll enjoy — whatever will be the most fun for them." The school's proximity to the world-renowned RWB company allows its Recreational Division students unique performance opportunities alongside professional dance students and company members. Performance week gives recreational students the chance to show off their skills to an audience, but students aren't required to participate. "We have a week of performances in March for our adult students, which is a lot of fun and which keeps the performance element alive," said Kepp. Registration for all recreational classes begins this month. To register, you must visit the school at 380 Graham Ave. For more information, please see their website at www.rwb.org/school/rd/adults. ■ dance is an excellent stress release. Photos by Bruce Monk full menu for learninG at red river ColleGe By Holli Moncrieff For the Free Press F oodies rejoice! From Argentinian cuisine to artisan breads, Red River College's culinary workshops will teach you how to whip up a masterpiece. "Anyone who signs up for our culinary programs will work in our wonderful commercial kitchen with community chefs," said Margaret Braid, Program Manager for Applied Arts, Culinary, and Communications. The college's World Tour classes are especially popular. Students learn different cooking techniques, methods and recipes from around the world. The countries featured in this session will include China, Argentina, India, France, the Philippines, Spain, Italy, Japan and Greece. "We bring people in, start with a glass of wine and do the demo, and then enjoy what we've cooked with another glass of wine," Braid said. "It's always lots of fun, and the classes always have a different theme. We're adding different countries all the time." Those who believe in eating dessert first will appreciate the Pies and Pastry class, or the always-popular Holiday Cookies and Squares. "The pie is so renowned it has become a part of our heritage. 'Mom and apple pie' is the definition of home. But you don't need to be a mom or even a patriot to appreciate the melt-in-your-mouth perfection of perfectly-made pastry," said Braid. "Our culinary classes are usually limited to 16 people, and people are already registering." Holiday Cookies and Squares is a fun-filled day spent baking the perfect holiday treats and cookies with top-quality ingredients. Scrumptious take-home goodies will include shortbread, biscotti, sugar cookies, icebox cookies, and squares. For more information about the culinary workshops, please see the Red River College website at www.rrc.ca/cook. Perhaps your creativity is best expressed outside the kitchen. That's OK — Red River College Continuing Education has a full line-up of courses to meet a wide variety of goals and interests. A new communications course is ideally suited for those who have always dreamed of creating their own graphic novels. "This course teaches you how to take an idea and market, publish and distribute a graphic novel using free resources," Braid said. Also new this year is a class that will teach participants to create interesting podcasts that will attract an audience. "What's really hot these days is podcasts. We've got an instructor from a local radio station teaching our students how to create podcasts that people will want to listen to," said Braid. Owning a great camera doesn't mean that you'll automatically take great photographs. Red River College has added a course for amateur photographers who want to get the most out of their SLR cameras. "It teaches you how to use your SLR camera properly. This is a short course — only 20 hours. We'll work with both morning and evening light," Braid said. If you're looking for a new career, you may be interested in the college's Railway Conductor Program. Within 15 weeks of starting the program, you're guaranteed employment within the railway industry, said Sam Levy, Program Manager for Trades, Transportation and Industry. "A demand currently exists within the industry," said Levy. "Things have bounced back in a huge way. The uptake on our graduates is really good." The college has a dedicated location for the program where students receive hands-on training on a locomotive. The course was developed in co-operation with the National Railway Association of Canada. "The instructors are very experienced, seasoned railway conductors. You learn the culture, and learn what it's like to be on the railways. That makes our students a cut above the others. This program is the most up- to-date of anything else out there," Levy said. "By the time our students graduate, they have a really thorough understanding of how to operate on a railroad." Railway conducting can be a lucrative career. Levy said that conductors can expect to make about $85,000 in the first year. "It's a very good return on investment, but you have to be dedicated toward your career. It's a great career for people who can handle the pressure," he said. "It's shift work. It can be very long hours and challenging conditions, and you have to be ready to go at the drop of a hat." For more information about the Railway Conductor course, please see the Red River College website at www.rrc.ca/railway. Other continuing education courses can be found at www.rrc.mb.ca/continuinged. ■ step into Joyful learninG Above: A group of students participate in a Residential decorating Class at Red River College. Photo by Darcy Finley Numerous RWB adult recreational dance classes begin Sept. 8

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