Little Star Academy Of Dance

[Adam Makin]

Keribegan her dancing career at the age of 4 at the Hanover Park Park District where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and hip hop with Monica Noble-Lawson. She continued her education through dance conventions and competitions as she outgrew her Park District dance programs, where she has taken classes with top instructors and choreographers throughout the U.S. including Travis Wall, Sonya Tayeh, Ted Jackson and Avnun Yakubov. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a minor in dance from Western Illinois University. Her extracurricular activities at WIU included the University Dance Theatre, a student based organization for three and a half years where she was able to choreograph, participate with many guest artists and put on performances after each semester. While Keri was in UDT she held the position of clinic chair on the executive board and planned and organized a dance camp that involved the surrounding school of Macomb for children in 1st through 12th grade. She has also choreographed for the winner of Miss Macomb 2010 and was a member of the Chicago Honey Bear Dancers Keri loves working with kids and seeing them have fun while learning.

Margaret has been teaching in the Chicagoland area for 26 years. She has performed with Dancewerks, Second City Ballet, River North Dance Company, Kaye and Dow Productions and Cerqua/Rivera Art Experience. Margaret appeared in the WTTW Channel 11 special Reality of a Dreamer, the first documentary about the River North Dance Company. She enjoyed an apprenticeship with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in the early 90s. Recently, she was able to perform with Mature Dancer's Project under the direction of Sherry Zunker at the Harris Theatre in Chicago. Margaret has been co-directing Larkin High School's Visual and Performing Arts Academy for dance for the past 11 years She enjoys teaching and choreographing at many local private dance studios. She loves to share her passion for dance with her students and family.

Cheri began her dance journey in the Chicago suburbs at the age of 2. She studied a variety of genres such as jazz, ballet tap, clogging, hip hop, contemporary, partnering and musical theater. Cheri entered a highly competitive level of training under Perseverance Dance Company later in her youth. She has danced with choreographers such as Sonia Tayeh, Dee Caspary, Michelle Elkin, Lizzie Mackenzie and David Moore. Cheri also used dance training as a competitor on her high school gymnastics team. Her background in dance and gymnastics helped fuel her interest in fitness and wellbeing. Over the past 2 years, she has put her passion to heal and guide others at the forefront as a reiki practitioner and aerial yoga instructor. Cheri brings her knowledge of dance, gymnastics, reiki, aerial yoga and fitness together to serve the community as a well-rounded, mindful leader of this next generation.

Shannan Pelayo graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. She started teaching shortly after graduating at various private studios and park districts. After taking a few years off to be at home with her three children, she went back to teaching dance. While at this employer, an opportunity to substitute for preschool classes was available. She subbed for two years when she decided this is something she would like to do on a more permanent basis. Shannan is a preschool teacher here at the Schaumburg Park District as well as a dance instructor.

Sydney has been dancing at Schaumburg Park District since the age of 4 and was part of the Expressions Dance Company for 10 years. Throughout her years as a dancer, Sydney was instructed by Kari Larsen and Keri Dahm. After high school, Sydney joined the dance staff and has been teaching here ever since! Sydney has an associates degree in Early Childhood Education. Her favorite part about working with children is seeing them grow and how proud they are when they learn something new.

The perfect beginner class for your budding ballerina.

The minute you see her in her sparkle tutu and teddy bear the magic of dance classes begin for you both.

By blending music, storytelling, dance, and creative movement you will watch your child grow with each little step and become more confident with each lesson. Basic ballet movement, introduction to tap dancing and tumbling are all a part of this preschool dance class.

Boy ballet dancers exercise at the art school Shanghai Little Star in Shanghai, east China, May 22, 2019. The Shanghai Little Star, a subsidiary of the SMG (Shanghai Media Group), opened its first boy ballet class in 2018. After one year of training, more than 20 boys between the ages of four and six, have gone through a series of tough exercises and become little ballet fans. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

The Little Star Chinese School was established in 1998 in the heart of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, with the goal of promoting Chinese language and cultural exchanges in the Central PA area. For over 15 years, the school has been committed to teaching everything from beginning Chinese for very young children to conversational Chinese for adults. As long as one is willing to learn Chinese, the Little Star Chinese School is always happy to provide the proper learning environment to achieve that goal. Additionally, the school has been committed to promoting Chinese culture through classes in calligraphy, dances, and folk music. The school holds semester-end events showcasing the work done by both the language classes and the culture classes; moreover, the school attends the yearly CPCA celebration celebrating the Chinese New Year with performances from our culture classes.

Every Saturday morning, as I was entering the education building of the Charlton Church, I was greeted by the lovely young kids, the joyful parents and the cheerful teachers. This was the place where the students spent 3 hours with their teachers to explore China.

To meet the ever increasing learning demand from the community, the school has built up a strong teaching staff team. Currently we have 14 teachers who are all native Chinese, bilingual speakers and experienced in teaching both in China and in America. Five of our current teachers have taught or are actively teaching Chinese at the local middle schools, high schools and colleges. Little Star has also expanded its horizons to reach out to local businesses. Last summer, we held a seminar at the Patriot News. Next spring, we will start a short-term Chinese class at Hershey Foods. Several big businesses in the area have contacted us for possible opportunity of Chinese learning.

On behalf of the school board, I want to take this opportunity to thank the CPCA members who have supported us since the establishment of Little Star in 1998. All our board members are long-term CPCA members as well. Looking back, I know it is a long journey full of challenges, but it is a journey of fulfillment and excitement!

As your little stars graduate from our captivating Little Stars program, an exciting dance adventure awaits in our FUNdations Dance program for Grades 1 and up. Building upon the foundation of creativity and expression, this next step introduces a diverse range of dance styles including ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, musical theatre, and modern dance. Designed to nurture both skill development and artistic growth, our curriculum offers a seamless transition for young dancers to continue their exploration. With each graceful step, our FUNdations Dance program cultivates confidence, fosters a love for movement, and ignites a lifelong passion for the art of dance. Join us on this exhilarating journey as your child's dance story unfolds and their star continues to shine ever brighter.

Give your little star their first opportunity to shine, through our Little Stars Programme. This programme has been created specifically for children aged 4 to 7 years old and focuses the key skills that will provide a solid foundation for performance, while building confidence and creativity.

Students will be taught in a professional dance studio with mirrored wall, drama studio and music room to maximise their ability to learn. Little stars groups will always have two members of staff present at all times

Studies show little minds are stimulated in 30-minute intervals. Keeping their attention and engaging interest are key elements for developing both problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Because of this, we created classrooms and specialty areas to allow rotational learning. Our students rotate through multiple learning environments throughout the day with hands-on, process-oriented activities. This rotation ensures daily exposure to stimulate their natural inclinations and helps evolve growing interests.

Bring educational programs to life on a big screen movie projector. Here your little star can explore their expressive talents on a drama and dance stage complete with costumes and props.

We offer Hip Hop and Ballroom/Latin summer dance camps for kids ages 5-17 in July and August 2024, at our Brighton studio, 323 Washington st, Brighton MA. Your children are welcome to join any of our dance camps.There are options of 5 full days or 5 half days for each camp session.

-Hip Hop dance camp

-Ballroom/Latin dance camp

The children ages 5-17 (there will be two groups) will learn basic HipHop/Breakdance, or Ballroom/Latin dance concepts, and develop a simple routine to perform for the parents. Healthy snacks will be provided everyday.

If you are looking for a fun way to get fit, burn calories, lose weight, or a good cardio workout, Zumba is a perfect choice for you. Zumba is Latin dance inspired and is a lot of fun!

Group and Private Zumba and Dance Fitness classes are available. To join our Zumba classes, please call us 617-202-9200, email us at in...@stardanceschool.com,

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Wedding Dance Instruction -Getting married? Our dedicated team of experienced, professional dance instructors and choreographers will assist you in making your dreams a reality by helping the wedding couple and wedding party learn to dance with confidence!

Discounted wedding dance packages are available.

Interested? Contact us! >>

Go to Wedding Dance Lessons Page

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