Media Theatre to Offer New Adult Ballet Class, Indian Dance and More This Fall

The Media Theatre, with its new School & Dance Studio located at 28 West State Street in Media, continues to introduce new courses for all ages. Three new dance classes will start in September.

Dorothy Brown, who currently teaches Tap and Ballet for youth with the theatre, will instruct two new classes: Adult Ballet, and Creative Dance for Children Ages 4 to 6.

The new Adult Ballet Class will meet on Wednesdays beginning September 23 at 7pm. For an hour each week, adults will meet who wish to refresh their skills or introduce themselves to the art of ballet. This class will emphasize fun, pressure-free learning while improving flexibility, increasing strength and stamina, and reducing stress. Proper placement and correct technique is emphasized while participating in the joy of movement.

Creative Dance For Ages 4 to 6 will begin Saturday September 19 at the Studio. The hour long class at 10am each week will introduce very young children to the art of dance as it explores movement, rhythm, and creative expression. Locomotor skills and coordination are developed in a fun learning environment using music, props, and stories.

Dorothy Brown will also host a School and Dance Studio Open House during Media's upcoming Super Sunday on September 13. The doors to the Studio located at 28 West State Street will be open from 10am to 2pm.

The third new class, Contemporary Indian Dance, is taught by Dr. Lya Patnaik, who has two decades of experience performing on stage, as well as conducting lecture demonstrations and workshops in multiple countries. She has been featured extensively on Indian and Japanese television and has also taught Indian dance at the University of Lund, Sweden. She has performed at Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania and several other schools in the US. She has also trained in choreography with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company of New York. Dr Patnaik has also authored a handbook on Indian dance and had been conferred the prestigious national 'Singarmani' award for her contribution to Indian classical dance.

Contemporary Indian Dance, for ages 13 to adults, will meet on Sundays for an hour each week at 4:30 beginning September 20. Students will learn elements of Contemporary Indian dance that is a fusion of Bollywood style dancing with the classical, folk, and modern dance style. Bollywood dancing was made popular by films like Slumdog Millionaire and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and is often performed in Indian weddings and celebrations. Students will be enchanted by the lyrical grace as well as the exuberance of this modern interpretation of a classical dance form. Over the eight weekend classes, they'll learn an exciting new language of expression that is rooted in the universal human experience. The grand finale will be an exhilarating group dance performance that will surely be a memorable experience for all.

To register for these or any of The Media Theatre's dance classes, participants must purchase a Dance Card. Classes are $12 each per session and must be purchased in groups of 10. One Dance Card equals $120 and may be used for any of the three new classes starting in September, or the current Tap and Ballet Classes for youth which continue through the season.

Each time the card is used it's marked by the instructor. Dance Card holders may use the card at any time during the week for any class. After the Card is filled, simply purchase another one and continue to attend classes at your convenience.

For more information call 610-891-0100 or visit mediatheatre.org.

Pictured: Lya Patnaik, who will instruct the new Contemporary Indian Dance Class at The Media Theatre's new Studio.