Arlington Community Education

Discover your inner rockstar and have a blast with BollyX. This dance-fitness program draws inspiration from the music and dance of Bollywood, the film industry of India, and is all about infectious energy, expression and movement. Get moving, sweating, and motivated with a combination of dynamic choreography and the hottest music from around the world. Open to all fitness levels, no experience necessary.

One great thing about yoga is that it can be adapted to suit anyone’s needs. Chair yoga is especially beneficial for beginners, senior citizens, people with injuries, or those looking to learn how to apply yoga techniques at the office. As we practice chair yoga, our bodies relax and our minds quiet. During our time together, we will increase our self-awareness and revitalize our lives. Yoga has been proven to improve strength and flexibility as well as reduce stress and manage pain. The chair yoga postures taught in this class can be integrated throughout the day. Please note: Have a comfortable moveable chair and a belt or strap ready for each class.

What’s more fun than country-western line dance? You don’t even need a partner. Young and old, men and women, athletes and couch potatoes—anyone can have a great time. Just bring your two left feet, because in line dancing there are no mistakes! Beginner If you’ve never line danced before or have only done a few classes, this is the place for you. We’ll start from the very beginning, with simple dances that teach you the basic building blocks of line dancing. Lots of practice, and we’ll teach each dance. No experience needed. You’ll get low-impact exercise as we dance to (mostly) country western music. Intermediate If you’ve been dancing for a while and are ready for a new challenge, this is the class for you. These dances are longer, faster, have more turns, or use challenging moves. Expect it to take more than one week to learn each dance, so we will learn fewer dances than the beginner class, but we’ll still have a great time. Remember, challenging your brain fends off dementia!

Essentrics is a full-body workout that rapidly changes the shape of your body through a dynamic combination of strengthening and stretching. The technique develops lean, strong, and flexible muscles with immediate changes to your posture. Ideal for physically active men and women, this program rebalances the body, prevents and treats injuries, and unlocks tight joints. The Essentrics workout draws on the flowing movements of tai chi and ballet to create a balanced, flexible, and pain-free body. This course moves at a faster tempo than Gentle Stretching (see above). Please note: Please have a yoga mat, chair, towel, and water on hand for class.

Imagine burning up to 1,000 calories per hour as you shake, shimmy, slide and sweat your way through great music that gets your heart pumping and your body moving. Join this energizing and calorie-burning workout session moving to salsa, merengue, swing and more. You’ll get a total workout through cardio, muscle conditioning, balance and flexibility and you won’t even realize what a great workout you’re getting because you’ll be having so much FUN! Dances are easy to learn, fun to follow and gentle on your joints. Open to all fitness levels, no experience necessary.

Regular practice of hatha yoga brings calm, focus, increased flexibility, and strength to your life. This moderately-paced yoga class encourages students to move with meditative awareness and attention to alignment and breathing. Class may include active and physically challenging poses as well as more passive, longer holds. You are continually encouraged to explore your inner flow and turn within for guidance–on and off the mat. Suitable for beginners as well as more experienced students. Please note: Have a yoga mat, a yoga strap or belt, and two blocks (if you have them) on hand for class.

Morning yoga classes ease you into your day with poses that connect the mind, body, and spirit. Particular attention is given to helping each student understand and work with their body to achieve proper alignment. Regular practice of yoga brings calm, focus, increased flexibility and strength to your life. Please note: Have a yoga mat, yoga blocks (if you have them), a yoga strap, and blanket and/or towel on hand for class.

Explore the dynamic art of modern dance in this fun and gentle online class. Originally developed as a rebellion against classical ballet, the practice of modern dance has grown and evolved over the years. This introductory class will start with an investigation of proper alignment, stretches, and warm-up exercises through release techniques. Using approaches inspired by two great artists who helped shape the world of modern dance, Merce Cunningham and José Limón, we will explore how to articulate the spine and gain spatial awareness and rhythmic accuracy with nuanced movements. Utilizing breathing exercises and a sense of grounding, we’ll release joints and activate muscles, applying techniques into short phrases that are planned to work in whatever size space you have available in your home. All levels of experience welcome.

You may know parkour for its high-flying flips and big jumps, but its basic principles can also be used to help active older adults become physically stronger and more mentally confident. In this transformative course for ages 50+, improve your balance and agility with low-impact moves under the guidance of trained and supportive coaches. Learn how to avoid falls, or how best to fall if it happens; how to turn obstacles into opportunities; and how to incorporate functional fitness into your everyday movements. Open to those of all abilities and fitness levels—from beginners just off the couch to seasoned athletes. Taught in a safe and positive environment, moves will be modified for all levels and abilities. Please note: These classes are held entirely outdoors on the grounds of Ottoson Middle School; there is no access to the school building or restrooms. Notifications of weather cancellations will be emailed the evening before and made up at the end of term.

With roots in traditional Chinese medicine, qigong’s goal is to cultivate and balance our life energy, or “qi.” Qigong practice typically involves meditative, slow-flowing movement coordinated with deep rhythmic breathing to produce a calm state of mind. Part of traditional Chinese medicine, the practice is similar to tai chi, but simpler, and benefits can include improved immunity, better balance, and lower blood pressure. We will work with the Seven Precious Gestures and the Eight Brocades, as well as some basic walking and breathing practices. Flex and stretch gently and learn simple routines you can practice at home. Please note: The evening course (with Sue Wood) dates are different from the printed catalog. Correct dates 6 Thursdays, 5/6-6/10 6:30-7:30 pm.

Release stress and loosen tense muscles with a deeply relaxing yoga session. Restorative yoga focuses on resting in supported poses that help us listen to the subtle cues from our bodies. There are many benefits to restorative yoga, including a decrease in stress hormones, a strengthened immune system, and improved quality of sleep. This practice will help unwind tension in your body so you can approach life's challenges from a place of clarity and calmness. Please note: Have a yoga mat, belt, two blankets that can easily be folded, as well as a yoga block or pillow on hand for class. All levels welcome.

Travel back in time and learn some dance steps with roots in African-American communities starting as early as the 1800s. Solo vernacular jazz dance is all about rhythm, individuality, and self-expression. Come dance to jazz and swing music while focusing on syncopated steps and learning to call and respond to the music. Develop a fresh bounce in your step as we learn classic steps like the Charleston, the Shorty George, Fall-off-the-log, Apple Jacks, Tacky Annie, and more. Remember, “Tain’t what you do, it’s the WAY that you do it.” No experience required. Wear comfy shoes! Photo: Dancers at The Savoy, Harlem, c.1950, courtesy of the New York Times

As we age, our bones and joints begin to deteriorate with wear and tear, often resulting in arthritis or osteoporosis. Yoga presents positive side effects for these conditions, including improved posture, balance, and gait. This series includes a short lecture at the beginning of each class where we’ll explore holistic and ayurvedic nutritional tips and practices for supporting bone and joint function, with simple methods of tracking improvement and dietary adjustments. Then we will practice about an hour of yoga designed to not only help enhance circulation, coordination, range of motion, and strength, but also reduce pain, improve function, and bring about a more positive mental state. Handouts will be provided at each class.

This series of classes will illuminate the chakras, the endocrine system, and the many ways yoga can balance and enhance them. Through both lecture and practice, we will explore how various asanas can fine-tune each organ in the endocrine network to better play its part in an ongoing hormonal symphony, whose optimal function is essential to good health. We will also discuss what stress and high/low cortisol levels can do to your other hormones; learn to recognize how suboptimal endocrine function shows up in our bodies; and examine the effects of lifestyle, sleep, and nutrition. Learn how you can empower yourself, using the wisdom of yoga practice to bring your inner symphony into harmony and balance. This series includes a short lecture at the beginning of each class with holistic and ayurvedic nutritional tips followed by one hour of yoga instruction. Handouts will be provided at each class.