Arlington Community Education

Want to fight the winter blues by running in the fresh air, but not sure how to keep safe and warm? Come discover and practice how to safely and comfortably run through the elements (other than blizzards or thunderstorms!) with Coach Gaggi DeStefanis. Learn tricks to keeping warm and staying motivated all winter long. This class meets once a week but you’ll have a training program to follow throughout the week that will keep you strong and on track. Meeting location will be sent prior to the first class. All fitness levels are welcome.

The 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 on hand for class.

From tiny honky-tonks to festivals and arena concerts, country fans love to Two-Step. This class will teach newcomers the basics, such as underarm turn, side by side, and promenade, while offering more experienced dancers new moves and techniques to expand their repertoire. We’ll also include some couple dances such as El Paso and Shadow. You will have to sign up with a dance partner; because of COVID, we will not be changing partners during the 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. 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 lengthens and strengthens every muscle in the body through a dynamic combination of movements. This completely original workout draws on the flowing movements of tai chi and ballet to create a balanced, flexible, and pain-free body. Essentrics rebalances the body, prevents and treats injuries, unlocks tight joints, and develops lean, strong, and flexible muscles with immediate changes to your posture. Please note: Have a yoga mat, towel, and water on hand for each class. Gentle Stretching is those looking for a gentle, slow-tempo class that will help produce greater joint mobility. The first 5 classes will be led by Severina Gates and the last 5 by Diane Najarian. Stretch & Tone moves at a moderate tempo. Cues will be given to help you adjust your workout to be more gentle or more challenging, depending on your personal fitness level and goals. Full-Body moves at a faster tempo and is ideal for the physically active.Instructors Lewis & Stevenson will teach alternate weeks.

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.

Come release tensions from your day, stretch your body, and strengthen your core. You will be guided through a series of yoga poses, breathing practices, and soothing affirmations to relax the body, quiet the mind, and nurture your heart. Postures are taught in a way that accommodates each person’s individual needs. Please note: Have a yoga mat, block/pillow, and belt on hand for class.

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.

Many people feel nostalgia for hula hoops, reminding us of a childlike playfulness. In this class, you can return to that feeling you once had on the playground and get a workout at the same time. We will start with a foundation of hoop moves that focus on core muscles and also off-body hoop tricks that will improve balance and boost your cardio. Whether you are a complete newbie or an aspiring circus performer, you will find yourself at home inside your hoop. All you have to bring is your enthusiasm—we’ll provide hoops of varying sizes.

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.

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.

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.

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. All levels welcome. Please note: Have a yoga mat, belt, two blankets that can easily be folded, as well as a pillow and yoga blocks (if you have them) on hand for class.

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, as Ella Fitzgerald sang, “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

This Intermediate course is for those with experience with the Hwa Yu short form. The ultimate in no-impact aerobics, tai chi naturally relaxes the body, promoting calm and peace of mind while improving posture, balance, and flexibility. The practice increases blood flow throughout the entire body, keeps joints flexible, and restores elasticity to muscles. It is a form of exercise that actually becomes better for you as you age. Continue to improve your skills such as stance, step patterns, basic blocking, and whole-body movement.

Tai chi is both a cultural experience and an excellent way to exercise and improve balance and coordination. Classes are taught by a 6th-generation tai chi master and native of China. All classes will focus on accuracy, consistency, and fluency to further strengthen your body’s balance. Appropriate for all fitness levels. All Levels This introduction covers the first 16 postures of the 88 postures in the traditional Yang Style Tai Chi Long Form. Learn steps, hand movements, balance, and form. The instructor provides individual attention and a strong sense of the history and context in Chinese culture for these movements. Level 2 For students who have experience with the first part of the Yang Style tai chi and who are ready to move on to postures 17 to 50. Level 3 We continue with postures 51 to 88 of Yang Style tai chi. Level 3 We continue with postures 51 to 88 of Yang Style tai chi.

This is a gentle, mixed level yoga class that welcomes those just beginning or coming back to yoga, but experienced yogis will also enjoy the attention given to proper alignment and will benefit from the poses. People of every fitness level, physical challenge, or shape will find their mind, body, and spirit invigorated in this welcoming class. In addition to standing poses and mat exercises, each class includes modified yoga poses using a chair but it is NOT a chair class. The instructor individualizes postures to suit all students. Please note: Wear comfortable clothing, have a yoga mat, a strap or belt, blankets, pillows, and yoga blocks (if you have them) on hand for class.