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FAR NORTH DALLAS JULY 2009

COVER STORY: Beat the Summer Blahs

Break up the boredom with curriculum catered to grown-ups

By Rachel Stone

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Americans are expected to spend less on travel this year, which means that a lot of us are staying here in Dallas this summer, or we’re only going as far as San Antonio — maybe.

Sitting by the pool, reading novels, and pretending you can hear the waves crashing are OK ways to get through the onerous swelter of Texas in July, if you’re saving money by sticking close to home. But for a break in the idleness, our neighborhood has plenty of options for self-improvement.

And besides, there’s nothing good on TV.

Cool classes on cooking, fitness and do-it-yourself projects abound. We’ve picked a few that are unique and worth the price.

NIA
Put some joy into your workout

Why it’s worth a try: This low-impact workout is way more fun than swimming laps.

If you go: Dress for an aerobics class.

NIA is one of the latest trends in aerobics, blending dance, martial arts, tai chi and yoga. Hour-long classes from instructor Jule Aguirre, a psychotherapist and artist, draw quite a following. Sharyn Fein, who has been taking NIA classes for three years, lives in North Dallas, but drives to Lakewood for the Wednesday night class.

“We are addicted,” she says. “We follow Jule wherever she goes.”
When it was founded in 1983, NIA stood for “non-impact aerobics”, but it has evolved to mean “neuromuscular integrative action”. That’s a fancy way of saying that it’s good for your mind and body.

Where: MoveStudio, 17062 Preston

When: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:45 a.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m., and Saturdays at 10:20 a.m.

How much: $15

For more information: 214.395.3855 or juleinthelotus.com

Glass bead making
Keep it glassy

Why it’s worth a try: Because you get to play with fire.

If you go: Be prepared for something different.

The basic bead-making course at Kittrell/Riffkind Art Glass gets students used to using a blowtorch. “It goes against everything your mom ever taught you,” company co-founder David Kittrell says.

Students wind rods of colored glass onto a stainless steel rod to form a bead. By the end of the two-day course, they end up with 20 or 30 beads.

“They usually walk away with a new personal hobby, or at least an appreciation for beads that are on the market,” Kittrell says.

Kittrell/Riffkind also offers basic classes in stained glass, tile making and more. Tools and materials are included in tuition costs for the beginner classes.

Where: Kittrell/Riffkind Art Glass, 5100 Beltline Road, Suite 820

When: A beginning bead making class starts Aug. 1, and a seven-week beginner stained glass class starts July 6

How much: Between $95 and $475, depending on the class

For more information: 972.239.7957 or
kittrellriffkind.com

Inner body workout
Mind over muscles

Why it’s worth a try: Serenity now.

If you go: Wear yoga clothes; bring a yoga mat.

This studio near Preston and Forest offers yoga, tai chi and Pilates. But classes like Inner Body Workout put the “mind” in Oasis Mind-Body Conditioning Center. The workout was designed by a medical doctor and focuses on strengthening and being mindful of the core muscles. “People usually think of the abdominals when they think of core muscles, but really you have core muscles throughout your body,” studio owner Alice Ann Dailey says. Inner Body Workout helps some people with motion sickness and migraines, and it flattens the tummy and strengthens the whole body.

Oasis also is one of a few places in town that offers the Alexander Technique, which is popular with vocal performers and musicians because it strengthens head and neck muscles.

Where: Oasis Mind-Body Studio, 11661 Preston Road, Suite 184

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 a.m., and several other times during the week; check oasisbody.com for a full schedule

How much: $17 per class

For more information: 214.692.6613 or
oasisbody.com

Cooking classes
Make your groceries work for you

Why it’s worth a try: Impress your friends with gourmet meals.
If you go: Bring your taste buds.

Going out to eat is fun, but cooking for yourself and your family can save a lot of cash. Central Market offers about 20 classes a month ranging from instruction on basic cooking skills to advanced stuff like making sushi.

Texas barbecue night includes several techniques for fired meats, as well as a recipe for Dr Pepper barbecue sauce. Basic cooking techniques: Poultry teaches you the market varieties of chickens, how to butcher and store them, and several cooking methods. Budget gourmet teaches 12 inexpensive meals in two hours. And Wine on the Grill helps you pair wine with barbecue.

The school’s guest instructors for July include Paula Lambert, founder and owner of the Mozzarella Co. in Deep Ellum, and David Holben, executive chef at Del Frisco’s.

Where: Central Market, 320 Coit just north of the President George Bush Turnpike

When: Various times and days each week

How much: Roughly between $45 and $55

For more information: 469.241.8300 or
centralmarket.com/cooking-school

Capoeira Dallas
Say it with us: “cap-oh-WAY-dah”

Why it’s worth a try: Because the description includes the hyphenated term “Afro-Brazilian”.

If you go: Wear loose-fitting pants. (Real capoeristas wear loose white trousers and practice barefooted.)

Practitioners of this Afro-Brazilian art form look so cool doing it. Capoeira is a mix of martial arts, acrobatics and dance, plus singing and percussion. If you’ve ever seen these artists, who are known as “capoeristas”, then you know that their fitness level is a little intimidating. But Dianna Adams insists that anyone can do it. She and her husband, Chad, run Capoeira Dallas. “The great thing about capoeira is that it can be tailored to anyone’s ability level,” she says, adding that students range in age from 13 to 71. The classes also include instruction on Brazilian culture, Portugese language, singing, and playing percussion instruments.

If you’ve ever wanted to try it, now is the time. Capoeira Dallas is offering four classes for $10 to newcomers.

Where: Oasis Mind-Body Studio, 11661 Preston Road, Suite 184

When: Beginner classes are Mondays at 8:30 p.m., and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.

How much: $99 a month for two classes per week, or $149 a month for unlimited classes

For more information: capdallas.com

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