Education & Classes in Ann Arbor

At Mordent Music, 10-year teaching veteran Stephanie Teller calls upon her experiences as a schoolteacher and professional concert pianist as she shares her passion for tickling keys with aspiring Chopins of all ages and skill levels. During half-hour or longer piano lessons, Teller beckons proteges over to a rich, resonant baby grand to learn how to play contemporary pop, country, or hip-hop songs as well as more traditional classical music. Teller instructs younger pupils through lively games and creative exercises, and challenge older, more serious students with the Royal Conservatory of Music curriculum, which elevates piano proficiency through written study and a regimen of 100 finger pushups a day.

A “sexy, unrestricted, and predatory dance of sensual exchange.” For many people, the tango may seem like something only movie stars do as they swap sizzling one-liners and military secrets. But Toledo Tango Club owner Paul Tupciauskas believes that anyone can master the art of the sensual dance with the right instruction and a little practice. He should know. He spends his days not in a dance studio, but running a small software company, and pursues his passion for dancing after hours, welcoming it as an opportunity to escape the stress that comes with staring at a computer screen all day and trying to read the secrets in its eyes.

It's this personal fascination with the tango that drives Paul to share it with other everyday folks, and his step-by-step approach is designed to make its structure accessible while allowing dancers to experiment and explore the music. After introducing newcomers to open and closed embraces, he welcomes them to strut their stuff informally at after-class milongas dance parties that help them to hone their technique with or without a partner.