Things to Do in Ann Arbor

Senior Master Dean L. Wainwright—a 6th Dan master in both tae kwon do and hap ki do—builds his team of instructors not only from other decorated masters, but also those students whose exceptional dedication and skill might help their peers learn the martial arts. Assistant instructor Ian Bejster, for instance, uses his massive talent and youthful stature to help educate Mini and Little Ninjas as young as 3 years old. Together, this team reaches out to students of all ages, engaging them in learning the swift, graceful kicks of tae kwon do or the soft, circular redirections of hap ki do, the only known method for fighting a revolving door.

Yoga studios and malls are polar opposites—one a quiet, meditative space, the other a sprawl of commotion and stimuli. But inside the Plymouth Road Mall, Ita Yoga Studio manages to block out the distractions of the surrounding shopping center with a spacious studio suited for all levels of practice. There, instructor Ita Reyes, RYT, guides students through breathing exercises and flowing sequences with held postures in slow flow sessions or more intense Vinyasa classes set to upbeat music. Students can also sync breath and movement over sustained periods during private yoga lessons in her 80- to 88-degree studio, whose warm temperature detoxifies guests while increasing their circulation and flexibility.

Once upon a time, the grounds surrounding the Mill Lake Outdoor Recreation Center was filled with the gleeful laughter of children, but today only screams can be heard cutting through the darkness. First opened in the 1930s, the camp's cabins have sunk into disrepair since their closure in the ‘90s, but that doesn't mean they've remained empty. The festering site now serves as home to a whole host of ghouls, foul creatures, and lingering campers still struggling to master the square knot.

If they make it through the sinister paths, guests can calm their chattering teeth while warming up by a bonfire or embrace a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing a portion of the haunt's profits goes toward restoring the historic Mill Lake Cabins.

Working at the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1994 World Cup are a few of the sporting events on camp director Shelly Watkins's resumé, which she draws on to run a summer camp for kids of all ages. A mother herself, she believes in giving each child individual attention, recognition, and respect, rewarding campers with high-fives and compliments for jobs well done. Together with assistant camp director Cortney Spiegel, she runs fun-packed day camps focused on arts, sports, field trips, and specialty programs. Professional counselors work with pintsize Pacinos in the Lights, Camera, Action class to make short films; kick off Nerf-themed sports events in the Nerf Extravaganza class; or venture out to bowling, movies, rollerblading, and laser tag during the Mega Adventure Field Trip. Shelly and her friendly crew also lead precamp and aftercamp activities for early-morning and evening supervision, and junior camp for campers aged 4¬–7 or 10-year-olds having their pre-preteen life crisis.

The sounds of tapping heels and swiveling soles ricochets off The Dance Pavilion's lush red draperies and twinkling chandeliers as social dancers, aspiring ballroom instructors, and professional dancers alike show off moves from more than 18 styles. With help from a team of 10 teachers, founder Ron Brown, whose dance career spans more than four decades, leads private and group lessons in the hustle, waltz, and cha-cha, prepping feet for weekly parties on the 2,800-square-foot hardwood dance floor.

An array of specialty sessions, such as wedding-dance classes, and workshops with visiting teachers, rounds out the studio's vast curriculum. Brown and his instructors also helm the Teachers Ballroom Dance College, which transforms dabblers into expert instructors through a ballroom-dance training-program syllabus developed by renowned dancer Diane Jarmolow. An onsite store stocks men's and women's shoes, beaded clutches, Gene Kelly masks, and other dance essentials.

Passionate staff members stroll through bell-shaped fairy doors at The Bead Gallery’s Ann Arbor location, which has housed a voluminous spread of crafting accessories in an idyllic Victorian abode for more than 20 years. Both here and at the store's Howell locale, sprawling aisles house an epic selection of Czech pressed glass beads, Swarovski crystals, and semiprecious gemstones, which customers can buy loose, by the strand, or in repurposed Skittles bags. Crafters can also sign up for classes that cycle through beadwork, metal and stone techniques, and methods for manipulating wire and glass. Along with their expert instruction, The Bead Gallery’s crackerjack staff can also flex their restringing skills to repair beaten-up baubles.