Things To Do In Chester

Encore Studio's owner and art director, Karen King Flores, is a professional dance instructor certified through Dance Masters of America and a former apprentice of Robert Joffrey, founder of the Joffrey Ballet. Her graceful performances appeared in such esteemed companies as the Houston Ballet and the Richmond Ballet before she opened her studio's doors in the early 1990s. With 25 years of experience teaching dance under her belt, Karen and her talented staff of teachers—who hail from international dance companies, Vegas shows, and the Kirov in Russia—ground each dance class in fundamental skills and proper technique as they teach students to perform original, age-appropriate choreography. Their well-rounded curriculum includes instruction in jazz, ballet, tap, and hip-hop, a collection of techniques that falls in line with the instructors' priority of letting each participant have fun as they learn. Encore Studio's welcoming, noncompetitive environment allows talent to blossom without fear of judgment from an ambitious old tap shoe.

On January 25 and 26 at the Meadow Event Park, the Virginia Home & Garden Show treats homeowners to countless home-improvement tips, remodeling ideas, and projects for all parts of the household and yard. Expos from more than 140 different companies demonstrate ideas for saving money with solar panels and energy-efficient windows, renovating kitchens with marble and granite countertops, or turning backyards into playgrounds with swimming pools and new decks.

Created specifically for women, Curves offers a complete fitness and nutrition solution. The Curves 30 minute workout is fun and fast, yet it exercises every major muscle group and burns up to 500 calories through a proven program of strength training, cardio and stretching. Also, many women forge lasting new friendships!

Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the founding of Henricus, the second successful English settlement in North America, Henricus Historical Park whisks timesplorers through history with historical period-dressed interpreters and special commemorative events. Amid the smell of black powder, the sound of tamping cornmeal, and the tremor-causing footfalls of giant badgers, guests witness life as it would have been for the original 300 settlers. History buffs can visit any of a dozen recreated colonial structures and join the militia, sow seeds, help with blacksmithing, or just sit back and watch period-dressed historical interpreters reenact battles and traditional fantasy baseball drafts. In the recreated Virginian Indian Arrohateck village adventurers can help make a canoe by scraping charred wood from a fallen trunk or climb inside a Virginian Indian long house filled with artifacts.

As its name implies, the course at River's Bend Golf Club nestles into a curve of the James River, whose waters rush alongside three of the fairways. Its design sprang from the mind of accomplished course architect Steve Smyers, who drew inspiration from the legendary architects of the 1920s and 1930s and their penchant for Herbert Hoover–shaped sand traps. For River’s Bend, Smyers incorporated naturally sloped terrain and woodlands to create fairways that challenge both novices and experts. Players pass rustic wooden bridges and white fences as they play, eventually facing off with a substantial pond tucked among the three final holes of the front nine.

Before teeing off at the first hole, players can warm up their swing at the driving range or take advantage of dedicated chipping and putting practice areas. For more guided practice, clubbers can sign up for lessons with golf pro Brandon Kelley, who covers everything from fundamentals to preshot mental routines, such as visualizing the golf ball as a miniature moon that needs to be returned to orbit.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-71 course
• Length of 6,671 yards
• Course rating of 71.9
• Slope rating of 132
• Four tee options

Extreme Laser Tag sets the stage for space-age combat with its labyrinth of smoky corridors, ramps, and neon-lit walls. Equipped with Nexus Generation laser-tag technology, the arena can host up to 60 vested combatants as they split into teams and vie for points by scoring chest shots on their opponents.

Large plasma monitors outside the arena display the hectic battles in real time, with beam-by-beam battle stats showing who is the scoring leader and who has been melted into plasmic goo. The facility frequently accommodates birthday parties, large corporate gatherings, and fundraiser groups; everyday customers and private partiers often join in battlefield alliances, exacting laser-powered revenge on bosses and double-crossing imaginary friends.