Education & Classes in East Hanover

Donna Infantolino has been baking since she was tall enough to reach the kitchen table, crafting recipes from scratch in her aunt and grandmother’s kitchens. At her combination café and bakery, she and business partner Beth Butler begin every recipe with organic, sustainable ingredients, such as Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla and Scharffen Berger chocolate, whenever possible. The dessert dream team crafts wedding cakes, traditional and filled cupcakes, and one-of-a-kind sculpted cakes in original shapes such as convincing guitars or sassy pumps. They also accommodate customers with dietary restrictions through vegan and gluten-free options.

All in the Icing's staffers expand recreational baking abilities during small-group BYOB classes, which include all of the high-quality ingredients and equipment necessary to create sweet or savory recipes. At the end of sessions, participants head home with their tasty works to share with family or break into tiny pieces to add to crumb collections.

For decades, American Bartenders School has helped aspiring spirit spreaders to develop steady hands, sure eyes for measurement, and an encyclopedic drink-formula knowledge. All of the school's classes cover basic mixing, garnishing, layering, and glassware selection in a realistic bar setting, complete with animatronic bar regulars debating whether Woody Allen is currently the president of Azerbaijan. Students gain access to a book of recipes for shooters, including cosmos, lemon drops, and jelly beans; learn how to make frozen specialties and hot toddies; and discover how to cure hangovers and hiccups. For the 12-hour bartending-certification course, graduation sessions are held where the instructors offer helpful tips on how to get hired as a bartender, before returning home with a mixology certificate, professional resumé, and the ability to set up and stock their own home bars, all of which make a classy addition to living rooms, lounges, and butler traps.

Corks pop and spirits flow at Eastcoast School of Bartending, where students learn the tricks of the trade in a realistic environment. When not busy in the classroom, students man an actual a 35-foot U-shaped bar stocked with more than 250 bottles, bar utensils, and more than 200 glasses of varying types ready to aid on the journey to bartending mastery. Eastcoast’s instructors cover all areas of the craft, including drink recipes, customer service, alcohol awareness, and how to memorize every regular’s favorite cartoon character. After completing the course, students receive a graduation license approved by the New Jersey Department of Education and recognized in all 50 states. Eastcoast also offers graduates free job-placement services and refresher training for life.

In hands-on workshops and classes, skilled seamstresses teach students both the fundamentals of sewing and the art of turning yarn and fabric into fashion. Kid-friendly classes include six-week workshops, during which pint-size clothiers roll up their sleeves and learn to handle sewing machines, read patterns, and troubleshoot wardrobe malfunctions. During the Beginner Sewing/Pattern-Making class, teachers assign increasingly difficult projects, from stitching pajama bottoms to tailoring a snow hat, which students take home to augment their wardrobes. In the Fashion Illustration class, style-minded teachers unpack a thorough introduction to the industry, from a history of fashion to tips on building a portfolio to learning how to construct final designs while walking in platform stilettos. Recently added adult classes tailor lessons to novices in a six-week semester of evening sessions.

Supplying all materials, Art By The Glazz's artist-led painting sessions kindle brush-wielding talents during three-hour classes held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. New artists capture shapes and shadows inspired by a number of pastoral- or wine-themed templates, with step-by-step instruction from pigment professionals. One complimentary glass of wine emboldens the pigment-shy, and those with a thirst for more can visit an onsite cash bar. Aprons protect against stray paint, wine drops, and the tears of fruit trapped in a beautiful but airless eternal present, although Art By The Glazz recommends wearing old clothes. Finished masterpieces chaperone each artist home, ready to be mounted on a wall or hung from the dining-room chandelier.

During Cookies and Milk sessions, kids or teens settle down with a complimentary dessert amid canvases ripe for realizing 2-D tableaux. During each session, one featured painting of a subject, such as the beach, Green Eggs and Ham, or Mickey Mouse, is perched mid-studio to kindle students’ imaginary fires. The company also hosts corporate team-building events, small groups, and birthday parties, giving guests an enjoyable ice-breaking activity.

Students arrive at Ballroom Dance of NJ seeking to learn the elegant art of social dancing, a tradition carried on by Russia natives Sergei and Olga Bezrodnov. The husband-and-wife team has taken home numerous Russian and U.S. championship titles, and the two are committed to sharing their passion for dance with the community.

Having experienced how ballroom dancing can promote both physical and mental well-being, the Bezrodnovs teach adults, children, and entire families how to gracefully navigate the dance floor. They coordinate events where couples can demonstrate their skills in styles such as the foxtrot, waltz, tango, cha-cha, and swing, preparing soon-to-be-wedded couples for their big day and singles to pass the time in malfunctioning elevators.