Education & Classes in Elmhurst

In the high-tech classroom and professional-grade bartending training area, A List Startenders’ experienced cocktail slingers teach their students the fine art of drinksmanship and watering-hole etiquette. They pilot 40-hour Comprehensive Certification courses and shorter Essential Mixology tutorials, instilling pupils with the necessary knowledge and skills, such as quickly completing drink orders, bolstering cocktails with fresh fruit, and taking sage advice from the teleprompter beneath the bar, to operate in a bar environment. They often begin lessons in the well-equipped classroom—where an interactive Smart board aids in imparting trade lingo and drink recipes—before venturing to the full-bar training ground, replete with glassware, dozens of liquor bottles, and bar equipment, including soda guns, shakers, and garnishes. Upon completion of a course, certified students receive aggressive job-placement assistance to embark on their new career path.

Kumu Hula (“Master Teacher of the Hula”) June Yoshiko sometimes wonders if it was the same streak of courage that led both of her grandfathers to leave Japan and start a new life in Hawaii that inspired her to make a similar journey from Hawaii to Chicago. A hula dancer since she was six, she’s honed her craft over three decades while augmenting it with a master’s in public health nutrition, ordination as a Zen Buddhist priest, and certification as a reiki master teacher.

June teaches two types of hula classes: Hula Kahiko, ancient dances accompanied by chanting that emphasize Hawaiian culture, and Hula Auana, or modern hula, set to contemporary Hawaiian songs and instruments such as ukulele and guitar. Her beginner classes focus on footwork and hip motions, and advanced classes merge both Kahiko and Auana with the study of plants, chants, mythology, and history important to hula. June also offers a Gracious Ladies class for mature women and men that incorporates Auana hula to tone bodies, strengthen core muscles, and boost ACT scores.

Since its founding in 2005, the Southport Performing Arts Conservatory, known as SPACE, has molded master artists with European-style instruction and programs. Their troupe of instructors hone students' two-step skills in dance lessons, and prepare pupils for a stint in an orchestra with their music classes, which include lessons on jazz, Suzuki instruction, and using harmony to get plants to dance.

From hanging out with Patrick Swayze as a dancer for Universal Studio's 10th anniversary of Dirty Dancing, and dancing in a VH1 special for the 20-year anniversary of Grease to winning the United Country Western Dance Council World Championship's Jack & Jill competition three times—Brian Wong has accomplished a lot in his 20-year career. Throughout these experiences, though, it's his ability to turn dancing novices into confident dancers that has given him the most pride. In service of this passion, Brian founded Chicago Dance Factory, where he and a team of instructors lead dance classes at spacious locations scattered throughout the greater Chicagoland area. Brian's teaching philosophy emphasizes syncing students' bodies with the so-called "heartbeat" of the music before they attempt any patterns or steps. Using this unique rhythm-based philosophy, Chicago Dance Factory's instructors teach students various dancing styles—ranging from pop-infused West Coast swing to elegant ballroom—that can be unleashed during a night out, at weddings, or in dance-infused gang fights.

Jasmin Jahal has an enduring memory of being 8 years old, practicing her pointe moves in a private ballet lesson, and realizing that a large group was peeking through the door to watch her dance. Her stomach fluttered with the thrill of performance—a sensation that persists to this day whenever she takes the stage. Ever since she discovered Egyptian dance at age 18, she’s studied it as an art, becoming one of only a handful of dancers to be dubbed Best Modern Egyptian Dancer by the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance.

Her school encourages students to explore belly dance’s hypnotizing hip drops and shimmies in a comfortable, fun environment. Beginners wrapped in hip scarves learn to create alluring motions or imitate a sultry flagpole with veils while finger cymbals create their own splashes of rhythm. Regularly scheduled classes escalate to advanced levels that impart expert choreography and Arabic rhythms. Jasmin also offers Belly Aerobics classes focused on stretching and toning muscles with lightweight dumbbells and aerobic moves.