Education & Classes in Hamilton

Delish! Cooking School, whose classes were voted as some of the Best of WNY by Buffalo Spree, is known for its quality instruction and taste. Within a comfortable urban space, customers can pick up sweet selections such as fresh fudge, scones, bar cookies, and hand-dipped chocolate. Fresh-brewed espresso drinks accompanied by baked goods or housemade ice-cream sandwiches tempt tongues, while a range of cooking tools, sauces, and spices line shelves for at-home chefs to use in their own kitchens.

Experienced chefs lead cooking classes geared toward the home cook looking to hone skills without memorizing transcripts of the Food Network’s full broadcast. Students sip wine during classes such as The Exciting Foods of Thailand, Casual Italian Supper Party, or The New Vegetarian Cuisine.

Toronto Social Dance School's instructors teach students with all kinds of dance experience, ranging from beginners who have never set heeled foot to hardwood to seasoned dancers looking to learn a new style. The instructors must complete a rigorous training program before they can teach, so they are well-versed in a variety of dancing styles. They can teach students traditional ballroom and social dance routines and how to have fun doing the merengue, hustle, and waltz.

To ensure that each dancer gets the most out of private or group classes, teachers have friendly consultations with new students to determine their previous dance experience and evaluate their current skill level. This meet and greet helps the staff place students in classes full of dancers of similar abilities before teaching them to swing hips in a salsa class or toe-tap during a swing session. Regardless of what style students choose, all lessons offer a supportive atmosphere that helps build confidence, tone bodies, and forge new friendships.

In addition to dance classes six days a week, Toronto Social Dance School also encourages students to practice their shuffling during weekly socials held every Friday and Saturday night.

Established in 1982 at a 300-square-foot facility, Center Stage Dance Studio has since widened its walls to include 7,500 square feet of dance rooms and classes that build both rhythm and confidence. Owner and professional dancer Annette Osinski,patrols Center Stage's four studios to helpfully spectate as feet prance atop cushion-suspended floors and limbs stretch across ballet barres. Instructors verse students in such boogying schools as tap, Zumba, hip-hop, and acro—a blend of classical maneuvers and acrobatics featured in Cirque du Soleil performances and many pro-wrestling cage matches. The experienced staff keeps ears attuned to the dance world's pulse by attending various conferences and returning with innovative maneuvers. With courses for guests of all ages and beat-keeping abilities, Center Stage favors communal encouragement over competition, pushing students toward individual goals with personal, positive attention to their form. Scheduled recitals for charities, including the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the Children's Hospital Telethon, acquaint dancers with the sensation of being on stage while contributing to worthy causes.

Instinct Windsports gives humans the means to defy gravity and evolution. Everyone from beginners to experienced hang gliders can learn the ways of flight, with instructors making safety their top priority. Ground schools explore the gliders and their underlying principles before a scooter-mounted towing winch and a computerized simulator let beginners ease into flight. Although not included with this Groupon, more experienced students can work through certification courses that give them the techniques necessary to soar on their own.

For a safe, immersive introduction to the world of hang gliding, the center’s certified pilots also offer tandem flights. A high-powered winch or an ultra-light airplane tows the duo to as high as 1,500 feet before releasing the glider to the instructor’s control. During the next 10–30 minutes, adventurers gain a birds-eye view of the surrounding area and the possibility of controlling the glider so they can brag to their land-bound pets after landing.

Dustin Ballinger knows guitars. With a degree in applied music and jazz guitar, extensive experience recording music with local musicians, and 15 years of performing under his proverbial belt, Ballinger approaches the instrument with ease and familiarity. “I have always believed that music lessons of any kind should be fun and friendly as well as challenging,” he says. He backs up his belief by leading his roster of classes with an encouraging and dedicated approach. Lessons unfold in a cozy, homey studio space complete with couches, rustic wooden accents, and windows that look out onto sparrows trained to sing the guitar parts from “Free Bird."