Things to Do in Holt

Professional dancer Tiffany Russell's early career saw her gliding across some of the world's most prestigious stages, winning applause with her nimble footwork in productions of My Fair Lady, Guys and Dolls, and The Wizard of Oz. When Tiffany and her family settled in Lansing, she had trouble finding a dance studio with the scheduling flexibility she needed as a parent and the challenge she craved as an artist who trained with the Russian Ballet Academy and the Broadway Dance Center.

She subsequently founded Spartan Dance Center in 2010, where adults with hectic work schedules can shimmy in anytime for drop-in ballroom classes, and kids can find plenty of opportunity to study pirouettes and greco-roman swan wrestling in after-school ballet classes. The center's esteemed chorus line of dance teachers is well-versed in a multitude of performance styles, enabling wide-ranging instruction in dance varieties that include hip-hop, contemporary, and lyrical.

Lansing Metro Marinas's Giselle and Ken Settimo had a vision for a new way to see Lansing—from the waterways. The couple purchased a 28-foot pontoon boat, staffed it with a captain and deck hand, and set about their mission to show Michiganders the beauty of their city. Today, the boat cruises down the Grand River from Old Town to Moore's River Park, Red Cedar to Potter Park Zoo, offering stunning views of downtown Lansing. Charters, evening cruises, and private events float down the waterway, enjoying access to seating, party lighting, and a fridge to re-energize glow-stick swords.

For more than 30 years, ZZ Underwater World has initiated swimmers into the world of scuba diving. Their year-round classes have taught people to safely plumb the depths of the Earth's largest seas, and their instructors are both SSI- and PADI–certified, rendering them able to certify their students and lead them on any level of dive from snorkeling to deep scuba. ZZ Underwater World's onsite shop sells snorkels and flippers among other gear from a wide range of brands, useful for people who thought Waterworld was a prophecy and are stocking up. The staff also hosts scuba vacations, taking troupes of divers to explore the wrecks of the Great Lakes or world-class destinations such as Belize or Fiji.

Ever since he began playing with the family Kodak as a toddler, Mark Chamberlin’s passion for photography has been insatiable. He opened his first studio in 1977, and soon earned numerous awards for his portrait, wedding, and scenic photography. By 1995, he felt ready to move on from the studio business and switched his career focus to adult education. As the director and primary instructor of SmarterPics, which he founded in 2008, Mark teaches all level of student the ins and outs of digital photography.

In classes and private tutoring sessions, Mark instructs students through a combination of verbal instruction and hands-on practice. His classes range in subject, from introductory DSLR-camera courses to flash photography and controlling bright sun, where students learn more productive ways to work with light than attempting to harvest it from within. Subjects in his tutoring sessions also run the gamut from camera basics to digital editing tips, depending on the specific needs of his clients.

Woldumar Nature Center greets visitors with a coterie of trees, flowers, and grasses that populate 178 acres of diverse environs representing the region's larger ecosystem. Visitors explore the center's trails spanning 5 miles of lush scenery, which treats them to a prairie of wildflowers waving their vivid heads in the breeze, the Grand River flowing throughout 1.25 miles, and a hardwood forest that casts cool shade in the shadows of beech and maple trees. Deer peacefully forage in the apple orchard, and a butterfly garden hosts a feast for the gentle winged insects. The herb garden showcases common household herbs such as rosemary alongside oft-forgotten useful plants such as calendula, which pinky swears it goes well in potato soup. The nature center's knowledgeable staff lead educational programs year-round that fill brains with experiences in geocaching, exploring the Grand River, and watching live owl presentations.