Education & Classes in Kitchener

Cofounded by dancing legend Fred Astaire to train new generations of rug cutters with his signature easy grace, Fred Astaire Dance Studio uses a unique curriculum to create comfort on the dance floor. Instructors start with steps and rhythms common to most social dances, steadily building toward more specialized combinations of moves for a variety of rhythm-dance styles such as cha-cha and samba and smooth-dance styles such as the foxtrot and waltz. Once they've learned to follow, lead, or just pare down unnecessary finger snaps, students can take to the purple-walled dance floor to practice their steps and try on new partners at social parties.

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.

The instructors at Waterloo Dance don't believe in age restrictions—after sorting students into groups of their peers, they steer 5- and 90-year-olds alike through ballroom and Latin steps. Whether they are prepping performers for a competition or schooling first-timers on basic spins, they cater their lessons to each visitor's goals. Top 40 hits boom throughout the classes geared toward teens, where pupils learn lifts, dips, and how to send texts to their partner in mid-twirl. Meanwhile, children's classes emphasize the confidence-boosting elements of dance while honing motor skills. The studio hopes to foster new social connections between its guests, assuring solo dancers that they need not bring a partner to practice styles such as the waltz, tango, jive, and cha-cha.

Jackie Harris, mother of two, uses the knowledge she gleaned while studying art at Kenton College to kindle a passion for art in every child she teaches. She believes art can not only unleash a child's imagination, but also improve their self-esteem. In her family-oriented Kids Creation Art Studio, Harris and her experienced team engage pint-sized artists with paint-your-own pottery, daylong or week-long summer camps, 12-week art classes, and blank canvasses coated in sugar. Troupes of youngsters can also visit the studio for art-filled birthday parties that include two hours of studio time, facepainting, and sweet treats.

Founded with the goal of introducing pupils of all ages to the visual arts, Bronte Art Academy coaxes forth the inner Renoirs within all those who enter the studio during a host of hands-on lessons and camps. Under the capable direction of Paul Ross Sandilands, a local portrait artist who has taught at the Ontario College of Art & Design and served as a painting companion to Canadian artist Harold Town, budding masters explore their potential with a variety of artistic media, from watercolour to graphite. Paul also shares his knowledge, techniques, and passion for creative expression during in-studio sessions, where students can create their own take-home masterpieces portraying family, the ocean at sunset, or Roger Clemens as a 19th-century robber baron.

Ontario College of Health & Technology educates its students to herald a healthier and safer tomorrow. Through programs that focus on disciplines as diverse as massage therapy and private investigation, the private career college readies pupils for long-term success in their chosen field. Yet the school expands its scope beyond career tracks, offering the casual learner an arsenal of new skills. The culinary department, for example, takes two forms: by day, Red Seal–certified cooking instructors train full-time students to become chefs in restaurants and hotels, but by night, they oversee proteges' first steps into the kitchen or second steps back into the kitchen after realizing they left their headlights on. In comprehensive workshops, students learn to properly sauté, simmer, and bake dishes so that they can treat their family to a nice meal or throw a fitting party for a foodie friend.