Education & Classes in Mansfield

During A Piece of Work’s interactive classes, amateur artists receive the supplies they’ll need before relaxing at an easel with a bottle of wine. Background music fills the air and eclectic paintings splash color across the walls in the studio. A local artist demonstrates how to paint a copy of a masterpiece while the class of students follows along, unleashing their creativity and filling canvases with elegant reproductions of works such as impressionist paintings by Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh. Kids' camps introduce young artists to the famous works of their forebears and impart crucial techniques, while paint-your-pet nights help students re-identify with man’s best friend.

Arthur Murray Dance Studios has been a leading name in ballroom dance since 1912, when the entrepreneur began selling mail-order dance lessons. Expanding his reach, he enlisted teachers to spread his signature dance lessons on first-class steamships and skyrocketed to fame in the '30s after introducing the public to such dances as the Lambeth Walk and the Big Apple. By the 1950s, Arthur and his wife, Kathryn, were hosting their own highly popular TV show on ABC, the Arthur Murray Dance Party, which ran for 12 years. Today, Arthur Murray's team prepares students for rug cutting at special events and weekend nightclub jaunts. Clients who arrive to lessons partnerless will be paired up with certified instructors, and the instructors will assess their current skill level and make recommendations on the most appropriate program. Throughout lessons, instructors teach the foundations of two to four dances from a long list of styles that range from Latin to country-western, helping students to learn basic step patterns, timing, and the ability to lead or follow.

As Pablo Picasso once said, " Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” And a little bit of wine never hurt anyone, either. The staff at Colors to Cocktails Sip & Paint Art Studio strives to transform the oft-intimidating act of painting into a wholly accessible outlet for all guests, regardless of whether or not they have previous experience or believable French accents. During group events instructors provide easels, brushes, and canvases, expertly leading guests through step-by-step techniques that yield unique works of art ranging from still lifes of colorful flowers to abstract landscapes.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is just one of the Broadway credits on Jacqueline Porter's resume. A dancer-actress-CEO triple threat, Jacqueline has graced the stage for more than 25 years, performing in New York and on tour. Today, she draws on her extensive experience to teach students at Park Cities Dance, which she founded after relocating to Dallas in 2008. Just as hands instinctively clap during the entirety of Independence Day, feet instinctively glide across the floor during informative classes, which cover styles such as ballroom dance, Zumba, musical theatre, and ballet, among many others. In addition to weekly classes, Park Cities Dance frequently hosts workshops as well as a roster of guest artists whose past experts have included contemporary dancer Drew Jacoby and Broadway superstar Elizabeth Parkinson, who received a 2003 Tony Award nomination.