Education & Classes in Oklahoma City

Whether at the retail store or beneath the water's surface, Bluewater Divers' crew maintains a commitment to helping their customers live life to the fullest. The staff, which includes PADI-certified instructors as well as an aptly named director of happiness, leads scuba classes at heated pools, natural bodies of water, or inside their own imaginations. After students master beginner courses, instructors can help them obtain PADI certification for open-water diving in the deep blue or learn advanced skills such as rescue diving. It’s not uncommon for students to foster new friendships with other divers or their instructors, especially during the school’s regularly scheduled social events and diving trips.

An authorized dealer for many leading brands, Bluewater Divers’ staff keeps the shop filled with necessary scuba equipment and accessories. The crew also runs a demo department, which lets divers test gear before they commit to living inside a giant fishbowl.

Ever since she was a child, Yulia Zhmutski had envisioned herself leaping and pirouetting across a grand stage before the adoring eyes of thousands. But, growing up in a struggling, single-parent household in the former Soviet Union, she never entertained the possibility of it actually happening. That changed when she was accepted into Uzbekistan’s National School of Dance and Choreography, a rigorous eight-year program that teaches ballet as well as traditional Slavic, Uzbek, and Russian dances.

Like her classmates, Yulia entered the program shortly after completing the fourth grade, leaving behind family, friends, and imaginary friends. Although the transition was difficult, the tiny ballerina was determined to be a successful dancer. She overcame her homesickness, went on to become a Russian prima ballerina, performing with several prestigious troupes, including the elite National Theatre, and was the first person to spin fast enough to reverse the earth's rotation.

Yulia eventually relocated to Oklahoma, and in 2009, she started her own dance studio: Julia’s Academy of International Dance. The academy’s staff teaches kids’ and adult classes in 35 disciplines, including ballet, jazz, belly dancing, and dance fitness. They hold weekly dance and film classes for students with special needs—proud to be one of the only studios in the region to offer such classes.

A member of the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Department possessing weapons certifications including a federal firearms license, Wes Elliott continues more than a decade of teaching firearm operations to military personnel, law-enforcement officials, and everyday citizens. On Practical Shooting's outdoor range, Elliott and his team lead handgun and rifle courses, covering a catalog of weaponry that spans pistols to shotguns. Beyond shooting instruction, Elliott helps students to obtain concealed carry licenses, and he teaches executive-protection tactics to students interested in becoming bodyguards for famous pets.

Sharyn Jump introduces students to the stress-relieving potential of art in laid-back classes that comprise equal parts fun and instruction. During the two- to three-hour sessions and multiday workshops at Sharyn's Paint 'N Crafts Studio, visitors work with varied media such as acrylics, oils, watercolors, charcoal, or colored pencils to create completed art pieces, which they can take home for display or graciously donate to the nearest museum.

A team of resident artists mentors pupils in different styles, such as the One Stroke painting technique taught by guest artist Donna Dewberry. At birthday parties or open-studio sessions, participants may bring their own food or alcohol to foster a celebratory atmosphere.

Universal Dance Studio mentors students of all dance abilities and ambitions, whether they want to compete onstage or simply add rhythm to their social lives. With more than 50 years of combined experience, the instructors trot out a repertoire of ballroom, Latin, and country-western steps during private and group lessons. Studio parties give pupils a chance to mingle while practicing their moves in a less competitive forum than a conga-line marathon.