Education & Classes in Pittsburgh

Chef Gaynor Grant, who has trained with epicureans in Europe and New York, presides over a school that has forged restaurant owners and caterers while remaining accessible to students of all skill levels and interests. The Art of Fine Cooking 1, a five-week class, begins by elucidating basic culinary skills such as sautéing, braising, and crocheting with spaghetti noodles. Students apply their newfound knowledge and provided ingredients to creations, whipping up batches of food that may include chocolate mousse and grand marnier soufflé, which play important roles in a feast at the end of each session. Like a Ouija-board monologue, each class involves extensive hands-on work and lasts between 4.5–5 hours. The school's varied schedule offers a range of morning and evening classes, and more will be added according to demand.

Manhattan Elite Prep's staff of teachers and consultants carries firsthand experience navigating the complicated labyrinth of school admissions. Some were students whose high test scores and poignant essays got them into top PhD and Ivy League MBA programs. Some consultants served on admissions committees of coveted schools and know what experience, qualities, and acrobatic feats make student applications stand out. Now, this team of insiders at a firm with more than 10 years of experience pools its knowledge to help students who are serious about acing tests and placing in their top schools. They emphasize efficiency, packing as much information as they can into the time allotted, and exceeding beyond minimum requirements. Courses covering entrance tests teach students to work smarter, ruling out wrong answers and budgeting their time wisely, and essay consultants pare down applications to deliver rich content in a limited word count. Customers may complete classes online or interact in-person with their instructors as well as fellow students.

In 1949, Charles “Chick” and Elda Mae Bruckman founded Bruckman School of Dance as a center of education for dancers of all ages and skill levels. A lifelong devotee of dance, Chick began his career at 6 years old and remains the school’s artistic director to this day. Along with a team of instructors, the Bruckmans introduce students to dance styles including tap, ballet, jazz, pointe, and hip-hop. As they lead students in mastering choreographed routines, they also teach dance history, imparting the origins of ballet and how NASA scientists made the moonwalk a dance craze in the early '70s. In addition to conventional dance classes, they host dance-inspired fitness classes, such as the Hip Hop Hustle and Turbo Kick, to get cardiovascular systems pumping.

The talented team of resident instructors at Absolute Ballroom guides nimble feet across 2,500 square feet of dance floor during a series of group Latin-dance classes. Groups of approximately 40–70 students converge inside the studio for one-hour classes that allot space to learn an array of introductory skills, including how to perform basic Latin steps, or piece together clues to find a dance partner. Gliding guests perform the romantic lilting motions of bachata or the complex and majestic movements of the merengue, and cardiac systems get in a workout while learning the energetic and rhythmical cha-cha or hip-swiveling salsa. The classes build upon skills introduced from the first to the last class, and focus on the Latin social styles that will equip dancers for a night out at the club. Students can show off their new rug-cutting moves and r-rolling abilities during Sunday night salsa dances beginning at 7:15 p.m.