Education & Classes in Poquoson

Julie Fabing Burleson and Suzy Vinson Nettles feel that the kitchen is just another place for kids to flex their creativity. They opened Young Chefs Academy to provide kids aged 3–18 with cooking programs targeted to preschoolers and kindergarteners, elementary schoolers, and older kids ready for trickier techniques and intricate recipes. Regardless of a student’s age, he or she is always taught the pillars of home cooking, including how to be safe in the kitchen, how to properly handle and prepare food, how to bake, and how to talk down an oven that constantly overheats. While participating in the entertaining cooking lessons, kids may not even realize that each class also allows them to practice their math, reading-comprehension, and communication skills.

The ships of Norton’s Sailing School surge onward thanks to the winds of Chesapeake Bay and the words of instructors such as Brad Sindle—named one of the nation’s best ASA instructors in 2005, 2006, and 2008. Brad and his colleagues lead educational voyages for students of all experience levels, assisting them as they master techniques and learn the difference between southeasterly winds and sneezing shipmates. The school sends students out on late-model Hunter sailboats, which feature both inboard power and wheel steering for enhanced control on the water.:m]]

Named the Best Place to Take a Dance Class in 2012 by Tucson Lifestyle magazine, Shall We Dance boasts experienced instructors that help instill dancing wisdom and undeniable rhythm in people looking to twirl and sidestep across the studio’s hardwood floor. Students pair up during group dance lessons or work one-on-one with instructors during private lessons as they are shown how to gracefully execute an arsenal of dance steps in styles such as salsa, Argentinean tango, swing, and waltz. The studio also offers weekly dance parties (held Friday nights from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.), which provide a casual setting for students to practice with different dance partners, ready couples for weddings, or prep solo dancers for musical housecleaning sessions.

Colleen Seely, a horse trainer and judge for local equestrian shows, channels her love for the gentle creatures into Fox Pointe Farm, L.L.C., which she opened in 2005. The 27-acre expanse houses two arenas—one lighted with professional footing and the other sandier than a hermit crab's beach house—as well as two barns' worth of stables, grassy pastures, trails, and a swimming pool. Within the tranquil setting, Colleen and her staff train and board steeds for showing at local venues or the farm's own school. Focus shifts from horses to riders during lessons for all ages and abilities, in addition to summer camps for avid athletes. Some overnight camps span an entire week, during which 10 girls bunk in the air-conditioned Fox Den cabin after a day of riding.

Describing a dance in words is like texting someone instructions for tying a tie—it's way easier just to demonstrate it. Perhaps that's why DanceSport VA's website is peppered not with written descriptions, but with a series of videos that introduce the steps of most of the 35 styles of dance that the studio teaches, from the tango to the foxtrot to the jitterbug. The videos provide a small taste of what students can expect if they sign up for one-on-one or group lessons or attend the dance parties that take place every Friday night. They're also a glimpse of the studio's space, which consists of one 3,000-square-foot room and one 1,200-square-foot room, each outfitted with maple-wood floating floors that are cushioned underneath to prevent knee and joint injuries. The studio also sells men's and women's dance shoes and new and pre-owned ball gowns so that dancers don't have to stare forlornly out the window until enchanted birds sew them appropriate attire.

Paint 'n Sit's resident artists come from a wide variety of backgrounds: art school, corporate America, living inside Garfield comics. Despite these differences, each of them began painting as an expressive outlet—something that they now share with kids and adults at Paint 'n Sit. During classes, parties, or open sessions, teachers walk aspiring painters—regardless of his or her experience—through the process of painting display-worthy masterpieces. Along with provided supplies, students create everything from portraits of famous musicians to works in the style of Picasso.

Paint 'n Sit's studio space surrounds visitors with ample inspiration, exhibiting examples of student paintings on the pastel-colored walls. To foster a party-like atmosphere, Paint 'n Sit's instructors invite visitors to bring along food, nonalcoholic beverages, and prerecorded small talk.