Education & Classes in Roscoe

Walking a mile in someone else's shoes can be very educational, especially if the shoes belong to Mandy Carlisle, a professional dancer. As a competitive American Rhythm Style ballroom dancer, Mandy has toured the country and racked up awards—she's been ranked among the top 13 dancers in the United States, placed second in the United States Professional Rising Star Rhythm Championship, and conducted an undefeated run as the Fred Astaire National Rising Star Rhythm Champion. In her spare time, she has earned teaching certifications in more than 13 styles of dance (among them, classic ballet, hip-hop, and jazz) and opened her own studio, Aspire Dance.

Mandy and her staff of 12 instructors hone the skills of young dancers, providing a reception area for parents to wait and witness progress. For adults, the teachers conduct fitness-focused classes. Latin-inspired Zumba classes boost cardiovascular endurance, whereas yoga sessions cultivate flexibility and balance so that you can finally touch your toes while standing on stilts.

Owner and head instructor Netta Schleden harnesses her training at the British Horse Society to enhance horses and their riders alike. Eleven lesson horses hold riders aloft during safety-oriented riding lessons, while a team of sale horses allows riders to select their very own steed for engaging mounted police officers in high-speed chases. Equidream's boarding house lavishes steeds with twice-a-day feedings in clean and secure lodgings, with Dr. Norman Cornelius standing at the ready to wield veterinary services for ailing equines. The grounds' 2 acres of grass pasture are fit for blissful galloping, and 10’x12’ stalls allow ample space for horse yoga.

In 2008, Peter and Linda Goethche—both of whom are professional dancers who earned their master’s degrees in ballroom from Germany's ADTV program—united their formidable talents and lifelong dreams to open a dance studio. After partnering with the consortium of award-winning instructors Fred Astaire Dance Studio—a national franchise that was cofounded by the legendary toe tapper himself—the pair’s team has gone on to win the Best Dance Instructor award from Wisconsin Bride Magazine for three years running.

Their instructors shepherd students of all ages and skill levels through lessons that span the style spectrum. Low-pressure private sessions allow enthusiastic teachers to fine-tune individual students' techniques and form, using their expert eyes and mechanical dancing shoes preprogrammed to do the Charleston. Patrons can learn how to cavort through classic waltz and foxtrot romps or swivel through the modern steps of salsa, swing, or samba. For dancers hoping to hoof it up in a social setting, the group practice parties provide a one-night extravaganza of instruction, demonstrations, and amateur firewalking.

Kidtown USA came from the minds of educators and recreation specialists who created a program licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Each location’s activity stations cater not only to entertaining kids, but also helping them develop skills for creative self-expression and social engagement. Kids explore the indoor play area, which consists of climbing structures—including a pirate ship and a train—before watching puppets act out classic kids’ tales such as Uncle Vanya Goes to the Zoo at Storytime Theater. Make Believe City’s open air and small, miniature rooms emulate imaginative settings such as a firehouse, veterinarian's office, or construction zone. Elsewhere at The Diner, red-and-chrome furniture and a classic checkerboard floor sets the stage for cooking lessons or snack time.

For years, Ron Sachen has taken to the Illinois skies inside fixed-wing aircraft. In fact, he loves flying so much that he has dedicated his life to teaching others the joy of soaring through the clouds. To inspire passion in his students and ensure a comprehensive lesson, his classes emphasize hands on learning. After 30–60 minutes of ground-based lessons, students take the controls in the air and get a feel for what it must have been like when the Wright brothers first took flight, rather than when they first jumped off their roof flapping homemade paper wings.

Owner Debbie Stoffregen has taught children to swim for more than 15 years, a background that helped her develop Catch the Wave Swim Club's unique instructor training program. Stoffregen only mints adult teachers and personally coaches them once they have achieved certifications in Red Cross CPR, lifeguarding, AED, and first aid. Instructors teach water safety with compassion, creating a family-like atmosphere to help adults overcome their fears, introduce infants as young as three months old (accompanied by a guardian) to the warm, 90-degree pool, and acclimate adolescents to their newly sprouted gills. Surrounded by healthy, confident swimmers, Stoffregen realized the sport could be used as a therapeutic intervention, and created classes for special-needs individuals and those desiring a low-impact way to stay fit.