Education & Classes in Springfield

Hailing from countries such as Germany, Russia, Italy, Poland, and Argentina, Starlight Dance Center's all-star instructors channel their experience in global competitions and performances while guiding students into the land of ballroom dancing. Three high-ceilinged ballrooms and a 4,000-square-foot performance floor set an elegant, roomy stage as instructors prepare children for recitals at the end of each course. They also teach adults to whirl and jive during group classes, which include weekly salsa parties and free mortgage-refinancing tips. To mix things up, Starlight Dance Center has created a Fit & Dance department where students can explore Zumba, belly dance, ballroom fitness, and total-body workouts.

The consortium of professional instructors at Charlotte Ballroom Dance Academy shepherds students of all ages and skill levels through lessons that span the style spectrum. Paired with a partner or teamed up with instructor-founders Zenaida and Bryon Chandler—Latin and Showdance and Open Smooth champions, respectively—students can learn how to cavort through classic waltz and fox-trot romps or swivel through the modern steps of salsa, swing, or mambo. Dancers can develop their skills and confidence in private and group lessons or during jovial practice parties, where they'll trip the light fantastic without tripping on the light itself. Charlotte Ballroom Dance Academy also hosts occasional specialty classes, such as Cardio Ballroom, and leads betrothed couples through special wedding-dance lessons.

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.

In hands-on workshops and classes, skilled seamstresses teach students both the fundamentals of sewing and the art of turning yarn and fabric into fashion. Kid-friendly classes include six-week workshops, during which pint-size clothiers roll up their sleeves and learn to handle sewing machines, read patterns, and troubleshoot wardrobe malfunctions. During the Beginner Sewing/Pattern-Making class, teachers assign increasingly difficult projects, from stitching pajama bottoms to tailoring a snow hat, which students take home to augment their wardrobes. In the Fashion Illustration class, style-minded teachers unpack a thorough introduction to the industry, from a history of fashion to tips on building a portfolio to learning how to construct final designs while walking in platform stilettos. Recently added adult classes tailor lessons to novices in a six-week semester of evening sessions.

Let's Play in Italian exposes kids, young adults, and adults to the culture and language of Italy through engaging programs that range from preschool activities to conversational Italian classes. Tykes up to 8 years old sing songs, tell stories, play games, and put on puppet shows and craft fairs during afterschool programs and Mommy & Me workshops, absorbing Italian vocabulary during their formative years before gray matter turns angsty and taciturn. Parents and kids alike can expand their linguistic repertoire with colorful books, CDs, and DVDs from an online bookstore.

At Home Defense Site, Eddie Falcon strives to instill in his students a lifelong respect for gun use that puts safety first. Eddie boasts years of responsible gun use and ownership, and while continually training, he possesses knowledge in numerous fields of self-defense and protection. Backed by this experience, Eddie and his team teach the use of pepper spray and handcuffs, alongside their courses in rifles, shotguns, and handguns. As a complete self-defense training center, they can also instruct students in hand-to-hand combat, such as slapping an opponent with a white glove.