Things to Do in Springfield

Founder Juan Carlos Polanco came up with JC Entertainment as a way to encourage the community to participate in engaging and unique Hispanic cultural events. Polanco and his staff bring people of all ethnicities together with an array of latin-dance classes, musical performances, and private parties. At regularly scheduled events around town, skilled dance instructors teach guests to tap their feet to salsa, cha-cha, and merengue rhythms while DJs spin latin tunes ranging from salsa hits to Ovid's lost reggaeton poems.

Belly dancing is an art form recognized for its health benefits no matter what the age, size, or shape of the dancer. Three lessons will teach newbies to incorporate their entire body in the dance and not just bob their head to the beat like an old desktop computer floating in a kiddie pool. Belly dancing strengthens, tones, provides a low-impact aerobic workout, and can relieve back pain. Even pregnant women are encouraged to take classes, as the dance has become an alternative Lamaze class, making baby deliveries and seducing the pool boy much easier.

You can hear heels click-clicking in time with the music during each group lesson at Fred Astaire studio. The same wood floor here transforms into a gathering place for the school’s dancers when the studio hosts its regular dance parties. On those nights, students come to practice the moves they learned in class, be they social or ballroom dancers. Instructors also teach private dance classes so you can brush up on moves before a wedding or perform jury duty as a mime.

When owners Nancy Kanter and Julie Byrne founded Clay Café more than 14 years ago, they wanted to establish a cozy, unpretentious environment where families could spend quality time pottery-painting and embarking on other art projects. Describing what they envisioned to the Columbus Dispatch, Byrne stated, “We kind of wanted a grandma kitchen—something homey.” At Clay Café, visitors might forget they’re not relaxing in their own homes amid the studio’s popular mismatched chairs, flower tablecloths, and resident father yelling at a sports game on TV. The hospitable owners invite guests of all ages to let their artist instincts run wild during open-ended potter-painting sessions, and they host an array of special events including baby showers and birthday parties.