Education & Classes in West Linn

Founded by passionate nutritionist and Western Culinary Institute graduate Julie Merry, The Merry Kitchen is geared toward teaching healthy, seasonal cooking to students of all ages. Each class holds eight to 10 kids, ensuring all junior chefs will receive a high level of attention. Upcoming subjects include the science of baking Disney Princess Dishes for kids ages 5–10 on July 10 and the art of Off to College Quick Meals for teens ages 16–18 on July 25. Most classes run two hours and include all necessary materials. Check out the calendar for an overview of upcoming classes.

At Uptown Ballroom, expert instructors trot out their experience competing at the amateur and professional level to lead students toward dancing acumen. Classes set the ballroom floor ablaze as twinkle-toed senseis cover a variety of styles including the waltz, foxtrot, cha-cha, salsa, and west coast swing. Instructors work on each student’s individual strengths or weaknesses during private lessons, restoring two left feet with two deft feet in time for social-dance parties where guests can mingle and try out their new moves. The studio also holds Zumba classes designed to increase heart rates for a cardio routine more effective than imitating a hamster on a public-park carousel.

After several years of suffering through classes filled with tweens, or missing sessions because of rigid scheduling, Evie Graham started her own dance studio. At Vega Dance Lab, everyone from people who have never strapped on groove shoes to seasoned adult students can school their left feet or untalented dancing bears in nine dances on a drop-in basis. Shuffle-savvy instructors school pupils in burlesque-inspired choreography and rocking hip-hop.

Teachers also integrate dance into intensive workouts such as Cardio Funk, an exercise regimen set to hip-hop music, or Tease & Tone, a session divided between 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of dance. Lessons kick off six days a week in Vega Dance Lab's graffiti-decorated warehouse where students can test their latest moves in a spacious environment.

As the middle child in a large family of lawyers, it took Carole Murphy 40 years to embrace her artistic destiny. Now nearly 20 years after her first exhibition at the Robert Paul Gallery in Burlington, Vermont, Murphy’s works have been seen in more than two dozen galleries, museums, and art centers. An established expert in the field, Carole contributed a spotlight piece on her specialty medium, aerated cement, in a 2007 issue of Sculpture Journal, and her 15 years of teaching experience ensure classes engage participants with student-designed projects and individualized attention.