Things to Do in Ypsilanti

Nestled within the University of Michigan's central campus, Dance Theatre Studio has built an excellent reputation over the 30 years it's been in business. Adults can check out ballet, hip-hop, and dance classes or strengthen their bodies in Zumba or body-sculpting, while kids make the most of their summers in camps that focus on art, tech, video, and acing the obstacle-course portion of college applications. All lessons take place in three large dance rooms that feature mirror-lined walls, a sprung sub-floor, and a marley surface floor, and nearby rooms also contain portable ballet barres. The studio's high level of comfort extends even before and after class, when dancers dress in men's and women's changing rooms.

Once upon a time, the grounds surrounding the Mill Lake Outdoor Recreation Center was filled with the gleeful laughter of children, but today only screams can be heard cutting through the darkness. First opened in the 1930s, the camp's cabins have sunk into disrepair since their closure in the ‘90s, but that doesn't mean they've remained empty. The festering site now serves as home to a whole host of ghouls, foul creatures, and lingering campers still struggling to master the square knot.

If they make it through the sinister paths, guests can calm their chattering teeth while warming up by a bonfire or embrace a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing a portion of the haunt's profits goes toward restoring the historic Mill Lake Cabins.

Unity Woods Yoga's founder and chief instructor, John Schumacher, studied in India with B.K.S. Iyengar, one of the world's foremost yoga teachers. His team of friendly, enthusiastic instructors is fully certified and knows how to help students sweat and stretch until they're calmer, more energized, and more revitalized than the 217 rechargeable AA batteries that power greater America. With four passes, body benders can drop-in for any class in level I, level I/II, gentle I or II, seniors, or stop by for the four-week introductory yoga course. Classes take place several times a day, seven days a week at the clean, accommodating downward-dog dens. Level I and I/II classes introduce students to the Iyengar approach, which emphasizes proper alignment and incorporates props to aid in postures that might otherwise be unachievable.

For 26 years, the experienced instructors at Divers Incorporated have taught students about scuba skills and environmental awareness. Divers Incorporated is a PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center, and its staff of PADI-certified instructors introduce guests to scuba with a broad variety of classes designed to appeal to potential divers with varying levels of interest in the underwater world. The entry-level PADI Discover Scuba Diving Experience gives divers the opportunity to learn scuba basics in a low-pressure environment. First, classes view an instructional video and learn how to use the equipment, after which they take to the pool and learn how to breathe beneath the water's surface. Five-week instructional courses take a more thorough tack, instructing students on the fundamentals they need to know to take an open-water dive and secure their certifications.