Seven months since the opening of the Eureka Springs Community Center, the number and variety of classes and activities being offered have been growing rapidly making progress towards the vision of having a diverse number of opportunities for exercise, social interactions and building skills.
“We have increased both memberships and participants, and we have a much larger offering of classes and activities,” said Activities Director Cat Luna said.
One of the new classes is Being & Doing: The Art of Theater, taught by Janet Alexander in the Community Room Mondays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Luna said the class will be based upon studying different scenes and techniques to help improve confidence in performance, trying out for auditions, and public speaking.
“With the Five & Dime Collective, the Holiday Island Theater Guild and the performance work done by Melonlight Dance studio, there are a lot of opportunities to break into theater,” Luna said. “There have also been a number of local films and productions in the area. It is a great time for anyone with an interest in theater arts to get into the acting scene.”
$8 per class for members and $10 per class for non-members.
Doug Powell will be teaching beginning hand-drumming Mondays from 5:30 to 6:20 p.m. in the Community Room.
“I think music is also an essential part of Eureka,” Luna said. “Hand drumming held at the Basin Park has attracted large crowds for years now. This is a unique opportunity to study African drumming. Doug is a master of not only making the drums by hand, but also playing them. It gives people a little more grounding and understanding of the traditional rhythm and African style of music making.
Drumming classes will be Monday from 5:30 to 6:20 p.m. with a charge of $5 for non-members and $2 for member.
Powell said if you have a drum, bring it. But he will also have ten extra drums on hand for those who don’t have a drum.
“This is very basic how to play an Ashiko or Djembe like Angelo plays in the park,” Powell said.
Bend it, bend it, show me you can do it
Yoga offerings include vinyasa yoga, chair yoga and hatha yoga with Mommy and Me: Yoga for New Moms being taught by Katie Zerr, who recently had a baby. Moms with children under 18 months can bring the baby and, if they prefer, a caregiver. Moms with children over 18 months are encouraged to leave the kids at home “and find some quality time for yourself.”
“This class creates a yogi support community for families and generations,” Zerr said.
Luna said building and fostering a community for moms is an important part of the course and one of the reasons the class is being offered.
“There are not a tremendous number of opportunities for young moms to get together,” Luna said. “This will be a mom’s community rooted in health and the traditions of yoga.”
The classes are help from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesdays in the gym with a charge of $10 for members and $12 for non-members.
A Partner’s Yoga Practice with Tea and Chocolate will be held Saturday, Feb. 9, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Luna said this offering being taught by Wendy Hartmann is an opportunity for not only romantic partners, but friends and family members to develop a strong relationship through non-verbal communication and understanding the principles of balance.
“This is a special offering for Valentine’s Day,” Luna said. “It is a nice time to take care of yourself and someone you care for deeply.”
The price for two participants is $40 for members and $60 for non-members.
Don’t forget Design and Kickball
Also, on Feb. 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. Doug Stowe will teach Principles of Design in 3 Dimensions in the Community Room. The fee is $50 for members and $55 for non-members.
Another new activity is kickball from 6 to 6:50 p.m. Wednesdays. Luna said there hasn’t been any participation in kickball yet, but people have expressed interest in it.
“We’ll see if people respond,” she said. “If they don’t, we will modify that class.”
Other activities are men and women’s basketball in separate hours and beginning pickleball instruction. Indoor walking seems to be very popular now because of the weather. Luna said they have the facilities to offer people a safe, level place to walk and hand weights for them to use while walking.
For a full schedule, drop by the gym to pick up a newsletter or check the website eurekaspringscommunitycenter.org. Membership is $50 per year for an individual and $90 for a family.