Music Instructor Excels at the 3 P’s – Piano, Pottery and Painting

Aurora native Amy Thorne is a lifelong musician who began piano lessons at the tender age of 7. She went on to UNC as a Piano Performance Major, graduating with a Bachelor of Music. While she was busy pursuing her musical career, which included 7 seasons with Opera Colorado, Amy was taking pottery classes at Bicentennial Art Center and watercolor painting classes at the Aurora Center for Active Adults. Today Amy has come full circle and now teaches multi-level, electronic keyboard classes for the same department where she practices her other artistic passions.

To register for keyboard classes click here or call Heather Jones at 303.739.6591 for more information. All keyboard classes are held at the Aurora Public Library Central Location at 14949 E. Alameda Pkwy.

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Kids On Wheels Class

Instructor Anna Yanello will be teaching the newest addition to our class line up. This summer Bicentennial Art Center will have a kid’s wheel class that offers children ages 10-15 an opportunity to express themselves through the art of throwing on a potter’s wheel. Anna will help students build an understanding of clay manipulation and glazing application in this new and exciting offering from Bicentennial Art Center. Both June and July classes are open for registration now!

Meet Instructor Anna Yanello

My love for clay was realized during my first high school ceramics class. I was introduced to hand building techniques and began throwing clay on a kick wheel. I was hooked. Over the years, I have continued to learn and practice new technical skills in classes at community art centers, community colleges and universities. My goal as a potter is to produce a functional and aesthetically pleasing ceramic product. I believe that creating with clay is structured “play” that engages the mind and the body. I try to approach the creative process in a playful explorative manner. I enjoy trying new techniques and exploring shape and texture on the clay. A favorite quote of mine is by Julie Andrews and I think that it applies perfectly to my approach to working in clay. “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th”. –Julie Andrews

MEET AURORA DANCE ARTS DIRECTOR, MAGGIE CHAPMAN

Happy Spring from Aurora Dance Arts! This month we would like to introduce you to Maggie Chapman, Director of Aurora Dance Arts. Ms. Maggie (how she is known to students & families) is the coordinator of the entire dance program. She is responsible for everything behind the scenes including programming & scheduling all of the classes in the Continuous, Summer Dance & Recreational dance programs, managing the fabulous ADA Faculty, directing all productions including the Fall Production & Spring Dance Recitals, organizing costuming for all shows, directing & managing the Performing Groups, booking of all facilities, scheduling master classes/workshops, management of all family accounts & more. Along with her main duties directing, Ms. Maggie also teaches & choreographs for many different levels & styles. Ms. Maggie truly feels as though Aurora Dance Arts is her second home, her "dance family.”

Ms. Maggie will be starting new sessions of Adult Dance classes in mid-April. She currently teaches Adult Contemporary on Thursday nights from 6:30-8 p.m. at Central Rec Center & Adult Jazz on Friday nights, also from 6:30-8 p.m. at Central Rec Center. Both of these classes are open for registration for 6-week sessions running from mid-April through the end of May. The class number for Adult Contemporary is 47976 & the class number for Adult Jazz is 47978. You can find additional information about the adult classes on the Aurora Dance Arts website at AuroraGov.org/Dance or you can register for classes on our registration site at cityofaurora.perfectmind.com. Maggie also teaches the Sunday Adult Ballet class, but that class is running in an elongated session for Spring, so registration is currently closed. We will also be offering a wonderful Summer session of adult dance classes from mid-June to the end of July in 2022.

When she's not busy with Aurora Dance Arts, Ms. Maggie is also a professional dancer & is currently in her 8th season with Davis Contemporary Dance Company, under the artistic direction of Terrell Davis, who is also one of the Co-Directors of Dance at Denver School of the Arts. She also freelance teaches, choreographs & performs throughout the Metro Area. Up until 2017, she was also the Co-Director of the Denver-based, Avatar Movement Dance Company & she has also danced and choreographed for other notable entities such as Ascential Dance Theater, Inspire Theater Company & Not Literally Productions. Most recently, Maggie also joined In the Wings Aerial Dance Company in 2020 where she mostly considers herself “floor support” to the talented aerialists of the company.

Please read on for a little interview with Ms. Maggie & get to know her better...

Dance Education: Stared dancing at the age of 6. Holds a B.F.A in Dance from Stephens College, from where she graduated Cum Laude. Danced & Choreographed in NYC & the Bay Area of California before relocating back to Colorado in 2010.

Years Teaching Only with ADA: 4 years

Years Directing ADA: Currently in her 8th year. 12 years total at Aurora Dance Arts.

What She Teaches: Creative movement, ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical/contemporary, beginning levels of hip hop & musical theater.

Favorite Memories Thus Far: "My favorite show with Aurora Dance Arts thus far was 'Alice in Wonderland' in 2017 & 2019. It was my first original, fall production as director...all the other productions I had done previously were re-sets. It was so exciting & challenging to build this fabulous show with new music, new costumes, new sets & props. Everything about that production just felt fresh, innovative & exciting! My dancers & choreographic/creative staff for that production were so special & so talented, and it all just felt really magical to be bringing the weird & the wonderful to life. The production also reached even more incredible heights when it was re-staged in 2019 & will always be a lasting memory of our program because it was our last show prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. I also absolutely loved co-choreographing the Closing number of our 2018 "Icons of Music" Recital with instructor, Ms. Minda to "Where is the Love" by the Black Eye Peas. It was really important dance statement piece that included youth dancers from our program, adult dancers & teachers!"

Favorite Dance Technique/Step to Teach: "My favorite dance step to teach in tap is a paddle roll/paradiddle. I just love how they sound, especially when you add in extra sounds or vary the rhythms. My favorite step to teach in jazz is a six-step with a turning pas d' bouree & pirouette. That step encompasses so much & feels really fabulous to execute when a student finally wraps their head around how it works. I also like that it combines multiple facets of technique in one pass across the floor."

Most Challenging Dance Technique/Step to Teach: "My most challenging dance step to teach is petite allegro beats such as royale or entre ch' trois/quat in ballet. Beats in petite allegro are so fast & it is challenging for dancers to maintain their turnout, land softly & complete the beats with their entire leg, concentrating on beating their thighs, not just their lower leg or feet. There's a lot going on in a very short amount of time in petite allegro beating jumps."

What can you not get through a day/evening of teaching without: "Water, leggings, compression socks, lots of different music, patience & passion."

Favorite Dance Quotes: “I always knew in another life I could fly. That is why in this life, I dance." ~Unknown

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Summer Theatre Camps

Our theatre camps are a great way to express your creativity in air conditioning on those hot summer days! From imagining life below the waves to desert planets far away, we have the adventure your student is looking for. Our experienced teachers are excited to help you take your acting to the next level! All of our camps are over halfway full so register now to secure your spot!