Nanci Bross-Fregonara gets some decorating tips from Tammy Dolly, the owner of Tammy’s Floral and Bridal and an instructor for the new Davis & Elkins College Community Education Program. Dolly will teach “Decorating All Things.”
Davis & Elkins College announces a new Community Education program featuring 12 non-credit evening courses designed for members of the community age 14 and older. Courses will include a wide range of activities, including music, decorating, computers, and more. Classes will begin Feb. 4 and run through March 29.
Registration can be completed online at www.dewv.edu, by phone at 304-637-1210, or by mailing a registration form along with a check or money order made out to “D&E Community Education” to: D&E Community Education, 100 Campus Drive, Box 928, Elkins, WV 26241.
The following are brief descriptions of each course and the instructors.
Beginning Guitar offers the fundamental methods of guitar performance including basic guitar chords, music theory, small ensemble playing, ear training and melodic music reading on the instrument. Students are required to provide their own instrument. Classes meet from 6-7 p.m. every Tuesday from Feb. 5 through March 26 in the music room of Jennings Randolph Hall. The fee is $100.
The instructor for the course, Seth Maynard, has completed training at Berklee College of Music, and performs approximately 100 shows each year at various regional venues. He serves as Adjunct Music Instructor at Davis & Elkins College, and owns and operates Lone Wolf Productions in Elkins. His numerous recording/producing credits include sound mixing for the RFD-TV show, “American Mountain Theater.”
Clogging, Flatfooting and a Touch of Square Dance is designed for individuals with little or no dance experience. Participants will learn clogging, flat footing, and a few square dance moves in detail. Live music will be provided for class sessions.
Class members will need comfortable, smooth-soled shoes. The class meets from 7-8 p.m. each Monday from Feb. 4 through March 25 in Paul Gallery of the Myles Center for the Arts. The cost for the course is $100, with an additional $15 materials fee. The maximum enrollment is 25 students.
Instructor Becky Hill is a percussive dancer, banjo player, and aspiring square dance caller. She is an Appalachian Forest Heritage Area AmeriCorps member with the Augusta Heritage Center where she works on The Mountain Dance Trail. She has performed at the Newport Folk Festival with the Seeger Clogging All-Stars, and has had the opportunity to work with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, Good Foot Dance Company, and Rhythm in Shoes. Hill has won several flatfoot dance competitions throughout Appalachia including the Clifftop Appalachian Stringband Festival.
Class Piano is intended for students who have had little or no previous training in piano techniques. Basic note reading, scales, chords, and transposition are emphasized, elementary piano literature will be studied. By the end of the course, students will be able to read music, play in the keys of C, G, and F, and be able to harmonize simple melodies.
Students will need to bring their own ear buds or headset to each class session. The class meets from 6-7 p.m. each Thursday from Feb. 7 through March 28 in the piano lab at Jennings Randolph Hall. The cost for the course is $100, with an additional $11 materials fee. The maximum enrollment is 10 students.
The course will be taught by Donna Baroudi-Huffman, an Instructor of Music at D&E, who has been teaching piano and voice lessons in the Elkins area since 1988. She also teaches class and private piano lessons, serves as the accompanist for the D&E College Choir, and is a vocal coach. A native of Buffalo, NY, Baroudi-Huffman graduated with Distinction in Piano Performance from the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, where she was a student of David Burge. She also holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance from West Virginia University, and is currently completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance.
Passport to …Brazil, Jamaica, Senegal and Cuba is geared toward students age 18 and older. Each student will receive a mock passport with brief information on each country. Every class will start with a brief overview of the country, and participants will then dance the traditional dances to live music of Samba, Reggae, West African, and Cha-Cha. After the class, students will sample foods indigenous to the country prepared by D&E chefs. The course culminates with a final dance party.
Students need to wear comfortable clothes and shoes to each session. The class meets from 7-8 p.m. each Wednesday from Feb. 6 through March 27 in Paull Gallery of the Myles Center for the Arts. The cost for the course is $100, plus a $50 materials fee.
Course instructor Laurie Goux is a multifaceted artist who has been performing and choreographing throughout Chicago since 1981. She performed and taught Dunham Technique at the 2010 Augusta Heritage Festival at D&E, and lectured on the African Influence in Appalachian music and dance in 2011.
Dance for your Health is a fun dance/exercise class designed to help participants lose weight, tone-up, and say goodbye to belly fat while dancing to lively music.
Students need to wear comfortable clothes and shoes to each session. The class meets from 5:30-6:30 p.m. every Monday, Feb. 4 through March 25, in Paull Gallery of the Myles Center for the Arts. The cost is $100. Laurie Goux will serve as the instructor.
Senior Dance Class participants will take to the dance floor to the sounds of Big Band, blues legends, and jazz greats. The class is intended for people age 50 and older, and those who are wheelchair bound can still participate.
Students need to wear comfortable shoes and clothes to each class session. The class meets from 5:30-6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Feb. 6 through March 27, in the Pit area of the Myles Center for the Arts. The cost is $100. Laurie Goux will serve as the instructor.
Getting to Know Your Sewing Machine offers a solution to those who don’t know where to get started on a sewing journey. Participants will learn how to thread their machine and wind a bobbin, in addition to becoming familiar with basic sewing terms and practice skills.
Students will need to bring their sewing machines, all of its attachments, and owner’s manual. The class meets from 7:30-8:30 p.m. each Tuesday, Feb. 5 through March 26, in the Pit area of the Myles Center for the Arts. The cost is $100, and there is a maximum enrollment of 15 students.
The instructor, Katherine Prentice, has been sewing since the age of 11 when she took a class at Girl’s Club of America. An accomplished heirloom seamstress, she taught hand smocking and other needle art classes when she first moved to Elkins. She currently teaches Machine Embroidery and Software for children and adults, among other classes, at Elkins Sewing Center. She has designed costumes for the Mountain State Forest Festival Minor Court, and is currently part of the team of local seamstresses for the Forest Festival.
Decorating All Things is designed to teach participants how to decorate using their own personal taste and color scheme. Students will create projects for the home while using a variety of materials including ribbons, color usage, fresh flowers and floral arrangements.
All students will need to email their personal color scheme and decorating style to: communityed@dewv.edu no later than Feb. 1 to ensure class materials are on hand for the first session. Students will also need to bring scissors and wire cutters to each class session. The class will meet from 6-7 p.m. each Tuesday, Feb. 5 through March 26, in the Pit area of the Myles Center for the Arts. The cost is $100, with an additional $50 material fee.
Instructor Tammy Dolly has been the owner of Tammy’s Floral and Bridal Gallery in Elkins since 1997. She brings more than 30 years of experience to the classroom with expertise in special events, home decorating, gift creation, and flower and floral arranging for all occasions. She earned an Associate Degree in Interior Design and Fashion Merchandising from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and is a certified master designer for FTD and licensed contractor for landscaping.
Students in the Chocolate Making class will learn to temper chocolate with two methods ‑‑ double boiler and tempering machine ‑‑ while following and completing recipes. Students will also experience restaurant techniques for making and finishing a wide range of dishes, how to plan and complete dessert recipes for the “home party,” and how to mold chocolate.
The class will meet from 6-7:30 p.m. every Tuesday, Feb. 5 through March 26, in the kitchen area of Halliehurst. The cost is $100, plus an $80 materials fee. The maximum enrollment is 15 students.
Instructor Derrick Helzer refined his technical and classical skills while working at the Greenbrier as a chef. A Davis & Elkins College graduate, Helzer works as a substitute teacher in Randolph County schools and Adjunct Professor at D&E while he continues to foster his love of foods through his catering business, Fabulous Fruits, Cakes and Catering.
Backpacking is geared toward beginners who want to explore the great outdoors, and those who have enjoyed the activity and want to refresh their skills or pick up some new ideas.
Participants will explore topics such as equipment, proper clothing, pack loading and adjustment, food preparation, obtaining drinking water, sleeping comfortably, hiking techniques, winter backpacking, first aid, reducing environmental impact, and more. The class will meet from 6-7 p.m. Feb. 7, 21, and 28, and March 7, 14, and 21 in Martin Field House. The cost is $90.
The class will be led by Tom Tesar, Instructor of Recreation Management and Tourism at D&E. He has been teaching backpacking for the past 15 years, and is certified as an instructor by the Wilderness Education Association.
Jewelry Making will provide students an opportunity to work with various types of beads, as well as different styles of jewelry making. Students will be provided the tools, beading, and other items necessary to create their own works of jewelry art ‑‑ a necklace, a bracelet and earrings.
The class meets from 7-9 p.m. each Monday, Feb. 4 through Feb. 18, in the art studio of the Myles Center for the Arts. The cost for the class is $90, with an additional materials fee of $25. The maximum enrollment is 12 students.
Instructor Pam Moll is a resident of Elkins, and has been involved with jewelry making for a number of years. She has led many workshops across West Virginia, and has shown and sold her jewelry at various fairs and festivals and to benefit several local charities including the United Way of Randolph County auction. Her jewelry has won local and state recognition for the Elkins Woman’s Club.
Computers and Social Networking for Older Adults is designed for people who have little or no knowledge about emailing, picture uploading, document attaching, social media, and computers in general.
Students can bring their own wireless laptop. The class meets from 5-6 p.m. each Monday, Feb. 4 through March 25, in the computer lab. The cost is $100, and there is a maximum enrollment of 12 students.
Instructor Zachary Hanshaw is a junior at D&E pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. He works with the College’s Information Technology Department, and is the Chair of the local club ACM (Association for Computing Machinery). He has recently designed the new student online portal for the college, and his passion for computers is phenomenal.
Community Education courses are open to all members of the community age 14 or older. Individuals are added to a course roster when payment is received. A confirmation of enrollment will not be sent unless it is requested and an email address is provided.
Early registration is encouraged to reserve roster spots. If a class is full, you may add your name to a waiting list by emailing communityed@dewv.edu or calling 304-637-1210.
For additional information for courses and registration, please go to www.dewv.edu.
