A quick glance through the job postings on the non-profit mega-web site idealist.org reveals a huge need for grant writers. As a veteran free-lance writer, this phenomenon piqued my interest. Because I like having a roof over my head, I've learned one of the most important things I can do as a free-lancer is to expand my sphere of knowledge, therefore expanding my marketability. Since my skills as a grant writer were limited --- OK, non-existent, I decided to take the ABC's of Proposal Writing offered… Read More

"Ohmygod, is that what I'm supposed to do? Is this what people expect me to teach?" "I am SO mundane!" This is a reaction I had just last week after reading a workshop description that went something like this: "Learn to raise the prana of the hara to awaken and open the heart chakra to it's fullest potential!". Yikes! After 18 years of yoga, I still wonder, am I deep and esoteric enough to teach? My goal as a teacher is to communicate, whether it pertains to a pose well-executed or a philosophical… Read More

We Americans have long been chastised by our European cousins for a lack of cheese sophistication, so it is hardly surprising that an enterprising New York fromagerie has stepped up to fill the vacuum in our culinary education. Behold: "Wine and Cheese 101," from the French bistro and renowned cheesemonger, Artisanal Premium Cheese Center. After a night spent learning the history of cheese, and sampling a wide variety, you'll never look at those pre-sliced, pre-packaged, and artificially colored… Read More

Because the universe is rife with uncertainty, we retain a sense of control by assigning numerical values to complex systems. A 24-hour notation marks the relentless passing of time. A weight scale measures the severity of gravity's pull on indefensible objects. A degree valuation tracks and rationalizes the random chaos of bizarre temperature fluctuations. And for students of Seattle Central Community College's Apparel Design 098 Class, Beginning Sewing, a simple ruler systematizes her progress.… Read More

Should there be any difference in how dance students of different ages are taught? There certainly should be! Regardless of level, an adult performing arts dancer (ballet, jazz or modern) is in a unique category, and he or she should shop around for a teacher and school who understand this. The majority of adults who wish to start or return to dance probably think, "Won't people think I'm silly to be doing this at my age?" Their next thought may be, "How will I look in those revealing clothes?"… Read More

It's very important for parents to check certain aspects of the dance school where their children may be studying. Quite often, parents choose a studio for their children's dance education based on location, class times, friend's attendance, or price, when actually, it is safety that is most important. In this sense, safety refers to whether the child is receiving appropriate training for their age and experience. There are many parents who simply drop their children off, or wait in parent lounges… Read More

When I mentioned to a few family members and friends that I was going to take a Hapkido Karate class just about everybody to a person responded the same way: Hap what? What-kido? My understanding of the Korean martial art at the time was that it was a blend of a few different arts. I believed it contained: the punches and kicks of Tae Kwon Do; the throws of Judo, and the breaks and limb locks of Aikido. As it turned out I wasn't too far off the mark. I selected Kwon's Hapkido School in Redondo Beach,… Read More

Even in Los Angeles, land of actors, the actor is essentially a solitary creature; he runs his own business, has a schedule that matches no one's, and he is his own and only commodity. Acting classes offer spaces of fellowship and support that help to combat that lone-wolf feeling. They can build confidence that will aid one in auditioning and life. And they can take you back to the same sort of purity of experience that you felt during high school plays. However, many of the classes here are time-consuming… Read More

As I drive down the long, rambling, dirt driveway leading into Oak Hill Farms, my car contemplating a series of holes and bumps, I immediately feel a wonderful mix of calm and also joy at the landscape I am suddenly immersed in. A casually arranged orchard lies on my right, the morning sun skirting its way in and out of the branches and dew of each tree, and a late summer crop of sprawling sunflowers reaches high, and yet higher on my left. I inhale deeply and remember why I came here today, and… Read More

After The Backyard Barbecue Stores "Grilling 101" class my notes are stained with red wine, Sangria, juices from pork tenderloin and chicken, and a dab of chocolate. I'm not naturally a slob, but trying to enjoy the wonderful meal prepared by instructor and chef Mary Winkler of Gourmet in a Day, while taking photos along with my notes, and hoping to pick up a few tips for my next cookout, strains my balance and abilities. Fortunately, not much else is expected of students in the class, other than… Read More

Ever wanted to forge your own sword? Make glass goblets? Learn to weld? Dance with fire? The Crucible can teach you all these things and more. Situated in a 48,000 square foot warehouse in west Oakland, just steps from the BART station, the Crucible offers a multi-disciplinary arts space dedicated to the "collaboration of industry, arts, and community." Founded in 1999 by a small group of artists led by Michael Sturtz, The Crucible began with a three-pronged mission. First, the founders wanted to… Read More

The North Cascades Institute has so much to offer regarding the exploration of the natural world, but most of its classes, seminars and field expeditions are held in the mountains. Recently, though, the Institute came to the city for a walking tour called Street Smart Naturalist led by David Williams in Seattle. "We're connecting what we do up in the mountains with where the majority of the population lives," said North Cascades Institute graduate student Adam Lorio. His hope is that we notice a… Read More

What does a World War II-era English soldier honing survival skills on the craggy coast of Wales and your co-worker recently returned from a hummingbird class in Rocky Mountain National Park have in common? They were both engaged in an activity loosely referred to as “outdoor education.” The Brit was no doubt involved in Outward Bound, an organization recognized as the first to consistently utilize natural settings as a teaching venue; your officemate was enjoying one of the wall-free classrooms… Read More

Most adults say that they can’t find time for regular exercise. People with full, busy lives don’t find it easy to stay fit unless they have a set workout schedule that they can build into their regime. However, many folks are not interested in the usual offerings such as aerobics, team activities or dance, and quite often, swimming or outside sports just aren’t feasible. Chances are, those who work out with any continuity spend evenings and weekends at a gym …not always an appealing idea. It’s… Read More

“Nestle in with each other now,” says the instructor. “Remember, these steps were originally danced in a kitchen.” The five other dancers in my group and I crowd closer together. Around us are the sounds of an Irish pub – glasses clinking, wooden chairs scraping over stone floors. Next to the small stage, someone’s painted a quote by Irish nationalist James Connolly on the wall: “No revolutionary movement is complete without its poetic expression.” As the fiddler strikes up the tune and… Read More

“Their hip hop yoga classes are packed, you should check them out,” an enthusiastic yogi friend said of Maha Yoga, on San Vincente and 26th Street in Brentwood. I was dubious; my hip hop moves were a little rusty, to say the least, and besides, isn’t hip hop the antithesis of yoga? Maha Yoga perches innocuously on the second floor of a mini-mall. I made it there twenty minutes early for the 6 pm Level 2-3 Vinyasa Flow class with Tom Morley, and already there was no place to sit; the two small… Read More

It's no accident that terms like joie de vivre, je ne sais quoi, and hors d'oeuvres have come into the English lexicon in their original form. They represent a philosophy on living that the French do best. When I interviewed French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure author Mireille Giuliano last year, her common sense approach to eating and living well caused a chain reaction in me, the result of which is my love for everything French, especially the superb way they eat. The… Read More

I looked around at the motley crew. Would an outsider be able to guess our common endeavor? We were seventeen women, three men, in our twenties through fifties, of sundry backgrounds and occupations. The sari-wrapped Ayurvedic healer, the talkative schoolteacher, the timid social worker, the surfer-girl musician, the French dancer, the recovering investment banker who didn't seem to blink much, a couple writers, a smattering of us strategically unemployed. Bodies short and tall, generously rounded,… Read More

Los Angeles has long had a bit of a reputation for being a big city that lacks comparable culture. But naysayers clearly haven't looked around town lately. Of course entertainment takes center stage around here and there is no shortage of concert venues or theater, including the home of the Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. World-famous Walt Disney Concert Hall, impressively designed by Frank Gehry, is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic for part of their annual season, but the music center… Read More

Speaking another language—grasping the grammar, pronunciation, tone, inflection and emphasis—helps with understanding the way others think and perceive the world in which we live. It becomes a lesson in empathy, a sharing in culture and customs. "Learning a language can give you a different picture of the world," said Andrea Di Gennaro, founder and director of Seattle Languages International. "The world doesn't end at the borders. It's a complex mosaic of people who have to live together. To be… Read More