Spreading their love of dance

Published 11:19 am Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Dancers at Grebel Dance in Pelham plan to make room on the ballet bar for novice ballerinas next week in honor of the World Dance Day April 29.

The studio will offer free classes to the community April 27–May 2.

“We just want to reach out in this little way,” Debbie Grebel said. “We hope to create an awareness in the community, not just of our place, but of dance in itself.”

Grebel Dance offers everything from adult Pilates to a praise and worship dance class. Debbie Grebel said many people might think they have physical issues that hinder them from dancing, but she said that’s not the case.

“Even someone in a wheelchair can participate in dance,” Grebel said. “Our studio is handicapped accessible and if they want to do ballet or do hip-hop, they can do so through the movement of their arms.”

Grebel said she hopes anyone who has a spark of interest will take advantage of the opportunity.

“It’s important not just for recreational purposes, but also for artistic development of children and adults,” Grebel said. “We have people who come in for our beginners adult ballet class. They do it for exercise, they do it for flexibility.”

Parents can also expect their kids to gain an understanding of discipline from dance classes.

“We try to remain relaxed in our classes, but still the students understand there is a discipline to it,” Grebel said. “They will carry that with them into whatever they do the rest of their lives.”

The Grebels ask that anyone interested in participating in a class pre–register. They said no one would be turned away. Anyone can view or jump in and take part in classes.

Some examples of classes offered are: creative movement, ballet for beginners, intermediate/advanced ballet, adult ballet, lyrical, praise and worship, and jazz.