Adult ed courses for mind and body
Close up of a hand holding a kettlebell during the Iron Body Power class which uses kettlebells at Equinox Gym. (Jan. 2, 2009) Credit: Newsday/Karen Wiles Stabile
Now that the kids - yours or the ones down the block - have gone back to school, maybe it's time for you to do it, too.
Don't panic. We're not suggesting advanced calculus or anything like that. But there are plenty of fascinating, offbeat fields of knowledge being taught right here on Long Island - from continuing ed courses at your neighborhood school to adult enrichment courses at your local college campus.
Whether you want to improve your body (with a newer trend in fitness: kettlebells, anyone?) or your mind, there's a place to find what you seek.
Who says learning is limited to the very young?
On-camera TV commercial workshop
WHEN | WHERE 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 16-Nov. 20, Art Council Carriage House, 141 E. Main St., Riverhead
INFO 631-369-2171, eastendarts.org
COST $270
The subtitle of this workshop, led by Kathleen Furey, a coach/director/producer/casting director, is "Turn your talent into a paycheck!" Both newbies and experienced actors will learn how to audition on camera, "create a strong, unique character" and more.
Think British . . . speak Yiddish!
WHEN | WHERE 10-11:30 a.m. Wednesdays, Oct. 6-Nov. 10, Hofstra University Continuing Education, University Hall, Hempstead
INFO 516-463-7200, ce.hofstra.edu
COST $99
Al Grand, 80, a retired elementary schoolteacher from North Bellmore, has had a lifetime love affair with the witty operas of Gilbert & Sullivan - so much so, that he's translated many of them into Yiddish.
"Di Yam Gazlonim!" - his translation of "The Pirates of Penzance" - was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for best musical revival. "I lost to Stephen Sondheim," Grand said, sighing.
It'll be the first time Grand has tried to teach Yiddish through G & S. "It's a labor of love," he says.
Kapow! From pulp fiction to Google books
WHEN | WHERE Film series: 8-10 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 30-Oct. 14; Symposium: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 22, Hofstra University's Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater (Axinn Library), Hempstead
INFO 516-463-5669, hofstra.edu/culture
COST Free
To help celebrate Hofstra's 75th birthday, librarians decided to explore another landmark from 1935: pulp fiction. "Now, we look back at pulp fiction almost as an art form," says Geri Solomon, assistant dean of special collections at the Axinn Library.
The film series, followed by discussions led by Hofstra profs, features "The Big Sleep," "Danger: Diabolik" and "Princess Mononoke." The symposium will be led by scholars familiar with comic books to the Internet.
Kettlebell training
WHEN | WHERE 8:15-9:15 p.m. Tuesdays for eight sessions starting Sept. 28; South Side High School, 140 Shepherd St., Rockville Centre
INFO 516-255-8920, www.rvcschools.org (in-person registration at South Side High School 6-8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday nights)
COST $70 for nonresidents
They look a bit like cannonballs with handles, and swinging them around could be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing - but kettlebells have been a Russian fitness staple for years. The training combines cardio with resistance and core training and is supposed to burn - gasp! - 1,200 calories per hour.
Casino games
WHEN | WHERE 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 5-19, Nassau Community College, Garden City
INFO 516-572-7472, ncc.edu/lifelonglearning
COST $45 (registration deadline: Sept. 16)
Taught by Tom Timchek of the mathematics department, this intro to casino gambling includes an analysis of blackjack and craps - and students will learn "optimum playing techniques."
Magic as a hobby
WHEN | WHERE 7-9 p.m. Thursdays, eight sessions starting Oct. 7, Nassau Community College
INFO 516-572-7472, ncc.edu/lifelonglearning
COST $90, plus $15 materials fee (registration deadline: Sept. 16)
Start with the stuff of common tricks such as playing cards, move on to more unusual props "and mathematical oddities." Instructor John Lepre is a professional magician.
Don Duga, Animation Workshops
WHEN | WHERE Animation 101: 6-8 p.m. Thursdays, Oct. 7-21; Holiday Special: 5:30-8 p.m. Thursdays, Dec. 2-9, both at the Art Council Carriage House, 141 E. Main St., Riverhead
INFO 631-369-2171, eastendarts.org
COST $90 for animation; $75 for Holiday Special
Duga, an artist who worked on iconic cartoons such as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman,” will bring his well-honed expertise to teaching two courses, in which students will develop their animation skills by working on a short project.
