Castro Valley Performing Arts Starts Classes for Dancers With Special Needs

is now offering dance classes for students with special needs.

It held its first class on Saturday, Feb. 4 with half a dozen students.

The hour-long class will continue each Saturday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the .

Students are taught street-style, hip hop dance made popular by music videos.

Classes help the dancer loosen up, learn new body movements and have loads of fun. All music is age-appropriate. Tennis shoes required. 

The class is taught by Jennifer Elmashni and Connie Lekas Lecatsas.

• Jennifer Elmashni has over 20 years of dance experience in tap, jazz, hip-hop, and ballet. Jennifer attended UCLA as a dance major, where she was also Artistic Director for the Los Angeles based, international hip-hop organization, Culture Shock. In 2003, Jennifer moved to New York City to attend Columbia University, where she later performed with Culture Shock New York and founded the New York City based Future Shock performance company. Her classes are upbeat, fun and provide a unique urban flair for all ages.

• Connie Lekas Lecatsas has worked in the in Special Education for thirty years. She works with children of special needs on a daily basis. Presently, her home school is Alma Preschool.

Extra-curricular opportunities such as local festival performances and a yearly recital will be made available to the students in our program through Castro Valley Performing Arts.

Classes are offered in a four week session and are ongoing.

Cost: $40.00 per session, payable by the first lesson of each session to Castro Valley Performing Arts.

For more information and to register for the class, please call Castro Valley Performing Arts at 510-581-DANCE (3262) or visit its website at castrovalleyperformingarts.com