Golf Maine Park District Dance Classes to Present "Twinkling Stars of 2015" Recital

Young and Old Enjoy Dance as a Lifelong Pursuit

All are welcome to attend the “Twinkling Stars of 2015” dance recital hosted by the Golf Maine Park District (GMPD) on Friday, June 19, starting at 7:30 p.m. at Apollo School, 10100 Dee Rd., Des Plaines. The performance will highlight the talents of 35 GMPD students performing 14 dance numbers. Admission is free.

Under the skilled and gentle instruction of Sandria Dajani over the past 20+ years, GMPD students from ages three years old to adults as old as 72 have learned the fun and health benefits of dance. “I see dance as a natural human instinct done in all parts of the world to express many emotions and, at times, to tell a story,” says Dajani. “There are many benefits of learning to dance especially with ballet in terms of gaining maximum strength, flexibility, balance and speed. That’s why many professional athletes in soccer, football, boxing and other sports study ballet in particular.”

She adds ballet’s total body movement literally is from the finger tips and head to the toes. Dajani would know since she has studied, performed and taught dance starting at age three. She has performed and studied with many top names in various dance styles from ballet, tap, jazz, flamenco and others.

Prior performances at GMPD have included Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and other well-known stories set to dance. This year’s theme of “Twinkling Stars” reflects Dajani’s believes that “everyone has a star within them. The work of the dance teacher is to find it and help it shine.” As GMPD’s Dance Director, she has done that for decades with much success and the admiration of hundreds of students some of whom return to her after college or even later in life.

Born and raised in England, Dajani started studying dance at age 4. She later traveled to America and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Dance and Theatre at the University of Illinois Chicago. She also has a Master’s Degree in Business Communications from Northwestern University. She has taught at Fred Astaire Studios in Niles and Tinley Park. She currently also teaches privately in Wheeling.

Danjani has also tried her hand at movie acting. She had a leading role of Sylvia in “Unfinished Business” which premiered at The Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge in 2011 and was later shown at a film festival in Naperville. She notes that another movie by the same name came out more recently. For her acting accomplishments, she is in the International Movie Database which lists actors and actresses who have achieved recognition in the field.

Typically, her students regularly get involved in high school and college programs such as the Orchesis at Maine East High School or perform with the Pom Pom squad. Dance provides a lifetime of happy memories and enjoyment, Danjani reclaims.

GMPD classes are offered in ballet, tap, modern, Latin, ballroom and other styles. Classes are also offered in Indian dance but taught by another instructor, Ruth Varghese. Her students have performed at the Maine Township National Night Out and elsewhere.

For more information about all dance classes or other GMPD activities including summer camps call 847-297-3000 or visit www.gmpd.org.