Grand Opening of Inner Grace Dance

Registration has begun for children and teen ballet, tap, hip hop, creative movement, musical theater and lyrical dance at Inner Grace, a new dance studio currently running classes at the Chatham Fish & Game Club on Fairmount Avenue in Chatham Borough.

The classes are geared toward children ages 2 to 16 and will run for 16 weeks starting the week of January 30, said Connie Jesse, founder of Inner Grace who recently left the Madison YMCA where she was a dance teacher for nine years.

Jesse, who studied dance at Rutgers University, will teach the pre-school and young school age classes and organize day to day operations of the school.

Other teachers include Carol Baumgartner, former dance director at the Madison YMCA who will teach Creative Movement; Casey Quinlan Ury, lyrical senior crew, hip hop senior crew and ballet, tap and jazz for preschoolers.  Crew is Inner Grace's performing troupe.  Cassandra Baumgartner, who has an Associates degree in Fine Arts and Dance from County College of Morris and performs with Rock Roulette Productions, will teach hip hop, jazz and cheer/hip hop classes.  Both Ury and Cassandra Baumgartner have also studied at the Broadway Dance Center in New York Cit and were cheerleaders with the AFL, professional football league.

"I love working with children and am exicted to pursue this opportunity," said Jesse who lives in Chatham with her husband and three children.  "We ran a few classes this past fall in order to see if the space at Fish & Game was suitable and found that we all love teaching in the space.  It is large, the dance floor is safe to dance on, parking is ample and there is even a lounge for parents to wait in."

Jesse said the mission at Inner Grace was "building self-esteem through the arts.  We want all of our dancers to feel good about themselves and learn to just experience the joy of dance in a non-competitive atmosphere."

Cost for the sixteen-week session is $240.  Classes run one hour.  For more information visit the website, www.innergracedance.com or Facebook site, Inner Grace Dance or call (201)274-6660. Registration forms can be printed off the website and sent directly to Inner Grace.