Clarkstown Community Learning Center Offers Programs For Young to Young-At-Heart (VIDEO)

The Clarkstown Community Learning Center (CLC) marked its fifth year by sharing its participants’ talents and interests with the public during Tuesday’s .  The CLC’s Zumba class is one of the most popular, filling up quickly each session with people being turned away.  As they performed a brief routine, the enthusiasm of the 20 dancers was evident.

“Beverly is the best Zumba instructor ever,” said one student about Beverly Abercrombie.

CLC Director Marion Abruco said “She (Beverly) brought Zumba to Clarkstown.”

Abercrombie of New City has taught the class for the past three and a half years and has women signing up each time it is offered.  She called them her “frequent flyers” because some have been taking the hour-long class since she began teaching it.  Abercrombie knows why they enjoy the class.

“It’s a dancing workout but you don’t have to think about the steps,” said Abercrombie.  “You don’t have to be a dancer.” 

Also getting people’s attention were the dozens of paintings and watercolors displayed in the lobby of Clarkstown South High School   CLC participant Frank Saueglia said the variety of classes gives people a chance to explore their interests. 

“I think this program is ideal for someone like myself,” said Saueglia, a retiree.  “The program is excellent.  I’ve taken the ballroom dancing, the salsa, piano, the art.”

Artists from high school age students to senior citizens created the exhibited works.  John Fragale of Bardonia has taught oil painting for the past five years.

He teaches two styles of painting: classical or realistic and impressionism.  He has all students draw the same shapes and goes step-by-step explaining concepts, techniques, complimentary colors, details and reflections.  The final results vary.

“Because of individuality, you will see differences among the pictures,” said Fragale.

Bob Nemser has been a photography and video instructor with the program for three years.  His classes of about 12 students from high school age through senior citizens deal mostly with still photography.

“I teach a beginner (class), then there’s an intermediate, then for those brave souls there’s a boot camp,” he said. 

Information and registration was available for holiday/winter break camps for elementary and middle school students.  The CLC offers several three-day camps at the Felix Festa Middle School. The camps run from Tuesday, December 27 through Thursday, December 29 with Friday, December 30 as a snow makeup day if necessary.

The camps are:

• Reading Rockets Mini-Camp for first through third graders from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $150
• Front Page News from third through fifth graders from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $150
• Acting and Improv Workshop for sixth through eighth graders from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for  $75
• Mad Science Secret Agent Lab for first through fifth grades from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for $100
• Mad Science Ancient Adventures & Buried Bones for first through fifth grades from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for $100
• Both Mad Science camps from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $180

The CLC held raffle drawings for discounts on SAT prep classes, free SAT prep classes, a free driver’s education class and a free winner’s choice CLC class.

The next session of the Community Learning Center begins January 9.  The brochure for the new classes will be available during the first week in December.  The winter session runs six weeks.