The City will Celebrate our 30th Anniversary 

incorporation efforts as well as the City's Founders.   

• Tot Track & Field (ages 3-5)
• Volleyball (ages 9-12)
• Art: Plein Air (ages 18 and up)
• Photography classes (ages 14 and up):
  • Getting to Know Your Digital Camera
  • Basic Settings
  • Digital Photography
  • Art of Composition & Design
  • Holiday Card Photography
  • Wines & Vines w/ Captain Vineyards (ages 21 and up)
  • Spanish Conversation through Film (ages 18 and up)

Weekly Instructor Spotlight            

The Orinda Parks and Recreation Department strives to better the lives of residents of the Orinda community now and in the future by offering access to the serenity and inspiration of nature, outdoor spaces to play and exercise, facilities for self-directed and organized recreation, positive alternatives for youth, and activities that facilitate social connections, human development, the arts, and lifelong learning. To help cultivate this type of environment the City contracts with remarkable independent instructors who can provide specialized programs and classes. We will be "spotlighting" one instructor per week.

 

Chris and David at the  Avalon Ballroom on Catalina Island

 

This week, we'd like to introduce you to 

Social Dance Instructors Chris Mehling and David Kelso. 

They answered a few questions for us we wanted to share.

 

1) How did you become interested in the subject your class focuses on? 

Back in the '80s, we went to see a live stage production of "Tango Argentino" and were really impressed by some of the older dancers.  They were slightly overweight and appeared un-athletic, but they turned into magical creatures the moment they danced.  In our naiveté, we thought, "We could do that," but of course, these older dancers only made it look easy because they were so skilled.  It was that naïve belief that inspired us to begin dance lessons and eventually become dance teachers.

                                                                                                                                                                                         

2) What experience do you have teaching this subject?                                                                      

We started teaching in January 2004.  However, unlike most dance teachers, we were never competitive dancers nor did we train in a traditional dance studio.  We became "accidental" teachers when our Social Dance teachers retired and suggested that we take over their classes.  "Why not?" we thought.  We discovered that we enjoyed teaching, so we continued, and have been teaching for over ten years.  Note: This class was started at the Orinda Community Center in 1978/79 and has been continuously taught for the last 35 years! The first instructor was Davitt Kasdan, 1979-99, who was our teacher, and the next were Jerry & Barbara August, who taught from 1999-2003.

 

3) What is your favorite part about what you teach?                                                           

Believe it or not, it's more fun for us to teach struggling beginners than to teach someone who has an aptitude for dance, as such people mostly teach themselves.  For us, seeing students who've struggled to learn a step finally "get it" is the most gratifying part of teaching.

 

4) What do you hope students will learn/gain from your class?

Ideally, they will gain confidence.  Good posture is another collateral benefit, and studies have shown that learning a new skill keeps you mentally young.  If our students discover that dancing is fun, they'll look forward to learning more, and they'll have acquired a skill that will give them a lot of pleasure for the rest of their lives. In their first lesson, our students will learn that they dance with their chest, not their feet; the feet are only along for the ride.

 

5) Are there any other fun facts that you would like to share?

We love to travel places to dance. This past May we went to the Avalon Ballroom on Catalina Island to dance at the Annual Art Deco Society Ball.