Creative Movements
Creative Movements is a dance program for children and young adults with special needs. Our students experience the joy and excitement of dancing and self expression through different types of dance, such as hip hop, jazz, Zumba, and ballet. The students are interacting with other students and their teachers, while building on their communication, social skills, and self confidence. Students work on improving physical strength, coordination, posture, flexibility, lung capacity, rhythm, and of course dance moves while just having fun! At the end of each session, fall and spring, the students have a performance, showcasing what they have learned throughout their classes. These will include the Festival of Lights in downtown Naples in November and the final spring performance in May.
Ages 4-11: The early childhood dance class focuses on stretching and floor exercises, ballet movements on the bar, dance movements with creative play, vocabulary, musicality and rhythm.
Where: Naples Academy of Ballet
When: Saturdays 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
How much: $40 per month
Ages 12-21: The pre-teen to young adult dance class focuses on exercising, technique, learning different styles of dance, dance vocabulary, and self confidence. At the end of each session the students get to showcase the choreography they have learned through out the year into a performance.
Where: Naples Academy of Ballet
When: Saturdays 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
How much: $50 per month
*Scholarships are available!
Contact information:
Director: Thea Mourselas
e-mail:outreach@naplesballet.org
Naples Ballet: 239-732-1000
Cell phone: 734-674-8059
MartinaPLANAVSKA - Director of Outreach Programming
Ms. AntheaMOURSELAS - Director of Creative Movements
Ms. Anthea (Thea) Mourselas has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, with minors in early childhood education, science, mathematics, and integrated creative arts from Western Michigan University. She has her teacher certifications is both the state of Michigan and Florida in Elementary and Early Childhood Education. She is currently working at the Boys and Girls Club here in Naples teaching the Math Matters program. She taught first grade in a private English emersion school in Mexico and third grade in Honduras where she worked with special needs children in inclusive classroom settings. She is now going back to school for her master’s degree in occupation therapy to be able to continue working with special needs children as a therapist. Ms. Thea has classical ballet training and tap, and has continued to take dance classes through out her life as well is a certified Zumba instructor. She has a passion for dance and working with children and enjoys sharing this passion with her students in the Creative Movements classes here at Naples Ballet.
Ms. AylaPALFREY- Assistant Director of Creative Movements
Ms. Ayla Palfrey is a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She has background in ballet and was educated by the Scranton Ballet Theatre in Pennsylvania. Her love for the arts and ballet started as a young child and has continued into her adulthood. She is in the process of continuing her education in Florida with a master’s degree in occupational therapy. Her skills and knowledge of both ballet and psychology are incorporated into the Creative Movements program we offer here at the Naples Ballet.