PAGE 22, WHITBY FREEPRESS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4,1987 Murray dance lessons'For everyday person' Mu ay e, le 'sessions.d Coliege twentieth GREG PLUMMER and Anne-Marie Fournier strike a dance pose at Whitby's Arthur Murray dance studio. Both are students. SPRUCE VILLA HOTEL DURHAM REGION'S EXCLUSIVE HOME OF THE STARS The Finest Live Entertainment to Serve You NO COVER, NO MINIMUM 20 BEA UTIFUL GIRLS TO ENTERTAIN YOU In mid-January, dance instruc- tors and students at 255 Arthur Murray studios around the world raised a glass in tribute to the 75 years since Murray opened the first studio in New York in 1923. One of those instructors was Sylvianne Fournier, who opened Durham Region's first studio just north of the Four Corners in Whitby in September last year, on the eve of the 75th. "They're not Fred Astaires, but they can hold their own," she says of studio graduates. "Dan- cing here is geared for the everyday person, not for the talented few." Anyone can learn to ballroom dance, says Fournier, 37, poin- ting out that people up to 80 have become students. A bronze medal in the studio program, comparable to a high school diploma, can enable one "to dan- ce to any music, with anybody," she says. "He or she is a good, comfortable dancer." Instruction progresses through student introductory programs, to general variety programs, to associate and full programs in bronze, silver, gold and gold bar standards. From bronze up, courses are for more advanced dancing. A silver can be compared to a college or university degree, gold to a post-graduate degree, says Fournier. Gold bars are for' professionals, the "top-notch per- formers." Two of Fournier's students in Whitby have passed preliminary bronze exams. Assisting Four- nier in instruction is Lorie Ricci of Whitby, an Arthur Murray alumnus. Students are placed in in- dividual programs "to suit their own needs." Some just want to learn to dance, others may aspire to comrpetition. A combination of private and semi-private lessons are given, as well as group Thereare also student-teacher Party practices - "We try to duplicate nightclub dancing," says Fournier. There are even occasional nights out on the town on one's toes, thatis. Fournier had a studio for seven years in her hometown of Tim- minsbut decided later to further her study beyond her tap dance teaching level. She earned a degree in dance at York University while working at the Arthur Murray studio in Toronto. Describing herself as a silver level graduate, she also took a special course, which in- cluded Indonesian dancing, at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia: "It was strange. I guess itwould be close to modern dance," she recalls. Students learn all styles of ballroom dancing, including the fox trot, cha cha, samba, waltz, rumba, tango, merengue, mam- bo, swing and hustle. "It's hard to say which are the most popular," she says, pointing out that it's best to learn alnf them. "When you go out, the band is not going to just play the waltz." Both couples and singles make up her student body. "People don't have to corne with a partner. Their teacher is their partner., She also says the scheduling of lessons at the studio is flexible to accommodate people who work shifts. She recently began a $39 package which includes two hours of private instruction, an hour of group instruction and a party practice. Arthur Murray studios in- cluding Whitby's now make use of video replay for special training and to monitor progress of those hitch kicks, promenades, choppers, sweethearts and other steps that color the various dances. Creative fun for your little ones When the weather is unsuitable for outdoor play in winter, moms and others who work with young children will appreciate "Creative Fun For Your Little Ones," a new reference book containing ideas for crafts, games and activities to keep youngsters creatively occupied. The three Oshawa/ Whitby area authors • Donna Harris, Marlene Jackson and Carole Keys - felt the need for such a reference book after many years of speaking to young mothers' groups from Brampton to Peter- borough. Keys and Jackson are co-owners of Creative Fun for Little Ones, an Oshawa-based company which supplies arts, crafts and educational materials to various in- stitutions, nursery schools, day-care cen- tres and individuals Harris is the previous owner of the company. Through their speaking engagements, they found many paren- ts and home care givers who are making a real effort to provide fun and stimulating activities for their children but who need some guidan- ce in choosing suitable materials and techniques. For example: Which type of paint is most suitable for young children to use? What is the difference between construction and poster paper? What can you do with broken bits of crayon (besides throwing them in ^the garbage)? What other types of creative ac- tivities, apart from arts and crats, can you provide at home for young children? Mothers who have shied away from doing creative activities at home with their children, because they believe it means a lot of trouble, expense and mess, will also benefit from the book. The illustrated 70-page book explains why creative activities are important for children as well as giving tips on how to minimize the mess and expense. While the book con- tains many craft suggestions,.it is much more than a craft book. The authors hope it will also be used like a cook- book. It contains recipes for various doughs, information on how to vary the con- sistency and appearan- ce of paint, where to ob- tain salvage papers and how to use materials everyone has around the house to provide in- teresting and fun ac- tivities for children. anniversary- Durham College will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in the fall of 1987. In conjunction with this the Durham 'Y College Alumni Association is organizing a weekend reunion. The reunion will take place Oct. 9 and 10 1987 and the association has planned many special events. A gala event will wind up the reunion at the Oshawa Civic Auditorium on the Saturday night. The association was formed in the spring of 1986 by 12 Durham graduates. Their obje. tives are to keep graduates informed of coilege and alumni news, build a sense of ,unity among alumni of ail ages and provide contact for employmeqt and social purposes. Graduates wishing fo advise the association of their current address for mailing of registration kits and updating of their recor- ds can call Ann Clayton, at the College, at 576- 0210 ext. 497. Better first aid training from St. Johns St. John Ambulance has developed a new, shorter, more flexible approach to first aid training. Called modular -first aid; the, new courses are designed to meet the needs of a more technological and ser- vice industry-oriented society. Offering maximum choice and flexibility in course op- tions, modular first aid lets the individual or in- dustry group select the course content that best 1 suits their needs. St. John Ambulance,, designed and developed i the courses in con- sultation with accident prevention an'd safety associations, industry, government and the non-profit sector, under the guidance of - the medical advisory com- mittee. The new first aid twhih hveta stng which have a strong safety-orientation fea- ture dramatic, realistic t accident and treatment segments that are, designed to enhance the prevention of accidents and to promote safer work habits. Three years in the making, these new first aid courses focus or teaching the skills and, knowledge people needj. to handle the emergen r cies they are most likell to encounter at home, ir, the community or in th% workplace. Most branches of St John Ambulance in On tario are now gearing up to offer the new courses to.their communities. INSURANCE COSTS SOARINGI! BEFORE YOU RENEW YOUR AUTO OR HOME INSURANCE, CALL AND COMPARE.... For a complete Insurance review, call and arrange a mutually convenient appointment ...Of course there la no obligation PETER DI LELLO 24 RESOLUTE CRESCENT WHITBY 666-2090W MR CANADA AUTO-HOME-LIFE-GROUP-DISABILITY-RRSP Free Press photo 1