Lewes Senior Activity Center offers full lineup of classes

A full schedule of daily active classes has resumed at the Lewes Senior Activity Center. Offerings include tai chi, yoga, line dancing, tap dancing, dance fitness, strength and balance, ball and band, cardio blast, Zumba and cooking classes.

Current instructors include Joshua Beaver, Barbara Dutch, Janet DeFeo, Marion Fetheroff, Susan Hamadock, Judy Hayes, Judy Impell, Chef David Nolker and Pamm Pauley.

Joshua Beaver teaches LaBlast Dance Fitness, a partner-free workout for beginning and experienced dancers. The fitness program, featuring a diverse mix of famous ballroom dances, was created by world-renowned dancer and fitness expert Louis Van Amstel, who has appeared on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Beaver has extensive dance training including a bachelor of arts degree from the Boston Conservatory and three seasons as a first soloist and choreographer at the Teatrul de Balet Sibiu in Romania. He was a featured soloist in the Dayton Ballet in Ohio, has toured nationally and internationally, and most recently appeared in the Broadway musical “An American in Paris.”

Janet DeFeo is currently teaching Yang style tai chi at the center. She is certified in tai chi for arthritis, fall prevention, and qigong for health from Dr. Lam’s Tai Chi for Health Institute. She also trained with and is certified by Silver Lotus Training Institute where she continues to study on a regular basis.  Her interest in health and fitness can be traced back to her career in the medical field as a radiology and ultrasound technician.

Barbara Dutch teaches beginners’ tap dancing. Formerly from New York, she has lived in Lewes for five years, has been dancing for 40 years and was a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall for three years. In the near future, she plans to reinstate ballroom dancing class.  

Marion Fetheroff has been teaching line dancing classes at the center for many years. A resident of Lewes for 35 years, she was an educator and administrator for the State of Delaware for 36 years until her retirement in 2013. She has taught line dancing in Sussex County at various venues and events.

Susan Hamadock currently offers a tai chi and qigong teacher training program as well as community classes at the center. She is the founder and program director of Silver Lotus Training Institute and has been teaching tai chi and qigong for 18 years.  She has also taught yoga for 28 years and developed a professional-level yoga teacher training program at the 200- and 500-hour levels. She has trained psychotherapists in holistic approaches to mental health for National Association of Social Workers. She has been teaching tai chi and qigong at the center for many years

Judy Hayes teaches tai chi and qigong for arthritis at the center. She is certified by the Silver Lotus Training Institute in tai chi for arthritis and fall prevention, and the Yang 24 Forms. She continues to study qigong, tai chi for rehabilitation, the Sun 73 Forms, tai chi for diabetes and more. Hayes has worked in a helping field for over 30 years, first as a teacher and then as a middle school counselor. She was honored as Delaware’s School Counselor of the Year in 2016.

Judy Impell has been teaching gentle yoga at the center for the past five years. Her classes on yoga for seniors address many of the challenges older people face, including sore joints, stress, flexibility, balance and mindfulness. A lifelong educator, Impell took up yoga in 2012 when she moved to Delaware after retiring. Her work emphasizes helping others achieve their best and helping people of any age lead fuller, better lives.

Chef David Nolker has been teaching cooking classes at the center. His past menus have included vegetarian lentil soup, chicken and shrimp vegetable soup, oatmeal chocolate squares and mango cottage cheese salad. He is certified in culinary education and has earned the LCGI professional recognition award.

Pamm Pauley teaches strength and balance, cardio blast, ball and band, and Zumba at the center. She is a fitness professional with more than 20 years of group exercise experience. Her goal is to help others to improve their health and well-being. Pauley’s strength and balance class is targeted at improving muscular strength using weight-bearing exercises and improving balance using everyday functional tasks. Cardio blast classes are for those wanting more of an adult boot camp experience with drills for muscular strength, push-ups, sit-ups, squats and burpees. Ball and band class is for those who want less impact on their joints; it focuses on working all muscles using resistance. Her Zumba class focuses on a fun way to burn calories and get those steps in using rhythms of all genres. Pauley also plans to add a yoga flow and strength class in the near future.

The center is now open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily at 32083 Janice Road in Lewes and follows state COVID-19 guidelines. It promotes health and wellness for individuals 50 or older, offering fitness and exercise classes, arts and crafts classes, social get-togethers, affordable travel and community service opportunities. Additional activities currently offered include ceramics and mahjong, canasta, pinochle and Scrabble games. 

For more information, go to lewesseniorcenter.org.