Lifelong Dance with Stewart/Owen Dance
Ages 55+

Henry LaBrun Studio at the Wortham Center

This class celebrates the connection between movement and music and encourages joyful exploration. Participants will stretch and move through guided warm-ups and exercises, strengthening the brain-body connection. Geared towards movers 55+, this class is accessible to participants with movement restrictions or chronic injuries. No prior dance experience is required.

(click on dropdown for dates & registration)

January

February

March

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About the instructors

Karen Ninos Carpenter is a professional teacher and choreographer committed to sharing the art of dance with students since 1970. After training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) and American Ballet Theatre School, she went on to become a member of the City Center Joffrey Ballet Company, where she served as personal assistant to Robert Joffrey. She accompanied Mr. Joffrey on the company’s ground-breaking 5-week tour of Russia in 1974.

Karen served on the faculty at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet from 1982-2020, she founded the Alfred Ballet Academy in Alfred, NY, founded the Campbelltown School of Ballet in Campbelltown, PA and the Hershey School of Ballet in Hershey, PA. Karen served on the dance faculty at Alfred University in Alfred, NY, and Hagerstown Community College in Hagerstown, MD.

From 2017 to 2022, Karen worked in collaboration with Heather Maloy of Terpsicorps Dance Theater to build an academic ballet program for serious young dancers. Karen is currently a faculty member at WNC Dance Academy where she teaches in the newly-formed repertory company.

Jamie Brege-DeVito is a dance educator, choreographer, teacher trainer, and collaborative artist based in Asheville, North Carolina. Prior to moving to Asheville, Jamie served as Assistant Principal for Boston Ballet School, where she taught, choreographed, and worked closely with school leadership, faculty, students, and families to ensure a high-quality dance education experience for students of all ages and abilities.

Jamie earned her BFA from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College SUNY. Jamie holds a Master of Arts in Dance Education, Ballet Pedagogy from New York University. She is an ABT® Certified Teacher through the ABT® National Training Curriculum, Pre-primary through Level 7 and Partnering. Jamie’s teaching credits include Boston Ballet School, Grand Rapids Ballet School, Purchase College SUNY, Boston University, Dean College, Endicott College, and Lasell University. Jamie co-created, and will continue to lead, Adaptive Dance Teacher Trainings for Boston Ballet School in Boston and at schools and organizations around the country. Jamie currently serves as Artistic Director of WNC Dance Academy’s repertory company.