What better way to beat the summer heat than expanding your knowledge with classes from a great local organization? Here, we make it easy with top offerings from across the region.
Barre Boutique at Richmond Ballet—This affiliate workout studio offers a fun way to sculpt and shape your body through dance-based workouts. Options range from classical ballet training to Bollywood dance and modern expressionism. RichmondBallet.com
Richmond Art Center—Explore arts and crafts at one of the city’s hippest art hubs. Choose from an expansive lineup that includes drawing, landscape painting, ceramics, weaving, relief printing, and more. RichmondArtCenter.org
Mise En Place, Richmond—Up your cooking game with hands-on instruction from pro chefs in a restaurant-quality, downtown kitchen. Options like “A Night in Greece” explore regional cuisines—in this case, Mediterranean—and teach skills that go beyond a single dish. MiseEnPlaceRVa.com
The Alliance Française de Charlottesville—Learn the language or level-up your skills with expert local Francophiles. Conversation-based lessons for adults and kids focus on honing your ability to speak in real life situations. FrenchCville.org
The Center Charlottesville—This ain’t your grandma’s adult learning: Robust educational offerings cover everything from ballroom dancing, beginner guitar, Mediterranean-diet-style cooking, to Chinese brush painting. TheCenterCville.org
Rise Up Climbing, Lynchburg—Get a full-body workout learning to boulder and high-wall rock-climb with seasoned experts in a fully renovated, climate-controlled building in historic downtown Lynchburg. RiseUpClimbing.com
Academy Center of the Arts, Lynchburg—The downtown arts hub and performance venue also offers top-of-the-line educational programming that includes acting-centric gems like comedic storytelling, improv, and voice acting. AcademyCenter.org
This article originally appeared in the Best of Virginia 2024 issue.
