The Garden City Community Park Tennis Facility will be closed starting Monday, Sept. 9 in order to get the courts ready for the contract season. The facility will reopen on Sunday, Sept. 22. All seasonal contracts will begin that week. The 2002 recreation department's summer soccer camp recently concluded its 23rd season. The 440 participants enjoyed learning new soccer skills, making friends and having lots of fun. The following campers posted the best times on the camp obstacle course:

Week 1						Week 2
Courtney Studdert					Kathryn McDougal
Nicole Miesemer					Tiffany Rousakis
Meghan Raphael					Raquel Ortiz
Mary Glenn						Liesl Jaye
Peter Kerantzas					Carney Mahon
Carney Mahon					Timothy Halaby
Anthony Preziosi					Jack Doyle
Patrick Murphy					Chris Gallic
Colleen Way					Kyle Ritchie
Barbara Sullivan					Samantha McHugh
Caroline Tarzian					Mikaela Rix
Kaitlin Newlin-Wagner				Meghan Cuneo
Katie Minnicken					Tara Mahon
Colleen Mullin					Caitlin McGuinness
Terrence Connelly				Frederick Hoefer-Angiuli
Ben Hall						Ken Ritchie
Brian Pearn						Luna Mishoe
Simon Fraser					Katie D'Antonio
Irene Frantzis					Erin Brennan
Ryan Raphael					Akito Yamashita
Akito Yamashita

The recreation department is pleased to give residents a preview of this year's dance program, open to children aged 4 and up who are residents of the village. The department welcomes two new dance directors: Felicia Lovaglio and Jen Gigante, who have created new, innovative classes. Residents will see several new offerings and age groupings available. Registration and fees for these exciting classes will be announced in an upcoming Garden City Life.

A description and tentative schedule of classes is listed below. Please note that starting this year there will be a strict adherence to the age and grade groupings. All children must be 4 years old at the start of the class.

The type of dance classes being offered include:

Ballet: The basis of all dance. This classical technique helps to promote an awareness of body placement and discipline while developing poise and grace.

Modern Dance: Based on the Martha Graham and Lester Horton techniques, this program features free movement with a structure.

Hip Hop Jazz: Based on the Charles Kelly technique, this program promotes a better knowledge of how the body moves using isolations accompanied by today's popular music.

Tap: Make some noise while learning fun techniques that also allows a better understanding of musical notes and rhythms.

Creative Movement: In this introduction to dance, move and play to music, learning while using the imagination.

Combo Classes: A shorter version of each technique to captivate the younger child.

The schedule set up for this year is as follows (all classes are one hour):

Mondays

1:30 Pre-K/Kindergarten Ballet/Tap

3:30 Beginner Modern for grades 4-6

4:30 Ballet for grades K-3

5:30 Tap for everyone in grades 3 and up

Tuesdays

1:30 Pre-K/Kindergarten Creative Movement

3:30 Ballet/Tap for Pre-K/Kindergarten

4:30 Beginner Ballet for grades 7 and up

Wednesdays

10:45 Pre-K Ballet/Tap

1:30 Ballet/Tap for Pre-K/Kindergarten

3:30 Jazz for grades K-3

4:30 Beginner Jazz for grades 7 and up

Thursdays

1:30 Pre-K/Kindergarten Ballet/Jazz

3:30 Intermediate Ballet for grades 4-6

4:30 Intermediate Ballet for grades 7 and up

Fridays

1:30 Pre-K/Kindergarten Creative Movement

3:30 Beginner/Intermediate Jazz for grades 4-6

4:30 Intermediate/Advanced Jazz for grades 7 and up

Saturdays

10:30 Pre-K/Kindergarten Creative Movement

1:30 Beginner/Intermediate Modern for grades 7 and up

Adult Dance Classes

Tuesday

10:30-11:30 a.m. Stretch (mat or towel required)

Wednesday

9:45-10:45 a.m. Ballet

Thursday

10:30-11:30 Tap

Friday

9:45-10:45 a.m. Stretch (mat or towel required)

10:45-11:45 a.m. Modern/Jazz (knee pads required)

The Garden City Recreation Department proudly announces the new co-directors of the Dance Conservatory and Dance Ensemble. New directors Jennifer Gigante and Felicia Lovaglio are both graduates of Garden City High School and the BOCES Cultural Arts Center.

Gigante is a perfect example of what this fine program produces. She, under the direction of Ms. Phillippou, has journeyed over the past nine years through the program as a student, teacher, choreographer, featured dancer and assistant director and has now earned the title of Dance Ensemble director. Gigante has studied dance at Marymount Manhattan College and has taught at the BOCES Cultural Arts Center.

Lovaglio, Dance Conservatory director, earned a BFA in dance from Adelphi University. She has performed professionally for stage and television productions. Lovaglio has also apprenticed and studied with various modern dance companies. She has been teaching dance since 1989 and was the rehearsal mistress for the Long Island cast of the Albany/Berkshire Ballets Nutcracker tour in 1997. This will be Lovaglio's third year at the Conservatory.

The program's goal is to not only provide exceptional dance training, but an environment where students feel as if they are part of a family. It provides an outlet to express oneself creatively while gaining self confidence. Their hard work is rewarded not only by the applause of the audience but in the satisfaction the students gain by becoming assistant teachers and assistant choreographers.

The recreation department will be offering new classes with more levels. It has now become a full-year program, with the exception of the pre-school aged children, running from the end of September to the beginning of May. This will encourage better growth and continuity. The department will once again be offering adult classes in the mornings and will be able to provide a babysitter if needed.

The Dance Ensemble sets a goal that the conservatory students can aspire to. Dance Ensemble auditions will take place Saturday, Sept. 14 in Cluett Hall at 12 p.m.