RED BANK– A new dance school has opened in Red Bank on 80 Broad Street Suite 2M. Lessons at Valerie Herman’s new Coastal Pointe Dance School begin on September 8.
Herman has been dancing for 23 years, beginning ballet lessons when she was just three years old. She danced all through middle and high school while growing up in Hudson Valley. She studied elementary education and dance in all fields from jazz to modern and contemporary, earning her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in dance education at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. She went on to work as a teacher in public schools for kindergarten students while continuing to dance and teach dance lessons on the side.
A year ago, she moved to Red Bank, where she and her family had spent summers since she was young. She has been teaching and choreographing for Rumson Fair Haven High School as well as Freehold Borough High School.
She decided to open an art studio in town because she has always loved the culture and sense of community that the town offers. “I want to build that family sense and community atmosphere in my dance studio,” she said. Her studio will be a place for “dancers that have a passion for dance and have an involvement in the community as well.”
A wide range of classes will be offered for ages 1 – adult, as well as a special class for home-schooled children to fulfill their physical activity requirement and to cater to the more serious dancers who have more time to dance during the weekdays.
Herman will be teaching all types of dance classes, along with her three additional teachers: Bailie Stypa, who is currently attending Brookdale Community College for theater, will be teaching tap, Kimberly White, who just graduated from the University of the Arts with a degree in dance, will be teaching ballet and pointe, and Kasi Sweeney, who is the musical theater director and director at Freehold Borough High School and graduated from NYU’s theater and educational studies, will be teaching some musical theater and acting classes.
Herman caters to the learning styles of her students. “With the little ones it has to be a lot of fun, with imagination, and helping them. They’re not so much knowing that they’re learning how to dance but you’re making it so much fun that you’re getting the technique and the vocabulary to them without them thinking, ‘I’m just here to learn a lesson like I am in school.’”
On the other hand, with the older ones, Herman points out that its more about mixing repetition with the broadening of their skills, while giving them opportunities to dance with different teachers. Herman emphasized her desires to “inspire them to what they can be and what’s possible for them.”
“Taking dance definitely gives you a better sense of self, and helps you to be self-motivated in all aspects of your life,” Herman pointed out, “I feel you have a better dedication and you work harder and you don’t give up on things and you really follow through because you know the work ethic that’s needed.”
For class descriptions, com- petition team information, teacher bios, and the studio schedule can be found at coastalpointedance.com, or by calling (732) 737-1938.
