Bringing art back to youth of community

WANTAGE — Over the past years many budget cuts have been made to schools across the country, causing many schools to slash their art programs.
According to more and more academic research, creativity, discipline, and concentration, will impact the future success of our kids more than anything else, including earning good grades in school.
As an effort to bring art back to the youth of our community, Dorota Ellington (owner of Yoga Youniverse), and Heather Jung (aerial yoga instructor) created the program Y.A.Y (Youth Aerial Yoga). This is a unique program that covers; creative writing, arts and crafts, mediation, aerial yoga, and some traditional yoga. The use of animated poses (often while hanging from the ceiling on aerial hammocks), will aid children with stretching, meditation, breathing techniques, and visualization. It will teach kids how to focus, relax, and develop self-control, while the art component will stimulates kids‛ creative imagination. In addition to yoga children will explore their creative writing and thinking skills.
This program was very successful this summer. The children enjoyed creating handmade recycled magazine art beads for unique bracelets, and collage landscapes of their favorite places where they would love to travel in a real life or their imaginations. They also enjoyed creating their own aerial yoga sequences that became true performance art. Due to this success, the program will continue this fall with special guests.
This will be a 10-week program starting Sept. 26 and ending Dec. 12, Mondays 4-6 p.m. at Yoga Youniverse in Sparta. The program will end with an aerial performance and an exhibit of art created by kids. The cost will be $225 for 10 weeks, $30 drop in. 191 Woodport Road Sparta, NJ. 973-494-6487. Visit www.yogayouniverse.org.