Instructors
Do you have a special talent or skill? Would you like to become an instructor with the County?
Check the Contractual Instructor link or call 240-777-6870 for all of the details.
Margaret H. Deskin
I have been a teacher of Acrylic Painting Techniques for the Montgomery County Recreation Department for the past 15 years and loves teaching. I received her BA from the Layton School of Art (Milwaukee, WI) and continued advance art studies at Washington University (St. Louis, MO).
Ms. Deskin is an enthusiastic artist who specializes in portrait painting but has experience is several other genres. She founded the Potomac Art League which organizes various art exhibits and several of her paintings have won awards at past Maryland State Fairs. Ms. Deskin is also an avid dog rescuer, particularly the Weimaraner breed; and is a member of Friends of Montgomery County Animal Rescue. She currently resides in Eldersburg with her daughter and dog Teddy (a Weimaraner). She can be contacted at MHDESKIN@Gmail.com.
Meg Dickerson
Creating work from clay is a challenge that excites and frustrates me every day. Manipulating form and surface is what I love; maintaining a traditional focus on detail is what I strive for. I’m not one to fuss over a single piece. Rather, I push forward, using the last piece as a template to improve the next. No single piece is so precious that it can’t be chucked into the reclaim bucket to clear the way for the next one.
My tools are simple; methods uncomplicated. I throw as well as use the slab roller with a porcelain or stoneware body that is usually agreeable to both processes. I do a lot of texturing on my work that is influenced by my attraction to the tribal art and architecture of West Africa. I find these often-ancient designs to be spare and complex, functional and beautiful. Presently I’m experimenting with staining the porcelain to quiet the contrast. I’m never bored in the studio. There are always avenues to explore, problems to solve, deadlines to meet. A successful piece, to me, is timeless and quiet, one that will grow to be a visual piece of the user’s life.
Penny Kritt
Join award-winning artist Penny Kritt for art classes. Work in a real art studio, complete with all the tools and essentials artists need.
Penny holds to the concept that if a student struggles then it falls to her to supplement what is lacking and she will do so with patience and humor.
Tatiana Martin
A professional artist with a Master's degree in Fine arts from a major Russian university. She has been trained to teach fine arts and has been teaching art to different age groups for more than 20 years.
Tatiana is an active artist and her work has appeared in many exhibitions. She developed her unique curriculum to ensure gradual development and skill enhancement in her students. Tatiana has been working for Montgomery County Department of Recreation since 2000 and many of her students have received art scholarships to private schools in Maryland while several others have won various competitions.
Renee Prioleau
A jewelry designer in the Washington DC area. Her work has been featured at Nordstrom and local vintage shops in the metropolitan area and at the national BeadFest conference.
In addition to these accomplishments, through the work of The Bead Studio Inc., a nonprofit organization, she is devoted to promoting the art and culture of beadwork within the community. Her efforts are committed to community outreach and education programs for adults, youth, and individuals with special needs; as well as giving philanthropic support to bead related organizations.
Kid's Kitchen Inc.
Kid's Kitchen Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides nutrition education and physical activity programs for children and families in the local community. The organization is dedicated to teaching children about food culture and the importance of nutrition, developing healthy cooking skills, and encouraging a lifestyle of wellness through fitness.
The program staff includes professional Nutritionists and Certified Fitness Trainers who have worked with the US Department of Agriculture and professional sports teams. Kids Kitchen Inc. is a community partner with the Let's Move Campaign.
Avant Garde
Welcome to Avant Garde Ballroom Dance Center, the newest dance studio in Bethesda and the Greater Washington D.C. Area, recipient of the TOP LOCAL STUDIO award at the 2013 Maryland DanceSport Championships and members of the Better Business Bureau. Our studio reflects contemporary class and elegance at its best, with floor-to-ceiling beveled mirrors and top-of-the-line sprung floors to reduce injuries and minimize fatigue.
This studio was opened by owners Michela Puno, Nick Short, and Slava Sergiev in 2012. We take pride in the expertise of our professionals. They can explain each step and will help you understand the importance of style, posture, and physical conditioning. They are compassionate, patient, encouraging, and dedicated with one goal in mind – to teach you to dance and have fun too! We have something for everyone – from the nervous beginner or the social dancer, to those preparing to dance at a wedding/special event and the competitive dancer eager to bring home medals.
Robyn Lindsey
Robyn is the founder and Director of RL Dance Company, a mobile dance studio based in Montgomery County.
Robyn and her team of teachers have many years’ experience teaching all ages and deliver top level instruction in ballet, hip hop, contemporary, jazz and tap alongside yoga and Pilates throughout the county.
Peytrienne McCormick
Peytrienne is a retired educator and a highly qualified line dance instructor who has taught for several years in the MCRD at different centers throughout the county. She bonded, licensed, and a member of the Consortium for Line Dance Instructors, where she received her certification.
She has also taken classes for salsa, ballroom, Zumba, steppin, hand dance, African dance and line dance, which has become her passion. Peytrienne likes to call her classes “Doin’ it to Death with Plenty of Zeal and Zest Line Dancers”, a name which came about from the students favorite dance song and the energy they use while dancing.
Rebecca McKinney
I received my education from the University of Florida which included studies in Dance Theory, Choreography, and Classical Dance. I have been trained by professors and artists worldwide.
Professionally, I have performed and competed in various competitions throughout the United States and Europe. I am involved in various dance programs in Washington DC and surrounding areas. Currently I coach and teach International and American Standard Ballroom and Latin Dance.
Jinjer Azuree
The Dance & Fitness cardiovascular dance exercise program has grown and consistently responded to the needs of our clients for over 40 years. Our experienced instructors teach in several locations in Montgomery County, currently serving over 100 clients.
We offer fun, easy-to-learn dance routines that emphasize movement, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. We choreograph the routines to a wide variety of music – popular, show, country, and oldies – there is something for everyone!
Karin Baker
Jacki Sorensen has been choreographing Aerobic Dancing for nearly 50 years, and so many former students remember her programs as being a fun way to get and stay fit. Karin became a sales representative in the fitness industry from 1983-2007 and now works part-time in a dance/exercise store selling shoes and apparel.
She has been teaching water exercise since 1995, indoor year round and outdoor in the summer, and has worked as a personal trainer for several years.
Irene Bopp
Irene started her yoga journey in 2000, courtesy of her employer’s in-house fitness facility and immediately found it relaxing and stress reducing. Upon retirement, Irene elected to share her experience with others.
Irene received a teaching certification through Yoga Fit and completed the Columbia Yoga Center’s 200 hour Teacher Training Program in 2013. She is a current member of Yoga Alliance and through various education programs she has obtained specialized teaching certifications for Yin Yoga, seniors, Chair Yoga and Adapting Yoga for individuals with multiple sclerosis.
Esther Brunner
Esther is a graduate from the State Ballet Institute of Budapest with a B.A. in Dance. She danced professionally with the Hungarian National Folk Ballet performing in Europe, the United States, Canada, and South America. She also held a Ballet Mistress’ position in the company.
After settling in the Washington Metropolitan area, Esther earned a B.S. in Recreation from the University of Maryland and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from The Catholic University of America. Esther has taught ballet, folk dancing, and fitness classes in private studios and for Montgomery County Recreation Department for many years and in 2010, Esther became a Certified Personal Trainer and established her company Fitness Care, LLC. Esther’s Ballet Workout classes have been drawing returning and new participants from a wide range of age groups for 39 years.
Suzanna Cooper
Suzanna has been teaching Yoga and Stress management for MCR for almost twenty years. She studied with Joann Evans, from whom she received her certification in the Viniyoga tradition. Suzanna studied Iyengar Yoga for a number of years and learned Stress Management from Pat Hulbert.
She has refined her style and acquired more knowledge in workshops taken over the years.Her classes emphasize the importance of breath as well as strength, flexibility and balance. Suzanna calls her unique style "eclectic yoga", and makes sure there is a playful aspect incorporated into every class.
Jerry Hartman
Jerry began meditating in 2004, and has taught mindfulness meditation – also known as insight or Vipassana meditation - to groups and individuals in person and via electronic media across the country since 2007. He is a 2013 graduate from the Meditation Teacher Training Institute of Washington, DC, and is a 2014 graduate from the Integrated Study and Practice (ISPP) certificate program of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts.
Jerry is an adjunct faculty member of the Potomac Massage Training Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland, adjunct instructor with Howard Community College in Columbia, MD, teaches for the Montgomery County (MD) Department of Recreation, and is a resident of Germantown, Maryland. More information about his teaching practice, as well as his teaching schedule, is available at http://jerryghartman.com.
Cheryl Hicks
Cheryl has been in the fitness business as an instructor and personal trainer since 1983. She enjoys teaching everyone from children, to baby boomers and all those in between. Cheryl is certified in step aerobics, body sculpting, and kickboxing, Pilates, hip hop, Zumba and Zumbatomics (Zumba for kids).
She believes that teaching exercise classes and being a school teacher are her gift and a passion that our creator has given to her; her biggest reward is watching the changes (physically and mentally) in her clients' lives. By trade, Cheryl is a high school PE teacher who enjoys pushing my students to include fitness of any kind into their daily lives.
Pam Kelly
A graduate of the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Physical Education and Dance. She taught Physical Education at Glenelg High School in Howard County, MD and has been teaching exercise and fitness classes with Montgomery County Department of Recreation for many years.
In 1986 she was appointed to the Montgomery County Commission on Physical Fitness, and in 1991 she was appointed to the Montgomery County Wellness for Youth Task Force. Pam also held the title of director of the International Dance Program until 2015.
Robin Morris
Robin still remembers her first yoga class in college that left her feeling calmer, more centered and peaceful. After many years of incorporating a personal yoga practice into her life, Robin felt the need to share her love of yoga with others. Robin took her yoga teacher training at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in western Massachusetts and since 2006, she has taught yoga classes in a multitude of venues in the Eastern Connecticut and Greater Washington, DC area.
Robin’s classes place a special focus on the heart while making a crucial link between breath and movement. Her hope is to create a safe, mindful, and non-competitive environment where students can begin their individual yoga journey. “My classes begin with warm-up movements and breathe awareness exercises, followed by a sequence of yoga postures and end with deep relaxation. With an open mind and heart, I encourage my students to greet each day with a smile on and off the mat.”
Thomas Witz
has always had a passion for health and fitness. His focus is to use his passion to help motivate others to reach their individual health and fitness goals. “Reaching your fitness goals is not always an easy task; I am here to help you achieve yours! Growing up I played baseball, soccer, football, swam on the local swim team and grew extremely passionate for wrestling. Through all of these sports, I developed a desire for competition and learned what it means to be on a team. A team is a group of people with a full set of complementary skills required to complete a job, task or project, a concept I strive to cultivate in all of my classes.” Thomas utilizes this concept both in Boot Camps and in personal training. Whether it is inspiring others or being inspired by others, everyone is on the same team in the attempt to achieve those fitness goals!
Thomas has extensive experience with weight lifting, anaerobic exercises, and other endurance sports. After college he was made Head Coach of the wrestling team at Falls Church High School, his alma mater, for a year. He also received a Certified Personal Trainer Certification from the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) in 2012. Over the last 20 years his passion, commitment, discipline, and drive have led him to participate in 22 marathons, 18 half-marathons, 4 Olympic distance triathlons, four 70.3 Ironman Triathlons, one 140.6 Ironman Triathlon, as well as many 5k/10k races. All of this experience has allowed Thomas to develop a Boot Camp Program that incorporates the latest exercises in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). This fun team atmosphere is open to all fitness levels! Contact Thomas at tomwitz77@gmail.com or 301-300-4196 with any questions or concerns.
American Ultimate Academy
American Ultimate Academy provides access and opportunities for Ultimate Frisbee throughout the DMV region.
Head coach Rowan McDonnell, captain of the local professional Ultimate team, the DC Breeze, enjoys helping young players develop skills and a love for the sport.
Challenger Sports
Challenger Sports is the largest soccer providing organization in North America. Challenger Sports understands that players, coaches, parents and administrators all have different needs and priorities, and by listening to our customers for over 25 years we have created a total soccer company that caters to everyone involved in the game.
Challenger Sports is owned and operated by some of the most experienced individuals in the soccer industry in the country and our team of 13 offices and 150 full time employees now provides a comprehensive range of services and products that include camps, classes, training, equipment, apparel and many other services.
Jump Start Sports
Jump Start Sports provides well-organized recreational sports programs in an environment that is focused on fun and learning rather than on competition. We offer summer camps, preschool sports programs, recreational sports leagues, and after-school programs that teach fundamentals, sportsmanship, and teamwork.
Our programs are creative, age-appropriate and considerate of the needs and time constraints of the whole family.
UK Elite Soccer
UK Elite is the first professional youth soccer training organization in the USA. Everything we do is designed to maximize the sporting potential of individual players, teams, clubs and coaches. We believe in thinking creatively so our passion for the game can directly benefit youth soccer in your community. We currently offer the largest product range within the industry for players from three years of age and up.
Whether it is a community soccer camp or an international soccer tour, we have the experience and professional staff that have actively shaped the soccer landscape since 1992.
Salvador Cortes
Salvador holds the rank of Rokudan (sixth grade black belt) in Karate Do and Sandan (3rd Dan or third grade black belt) in Iaido. He is currently studying Japanese Classical Martial Arts Karate Do and Iaido under the guidance of Hanshi Tesshin Hamada.
Salvador’s philosophy holds that martial arts (MA) training is not a sport but a way of life. The training builds patience and self-control which is the difference between Classical and other branches of MA. “I hold the dojo title of Shihandai and the title of Renshi recognized by Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK, circa 1895) also known as the Greater Japan Martial Virtue Society".
Frédéric Hocde
Frédéric is French and has been teaching judo in the USA for 3 years. “I began studying Judo at 4 years old. I competed internationally for France for several years until I decided to teach. Instructing is my passion and I focus my Judo classes around a few key values such as politeness, respect, self-control, and balance.
All children from 4 years old to teenagers are welcome to attend and discover this exciting martial art, very popular in France.”
TKA
TKA was founded in 1965 by 8th degree black belt Dale Tompkins, who holds a master’s degree in physical education and taught at Montgomery College in Rockville for almost 30 years. He founded TKA with the mission of promoting creativity, focus, fitness, coordination, confidence, and respect for self and others in students of all ages using modern learning theory and teaching techniques in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Our program offers many different ways of learning and experiencing martial arts including the class setting, exams, competitions, and camps. For more than 50 years, our highly trained and talented instructors have helped students discover the best in themselves and achieve goals including becoming black belts and instructors themselves.
Judith Duerk
Judith received a B.S. and M.S. from The Juilliard School of Music, and completed her graduate study at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.
For many years, Judith was a private teacher at Roosevelt University in Chicago. "I have loved teaching and have always learned from each student at every lesson how to become a better teacher. What great teachers students are!”
CARE Actor
CARE Actor opened its doors in November 2008 in a small studio in Falls Church, VA with a class of five, dramatic 10 year olds. Since then we have served thousands of children in the DC area. Our mission is to awaken creativity in youth ages 2-15 years old through theater arts education classes that inspire young artists to embrace their imaginations and talents.
We believe that creativity is the gateway to a child's greatness and expands their ability to gain self-confidence. We also know the powerful impact theater arts has in bringing students together and allowing them to develop team building skills through the common goal of performance. Our hope is that each child who joins our program will build confidence, courage, and character one act at a time.
Bollywood Dance Fitness
Bollywood dance is set to very catchy tunes and fast rhythmic, vigorous beats. Its choreographed hip hop style combines movement mixed with the different classical and folk dances of India.
It is a cardio vascular low impact, functional exercise, providing a work out to each joint and muscle. It also improves focus, memory, self-confidence, balance and motor coordination. Bollywood Dance is open to seniors, adults, youth, kids and toddlers.
Family Fun Fitness
Since 1987, Funfit has been putting the fun in family fitness. Created by a combination of educators, physicians, and language specialist, the Funfit programs offer children age-appropriate benefits & skill development in language, socialization, cognitive, physical, and muscular coordination; as well as teaching them the importance of following instructions and cooperation all while in a class scenario. Kindness and manners are always emphasized.
All of these benefits are gained by having fun through active play, music and a variety of equipment. Funfit is the only parent/child class designed to also benefit the participating adult with a generous workout similar to one gained by going to the gym. Discover with your child, how much fun fitness can be!
Laughter Fitness
includes breathing techniques, meditation, and “laughter” exercise which are considered to be the ‘best medicine’ for health enrichment. It reduces stress, calms mind, relieves anxiety, reduces depression, increases energy, and improves concentration, thus enhancing and rejuvenating brain power while culminates in overall health.
All seniors and adults are welcome to participate.
Ines Kuperberg
I was born and raised in Torgau, Saxony, Germany and received my degrees as a preschool teacher and Bachelors in Social worker there. Working with children is my passion.
"Here in the DC area I have the chance to teach children in German (German Language Course on Saturdays, Kinderstunde in Germantown Community Center), and work for Montgomery County Public Schools in all PEP programs."
Laura Lunking
Laura is the instructor for Mama Goose on the Loose, and a former children's librarian with 30 years of experience working with young children and their caregivers. She has been teaching Mama Goose on the Loose with the Recreation Department since 2001 and she still looks forward to every class!
She lives with her family in Olney, MD and in her free time enjoys reading, travel, yoga and walking her dog, Cooper.
Learn Now Music
We offer fun music classes for all ages! All programs include *free instrument rentals and materials to utilize for the duration of the class!
Please contact LNM for details @ www.LearnNowMusic.com or 800-399-6414.
Kumud Mathur
Kumud is extensively trained in various Indian dances and Laughter Yoga.
She has taught in the Metro DC area for many years and is the Director of the Dance to Health Society while also promoting Dance and Laughter for Fitness in both Montgomery County and DC.
Sabine Philippe
Sabine has been teaching dance for 35 years and has had an established dance studio in Bethesda since 2004. She teaches 19 different dance genres and teaches ballet in French.
She also teaches throughout Montgomery County private and public schools, recreation centers and community facilities. A native of Haiti, she takes pride in sharing her culture with others through the art of dance.
Bricks 4 Kidz
Bricks 4 Kidz® is devoted to providing an extraordinary atmosphere for children, where we learn, build, and play with LEGO® bricks. Classes are designed to teach the fundamentals of S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, built around our proprietary model plans, created by engineers and architects.
At Bricks 4 Kidz, we believe that kids learn best through activities that engage their curiosity and creativity.
CARE Actor
CARE Actor opened its doors in November 2008 in a small studio in Falls Church, VA with a class of five, dramatic 10 year olds. Since then we have served thousands of children in the DC area. Our mission is to awaken creativity in youth ages 2-15 through theater arts education classes that will inspire young artists to embrace their imaginations and talents.
We believe that creativity is the gateway to a child's greatness and ability to gain self-confidence. We also know the powerful impact theater arts has in bringing students together and allowing them to develop team building skills through a common goal of performance. Our hope is that each child who joins our program will build confidence, courage, and character one act at a time.
Komodo
Komodo Learning Centers, with multiple centers in Virginia and Maryland, offer advanced grade level math, abacus based mental math and language arts classes for grades K - 6.
If you’ve ever struggled for hours at a kitchen table with your children over math or English homework, you know that sometimes, a new way of thinking is desperately needed! Komodo USA’s accredited instructors tailor curriculum to your child’s needs, making homework a breeze.
Mad Science
Mad Science® is the world’s leading science enrichment provider. We deliver unique, hands-on science experiences for children that are as entertaining as they are educational.
Mad Science® is proud to introduce millions of children to a world of discovery while sparking their imagination and we encourage scientific literacy in children in an age when science is as vital as reading, writing and arithmetic.
Timothy Morgan
Timothy teaches the Intro & Advanced Gemology courses for MCRD, is studying to get his GG (Graduate Gemology) degree from Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and has his own small business, Gemstones from the Earth, selling rough, cut gemstones, handmade necklaces, and bead strands. Timothy was also a teaching historian at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, for almost 35 years and received a PhD in early American history from The College of William and Mary (1976).
“I was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois, grew up in the Chicago area and went to Purdue University for my undergraduate and first graduate degrees. I am currently treasurer of the local GIA chapter, past president of the Bead Society of Greater Washington, and a member of the Board of Directors of the DC Gem, Lapidary, and Mineral Society. I enjoy taking my students on field trips to places like the Gem Hall of the National Museum of Natural History, Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Hillwood Estate, and mines and quarries to collect specimens of gemstones in the rough.” If interested in finding out about the courses Timothy teaches, he can be reached at timothbyemorgan@mac.com.
Nirantar Quest Engineering for Kids
Engineering for Kids brings science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), to kids ages 4 to 14 in a fun and challenging way through classes, camps, clubs, and parties. Engineering for Kids utilizes classes, camps, clubs, and parties as a fun and challenging way to bring science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to children ages 4 to 14.
We are proud to inspire children to build on their natural curiosity by teaching engineering concepts through hands-on learning. Engineering is, after all, one of the fastest growing industries in the world!
Play-Well TEKnologies
We provides project-based programs designed to teach principles and methods of engineering to children, ages 5 - 12, using LEGO® pieces. Our curriculum is designed by engineers, building on the math and science skills students learn during the school year.
Utilizing over 20,000 LEGO® pieces for each class, we engage our students in solving real-world engineering challenges that explore concepts in physics, architecture, and engineering. We have been growing future engineers since 1997 and our goal is to foster a greater appreciation of how things work, encourage the qualities of inquisitiveness, self-reliance, and self-confidence in children.