Millwood’s Company Ballet School offering classes
Jonna Maule has always dreamed of owning her own ballet school. She launched Company Ballet School last July with only one student in a private home. Now she has a new location in Millwood that’s all her own.
“I’ve been teaching ballet for over 25 years and have always dreamed of having my own school,” Maule said. “I just kind of broke off on my own. This location in Millwood happened to pop up.”
Maule has previously taught at the Dance Center, Ballet Arts Academy and the Academy of Dance in Spokane during the last 14 years. She taught in Portland before coming to the area.
Maule studied at the Lake Oswego School of Ballet in Portland and also attended several professional dance schools, including the San Francisco Ballet Company School.
Her school at 3201 N. Argonne Road now has 17 students. “We’re very small still,” she said. She plans to keep the number of students small enough that each one gets individual attention in class. “When you get your classes too big, you can’t do that personal touch.”
Children can enroll as young as 3 and she just began a beginning ballet class for adults. The price varies for classes depending on experience level and frequency. A pre-ballet class that meets once a week for 45 minutes is $28 per month. Advanced students can attend unlimited classes for $125 a month.
Maule plans to host a workshop and open house today. The workshop, for children of all ages, will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Kids will learn basic ballet skills, make costumes out of trash bags and put on a mini-performance.
The open house will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Information on classes will be available and there will be some demonstrations.
New Valley vet
A new veterinarian will be welcomed to the staff at Valley Vet Clinic later this month. Julie Sederstrom, a Ferris High School and Washington State University graduate, will begin work on April 18.
Sederstrom graduated from WSU in 1989 and worked in Snohomish, Wash., for a year before coming back to Spokane and working at the Garland Animal Clinic for 14 years. “She’s an excellent veterinarian,” said clinic co-owner Mark McFrederick.
Sederstrom, like the other vets at the clinic, specializes in small animals and will primarily work with cats and dogs. She is the wife of co-owner Kevin French. Veterinarian Jennifer Ronngren is also on staff at the clinic at 7322 E. Sprague Ave.
McFrederick said they have enough clients to keep four veterinarians busy, but was unable to say exactly how many clients the clinic has because they don’t use computers. “We’re old-fashioned, I guess,” he said.
The clinic is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.