Coquitlam's Place des Arts recently enlisted a new teacher for its theatre arts department.
Starting next month, Emilie LeClerc will instruct young people in mask and physical theatre as well as co-teach a new Next Stage performance course for teens with James O'Shea.
LeClerk has a bachelor of arts degree from McGill University with a minor in English drama and is a graduate of Langara College's Studio 58 professional acting training program.
Her three mask and physical theatre classes on Saturday mornings are for kids aged six to 17 and focus on movement and creative expression to tell a story and create characters.
Meanwhile, by popular demand, published author James McCann is back at the Maillardville facility to teach three creative writing classes including fantasy writing for teens.
Young scribes, aged 13 to 19, can imagine the world of Harry Potter and the Twilight series by putting pen to paper for their compositions in this course. Students will also explore mythologies and learn how to get their writing in print.
McCann will also instruct nine- to 12-year-olds in Creative Writing I and II, showing students - using games as a brainstorming tool - how to create characters and narratives.
His Creative Writing II is for slightly more experienced writers who have the ability to finish a story by the end of the course run; participants' work will be added to a class anthology in an eBook format.
McCann is the author of three young adult novels. Orca Book Publishers published his fourth novel Flying Feet about mixed martial arts, last May.
McCann's three classes at PdA run on Monday afternoons and evenings, starting in September.
To sign up or to learn more, call 604-664-1636 or visit www.placedesarts.ca.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
