Rube Goldberg Machine

This will be a week of whimsical fun creating chain reaction machines like those made famous by Rube Goldberg where a seemingly simple task is made unnecessarily complicated. Teams will link several different stages to make the machine complete a simple task such as launching a rocket or dropping a trap. Success will require teamwork, problem solving, contraption design, prototyping and testing. The end of the week will be the big reveal when the machines are put to the test for all to witness.

July 22nd – August 2nd, 9:00am – 1:00pm

Classes/camps scheduled for July will appear for online purchase in May.
Classes/camps scheduled for August will appear for online purchase in June.
Any class/camp date may be purchased in person at The Epic.
Please contact Victoria Guerra at [email protected] or 972-339-3711 for any questions you may have.

Register

A+ Dance
Come join A+ Dance where the elite go to move their feet!  Dance helps children learn cutting edge dance moves through hip-hop, modern, and praise dance with an urban feel. Come join A+ Dance where the elite go to move their feet!  Students will participate in multiple performances throughout the year and will focus on developing holistic fitness, character and confidence. Competitions available to students who are ready for the challenge!
INSTRUCTOR: Ms. Alex
CLASS LOCATION: Intensity 2
DURATION: Continuous           DAYS: Tuesday & Thursday                   TIME: 6pm – 7pm
AGE: Kids 5 years – 13 years
UNIFORM: Athletic leggings and a plain white fitted shirt
COST: $45/month — First Student, $35/month — Additional Sibling
REGISTER HERE

Technique & Tumble Training Program
Focus on training students who are interested in learning acrobatic tumbling skills that could be used in dance, cheer or gymnastics.  $25 Pre-Registration Fee for all athletes
INSTRUCTOR: Coach Kristen
CLASS LOCATION: Intensity 2
DURATION: Continuous
UNIFORM: Fitted shirt/leotard & bottoms, hair pulled back, no jewelry

PRE-SCHOOL
AGE: Kids 3 years – 5 years
DAY: Saturday              TIME: 10:30am – 11:15am
COST: $50/month — First Student, $40/month — Youngest Sibling

BEGINNER
AGE: Kids 5 years and older
DAY: Wednesday           TIME: 5:30pm – 6:30pm
COST: $60/month — First Student, $50/month — Youngest Sibling

BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE
AGE: Kids 5 years and older / test-in
DAY: Saturday              TIME: 11:30am – 12:30pm
COST: $60/month — First Student, $50/month — Youngest Sibling

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCE
AGE: Kids must test-in
DAY: Wednesday           TIME: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
COST: $60/month — First Student, $50/month — Youngest Sibling
*Test-in for intermediate = back walkover, advance = back handspring*
REGISTER HERE

Ballet Folklorico Dance
Dance helps fundamental development by accomplishing the following: it favors coordination, improves focus, opens mathematical, logical harmony and auditory paths, feeds esteem, enriches perception, refines the sense of hearing, and strengths human awareness through art and history…. transform your life dancing!
La danza ayuda al desarrollo integral: Favorece la coordinaciòn, ayuda a enfocarse, abre caminos matemàticos y lògicos, alimenta la autoestima, enriquece la percepciòn, afina el sentido del oìdo, fortalece la sensibilida humana a travès del arte y nos abre senderos de armonìa visual y auditiva!!
…. Transforma tu vida bailando!

INSTRUCTOR: Erika Torres
CLASS LOCATION: Warehouse
DURATION: Continuous
UNIFORM: Black bottoms, black t-shirt & Ballet Folklorico shoes
AGE: Adults & Kids 5 years and older

BEGINNER
DAYS: Tuesday & Thursday
TIME: 5:30pm – 6:30pm
COST: $35/student

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCE
DAYS: Tuesday & Thursday
TIME: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
COST: $45/student

ADVANCE (Competition Team)
DAYS: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday
TIME: 6:30pm – 8:30pm (Tues/Thurs), 9am – 1pm (Sat)
COST: $50/student
REGISTER HERE

Traditional Taekwondo
Traditional Taekwondo teaching with an emphasis on self-discipline and self-esteem. Students will build self-confidence, and can advance from white belt to black belt while learning self-discipline, anti-kidnapping techniques, kumite (SPARRING), and tournament fighting.
Class is divided by skill level. Families are welcome to take class together.

INSTRUCTOR: Bill Simpson & Mike Stone
CLASS LOCATION: Warehouse
DURATION: Continuous
UNIFORM: Athletic shirt and bottoms (no shoes). Please speak with instructors about purchasing gi.
AGE: Adults & Kids 6 years and older 

KARATE – TAEKWONDO
DAYS: Monday & Wednesday                 TIME: 6:00pm – 7:00pm
COST: $50/month — First Student, $45/month — Additional Family Member

KARATE – SPARRING
DAY: Friday                                         TIME: 6:00pm – 7:00pm
COST: $25/month — First Student, $20/month — Additional Family Member
Students who wish to enroll in the sparring class must be enrolled in the Monday/Wednesday Karate-TaeKwonDo class and get approval from instructors. Sparring is a great way to advance and work on what is taught during class on Mondays and Wednesdays.
*Starting June 3rd, classes will be held from 6:30pm – 7:30pm.*
REGISTER HERE

Join the fun in an all new Summer Art Camp taught by professional, award-winning artists from the Robert Garden School of Art who specialize in teaching fine art, not simple crafts.

Inspiring subjects include animals, lush landscapes, splashy seascapes, colorful florals and other fun still life’s kids will love! Your artist will create 8 masterpieces you will be proud to frame and treasure using 5 Mediums; Watercolors, Acrylics – both heavy and light, and drawing with Oil Pastels and Charcoal pencils. Kids will learn perspective, color theory, composition, brush loading techniques and much more! All supplies and patient, encouraging instruction are provided.

What to wear: Old T-shirt or artist’s apron

What to bring: small snack and roll of paper towels

Session I:               June 24 – 27, 2 pm to 4:45pm
Session II:             July 15 – 18, 9 am to 11:45am
Session III:            August 5 – 8, 2 pm to 4:45pm

Classes/camps scheduled for July will appear for online purchase in May.
Classes/camps scheduled for August will appear for online purchase in June.
Any class/camp date may be purchased in person at The Epic.
Please contact Victoria Guerra at [email protected] or 972-339-3711 for any questions you may have.

Come join A+ Dance where the elite go to move their feet!
A+ Dance helps children learn cutting edge dance moves through hip-hop, modern, and praise dance with an urban feel. Students will participate in multiple performances throughout the year and will focus on developing holistic fitness, character and confidence.

Competitions available to students who are ready for the challenge!

CLASS LOCATION: Intensity 2
DURATION: Continuous
UNIFORM: Athletic leggings and a plain white fitted shirt
DAYS: Tuesday & Thursday
TIME: 6pm – 7pm
AGE: Kids 5 years – 13 years
COST: $45/month — First Student, $35/month — Additional Sibling

REGISTER HERE

As part of the Parks, Arts & Recreation Department, Grand Prairie’s youth programs, classes, camps, and events have always been designed to inspire, develop, and motivate young minds.  As a result, participants benefit by venturing outside of their comfort zones to reach new heights. Creativity starts with opportunity and encouragement. It takes a community effort to raise generations to be better, braver, sharper, and bolder. Every effort for the youth will evolve and develop with its students in order to deliver an EPIC experience as time passes. To stay in the know with all of the youth programs, classes, camps, and events make sure to check JoinTheEpic.com/youth.

Online registration can be completed at theepic.centeredgeonline.com/class/classes.

For questions and more information, please contact Victoria Guerra at [email protected] or  972-339-3711.

Classes that The Epic currently offers:

• Epic Domain
  • Girls Night Out
  • Boys Night Out
• Karate
  • Karate – TaeKwonDo
  • SPARRING
• Judo
  • Tiny Ninjas
  • Kids
  • Teens/Adults
  • Open Mat
• Technique & Tumbling
  • Pre-School
  • Beginner
  • Intermediate/Advance
• A+ Dance

The arts area of The Epic is one of the features that makes our facility unique and further redefines recreation. A few options The Epic Media Arts will offer include: Culinary Kitchen, EpicRadio, Art Classes, Artist In-Residence UNT Fellowship, The Epic Theater, Recording Studio, Art Gallery, and more.  Below you can read more about the EPIC team that is bringing these art programs to Grand Prairie!

Zach Balch (Center) – Media and Arts Supervisor

With a degree in Outdoor Recreation from the University of North Texas, Zach Balch had his heart set to work in the mountains. However, he fortuitously found his way into the music industry with an internship with The National Academy of Recording Arts and Science (the folks that put on The GRAMMYs) in Austin his senior year. Working with South By Southwest, The Gibson Guitar Showroom and Austin legends Grooveline Horns (Jason Mraz, Kelly Clarkson, Zac Brown Band) Zach’s love of music became a gateway to a diverse career.

Following his year in Austin, Zach moved back to Dallas in 2011 to pursue a career in songwriting and record producing. He co-founded Flint Creek Records, which has seen the creative process through for dozens of client projects in Dallas, Fort Worth, Nashville, Austin and Lubbock. He recorded and toured extensively before stepping into the music licensing field with FirstCom Music, a Dallas-based division of Universal Music Group. In this role, he placed music in film, TV, Advertising and other audio/video works. He currently teaches Music Business at Media Tech Institute in Carrolton and operates his recording studio and record label.

Zach brings to The Epic not only a degree in Parks and Recreation, but a unique array of professional experience in performing, writing, producing and facilitating other artists.

Jeff Muncy (Right) – Recreation Specialist

Jeff studied at Memphis College of Art, and in 2014 earned a BFA in Fine Arts. Even though he majored in painting, during his last semester he fell in love with illustration.

After graduating, Jeff worked as an instructor in their Community Arts program. While visiting Dallas during holidays and other breaks, Jeff was impressed with how quickly the area was growing while he was in Memphis. So after spending some time teaching, Jeff decided to move back to Dallas for the opportunities it offered. He started working as a freelance illustrator; exhibiting work in more than 20 venues since 2015.

Jeff wanted to find other ways to help his career grow. So to push his work further, he attended the Illustration Master Class in 2016, giving him the opportunity to study with some of the biggest names in illustration. He’s excited to pass on anything he’s learned to aspiring artists in DFW.

During Jeff’s time back in DFW, he realized how scattered the creative communities in the area were. Jeff looks forward to creating a community of artists all over DFW, where everyone can share their experiences and help each other avoid pitfalls of the “starving artist” stigma. Setting a new standard to show that pursuing your passion doesn’t mean you can’t make a living.

Krista Marrs (Left) – Recreation Coordinator 

Krista Marrs was born and raised in Carlsbad, New Mexico. She attended the University of New Mexico and earned her Bachelors of Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Leadership. While at the University of New Mexico she worked with the student government to book and plan festivals, bands, and events. After graduating college, she decided to move to Texas to help manage her friend’s band. In moving to Dallas she started working part time at a radio station and soon after found herself on tour with a Norwegian pop artist. Once the tour was over she decided it was time to get a full time job with HR at a big four accounting firm.

While working within HR she realized her true love was working with event planning and musicians. When she found out about The Epic she knew that it would be a perfect opportunity for her to get back to the industry that makes her who she is. Krista is excited to work with the local community to program the online radio station to fit the beautiful City of Grand Prairie. Not only will she be programming the radio station, she’ll be booking bands in the theater and helping out in the music studio. She knows that the Arts and Music department will be such an incredible asset to the City of Grand Prairie as well as to DFW as a whole. Krista looks forward to hearing from the community about what they’d like to see from The Epic.

We at The Epic are all about shattering perception and rupturing the way people view our industry. We put our money where our mouth is when it comes to the gear.

This bad boy is the Rupert Neve Designs 5088 large format recording console (and Mr. Neve himself). Rupert Neve could be regarded as the Patriarch of analog recording. His technology has been a part of maybe every single one of your favorite records. Almost every recording studio has a Neve pre-amp, compressor, console, or EQ. But the 5088 is his greatest gift to the recording world.

We’ve done something super slick with ours. We only sprang for 16 channels on our console, but those channels can be used either in the recording studio or to record from the stage in the Epic Theater, presented by Texas Trust Credit Union. Paired with a stellar supporting cast of additional 500 series pre-amps, EQs, compressors, outboard effects units, mic locker of the stars, and some music nerds to throw down some jams on your record, we have one of the best rooms in DFW.

Bands, artists, producers, engineers: You should take a look at the studio. You’ll be inspired to make some music with us.

If you’re interested to find out what all this stuff means, there will be plenty of opportunities to learn about the best equipment in the industry with experienced producers and engineers. We wanted only the best for you at The Epic.

Epic Radio GP launches in full force on September 1. But we need YOUR help! This is community radio, and you’re the community.

If you’ve ever wanted to hear your voice on the radio, make it over to the Grand Prairie Main Library between 9:00 a.m. and noon on Saturday, August 18 to record a spot with us. Tell us about your favorite spots in Grand Prairie, your summer reading list, what you’re listening to, or even about your small business.

Even if you’re a bit microphone shy, we have some scripts to get you warmed up and we can coach you along to your own Gold Medal voice for radio.

We welcome people of all ages, whether you’re an elementary student at Sallye Moore or a local entrepreneur, our community wants to hear from YOU.

Our team will also be gathering surveys on the types of music you like so we can build a better station that reflects our listeners.

If you’re interested in producing your own radio show contact Krista at [email protected]. Visit JoinTheEpic.com for more news and updates.

Here’s another great opportunity to support the PlayGrand Adventures project this weekend, Saturday, May 19!

Joshua Hooten, a 9th grader at Dubiski High School, along with his family took it upon themselves to coordinate a carwash for the second year in a row in support of PlayGrand Adventures. It’s not every day that you find someone as passionate about a project as Joshua. Staff was so moved by his eagerness to help, we asked him a few questions:

PlayGrand Adventures: You did a car wash last year during the Miles for Smiles campaign. Why did you do it, and why do you want to do it again?
Joshua: I did the carwash last time because my family and I love to help people no matter what it takes out of us. Also, I like to make a difference in people lives. I am doing the carwash for a second time because I think that people of all abilities should have somewhere to go to have fun and be worry free.

PlayGrand Adventures: Why are you so passionate about PlayGrand Adventures?
Joshua: I am passionate about PlayGrand Adventures because I think that all people should be able to enjoy time in the outdoors no matter what disabilities they have or don’t have.

PlayGrand Adventures: What would you say to others who want to get involved, or help with this project?
Joshua: I would tell them that they could donate money to go to building of the all-inclusive park, or they can help out at the carwash. All money raised at the carwash will support the Miles for Smiles campaign.

Event Details:
Saturday May 19, 2018
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Long John Silver’s parking lot
680 W Pioneer Pkwy, Grand Prairie, TX 75051

We hope you will come out this Saturday to support Joshua and PlayGrand Adventures. All proceeds from the carwash will be contributed to the “Miles for Smiles” campaign which GPISD students are participating in to help raise money for this life-changing project.