Page 37 - AUG 2018 The Castle Pines Connection proof 1

CastlePinesConnection.com
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TALENTED TWEENS
OF CASTLE PINES
TALENTED TWEEN JACK KORESSEL IS AN ATHLETE TO WATCH IN THE SPORT OF DANCE
By Elise Brassell; photos courtesy of Christie Koressel
To truly be exceptional at something often takes commitment and sacri ce. It can mean investing extra practice time when you would rather be hanging out with your friends; it can mean intense training; and sometimes it can mean that there will be others around you who don’t understand why, as a boy, you would choose an activity like dance instead of a more traditional sport like basketball or football.
Castle Pines tween Jack Koressel has experienced what it’s like to have others
not understand why he has chosen to train and compete in the sport of dance. But, Koressel’s family hopes that support for this young man’s accomplishments in dance will only grow. After all, some athletes
play football, some dance, some do both - like Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller on the TV show “Dancing with the Stars.”
Koressel started dancing when he
was 5 years old and now at age 12, he
has expanded to ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary and musical theater dance disciplines. Perhaps his rst interest
in dance came from his grandfather, a vaudeville dancer. In just seven years
of training, Koressel has become an accomplished dance athlete in his own right, winning a Core Performer award and a runner-up Break Out Artist award at recent competitions. He has also trained with famous dancers and choreographers including Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Travis Wall and Kirsten Russell.
Michelle Latimer owns and teaches at Michelle Latimer Dance Academy where Koressel trains 12 to 15 hours per week – in addition to practice time at home.
“Dance requires athleticism, agility, strength, endurance and hours of practice, like any other sport. It requires long hours of training and is very competitive just like any sport. It's amazing how hard dancers
Jack Koressel, 12, has become an award-winning dancer, often training more than 15 hours each week.
have to work and how long they train, often many hours weekly and for many years to achieve what they accomplish. Then add the artistic element – education in musicality, timing, artistic interpretation and expression. It is truly a creative and athletic achievement,” said Latimer.
The competitive dance season begins in January, and Koressel will soon dance in his rst competition of 2019, held in Westminster at the end of the month.
Lunch bunch strikes again
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of Timber Trail Elementary
The Timber Trail Education Alliance (TTEA) was busy this holiday season warming the hearts and lling the tummies of Timber Trail faculty and sta . TTEA and parent volunteers wanted to give back to the teachers and sta that work so hard caring for the students and keeping the students safe.
During the week of parent teacher conferences, TTEA coordinated a week- long farmers market snack bar for the sta to provide healthy fuel for conference week. The market was completely sustained by donations from Timber Trail Elementary (TTE) families. Whole fruit, fresh berries, trail mix, granola bars, pressed juices, baked goods, avored sparkling waters, dark chocolate covered fruit and popcorn were set up in the lounge for team members to enjoy with the message, “Farm fresh, from us to you, to say thank you for all
that you do!” In addition, the faculty and sta were presented with King Soopers gift cards the day before Thanksgiving break with the message, “We’re so thankful for you.” This gift of appreciation was to recognize the sta after a very busy week and to help provide Thanksgiving dinner to a wonderful sta .
Fall appreciation didn’t stop at the fresh market. As an ongoing e ort by the TTEA and TTE parent volunteers, monthly lunch
Timber Trail lunch bunch sta relaxing and enjoying their potato bar, courtesy of the TTEA.
bunch was created to provide the entire faculty and sta a themed lunch sponsored
by a di erent grade. December lunch bunch was sponsored by the fth-grade, consisting of a fresh hot baked potato bar with all the xings one could possibly imagine. The idea of lunch bunch was to provide the sta some peace of mind knowing that lunch was one last thing sta needed to worry about packing in the morning. We have all been there in the morning. We grab our co ee, tea and paper. We rush out the door and forget our packed lunch. This lunch hour is a time for TTE team members to relax, collaborate with peers and not feel the rush of the lunch hour. It’s a time to refuel the sta with appreciation and great food!
TTEA provided healthy fuel for teachers and sta during conference week with a farmers market inspired snack bar.